Grey Power in the Baptist Church

If you want a voice or a position at the table of influence at a national or state level in the Baptist Church in Australia it helps greatly if you are a male, and if you are grey or greying. [A beard or chin strap comes in handy too.] There are exceptions to the rule of course, but broadly speaking Grey Power remains the unchallenged status quo, and incumbency the key to retaining that power.

In a previous incarnation, I had reason to attend the Baptist Union of Australia meetings annually. They were held at Whitley College and at morning tea the great and the grey of the Baptist Union would spill out into the central courtyard of the circular university residences [which we occupied during the semester break].

This previous incarnation was many years ago now, and a lot of the great and the grey had already been in power for some time.  They still are. 

The rest of the world has moved on, but many parts of the Baptist Union at national and state level have not.  We ensure that your young blood are sufficiently moderated before they can come near the seats of influence and decision making.  Young idealism and the energy of youth are rarely harnessed at a leadership level.

That’s what ‘youth ministry’ is for isn’t?  Pack those young yahoos off to some youth group where they can use up all their energy and employ all their visionary zeal.  When they are ready to be sensible and know how to keep the ship steady they can perhaps be given a seat closer to the action.

Mark Driscoll leveled with his sydney Anglican audience recently on the issue:

18. Movements have become institutions and museums. A movement is where God does what He always does, but in greater depth than we normally see, for example the Puritans, Methodists, Charismatic movement.

Defining variables of a movement are:

(i) Young people are often at the centre of a movement – everywhere but Sydney. I’m an older guy where I’m from – but here, I’m young. Young people are often at the centre of movements – most of the Methodists were guys in their 20s, Billy Graham was 19 when he first started preaching.

(ii) “Statistically I think one of the reasons your church is so small is that your young men don’t get to lead them until they are old” – and they run out of gas before they get there. You say, ‘but the young are irresponsible’ – of course they are! Young men say and do stupid things, but it’s good to get the losses out of the way early.

(iii) Movements are marked not just by birth, but by new birth. New churches have to be planted and you need new leaders so there can be new churches.

His talk could well have been given at this years Baptist Convention in just about every state.  Whilst all churches in the State can be represented at the Convention on voting it is unkown for a candidate to put up from anywhere else but inside the system.  Safe candidates are always chosen, and our safest candidates usually make it into the position of General Superintendent, where they generally superintend.

There are of course some headkickers who make it into the GS positions, but the headkicking is usually about bringing people into line rather than kicking heads in the name of innovation and renewal.  Most Baptist pastors would know the who’s who of who you don’t cross, I needn’t quote any examples.

Incumbency is another key factor in the paucity of younger leaders.  There is one particular Union in Australia who have had the same Secretary for 30 consecutive years!  That’s even 2 years longer than Robert Mugabe has held onto power! Even the hapless Zimbabweans have managed to move the ‘old man’ aside slightly to accommodate the next generation.  It seems that once you are in, and the numbers people are happy enough to keep you there, you stay!

We need leadership development to become a fixed part of our mentality and our expectations of current leaders.  The question should be put annually in performance reviews [what are those you ask?] of our key leaders: what are you doing to develop new leadership?, and who?

We can’t turf out all our mature leaders.  Rather, we need a balance.  We need new blood to be fed into the system continually.  We also need leadership on merit, not on incumbency.  It’s no good that you can be no good but still retain your job.  Driscoll said to his Sydney Anglican audience:

3. There is a lack of merit-based reward in denominations. I’m not saying your culture is bad and my culture is good. I’m saying your culture is bad and my culture is bad differently. People are rewarded for tenure but not for fruit. Men can’t be demoted or thrown out of ministry for more than stealing money or falling sexually. Just because you’re doing ministry long-term doesn’t mean you should be guaranteed of a job. You all know that some churches are being led by men who are not the best men for the job.

That applies to our system as much as the Sydney Anglicans.  The current senior leadership of our denomination is not a good enough representation of our denomination, but thanks to incumbency there is nothing the grass roots can do about it.  The only discernible growth recorded in Baptist churches nationally is in the young adults sector.  A denomination led almost exclusively by 50-somethings is not well placed to maximise that key advantage.

I will be 50something if God grants to me to be alive then.  I am determined not to stand in the way of the generation below me who need encouragement, development and opportunity.