Denominational Entrepreneurship

The religious denomination is, in many ways, a uniquely American concept that has not only thrived in North America but impacted the rest of the world.  Many of the denominations with which we are familiar were born in the 19^thcentury.   Some sought to preserve national (European) identity or an economic stance.  Others sought to bring the growing independent missionary societies under the wing of the churches. Some organized for less idealistic reasons. 

 

For the most part, however, denominations were expressions of entrepreneurship.  In the secular definition, an entrepreneur is someone who has the ability and desire to establish, administer, and succeed in a startup venture along with risk entitled to it, to make profits.  From the religious perspective, the entrepreneurs who founded American denominations sought to create a new way to expand the ministries of the churches and consolidate financial support for those ministries, basing the risk on their faith in the mission of God in the world.

 

Denominations flourished in the 20^th century and consolidated the various institutions associated with a particular denominational tribe—missions, publishing houses, colleges, seminaries, orphanages, and hospitals—under one umbrella.  Using all the tools of the second industrial age, they became vertically integrated institutions.  Some would even categorize them as monopolies.  These denominations did a lot of good and reached their height of influence in the post-World War Two years.  

 

Unfortunately, the social, economic, and spiritual climate of North America has not been kind to denominations in the latter part of the 20^th century and the beginning years of the 21^st century.  The emphasis in many denominations has shifted from innovation and risk-taking to survival, preserving the institution.

 

Denominational leaders have an opportunity today to recover the entrepreneurial spirit of the founders of their group.  They can do this in several ways:

 

First, embrace the concept of Kingdom work.  How is our denominational entity advancing the Reign of God in the world?  One step is to seek partnerships with like-minded denominations and organizations, sharing ideas and resources.

 

Second, listen to the churches.  These are the faith communities on the front line of ministry.  What are they hearing, doing, and achieving?  What can we learn from them?

 

Third, make hard choices about what is working and what is not. Letting go of things is not easy, but sometimes we must express our gratitude about what has worked in the past and move on to what God is blessing now.

 

In many ways, denominations of the 21^st century may be hampered by what made them successful.  This requires a leap of faith.  It is time for a new paradigm and some risk-taking.