Robert T. Latham

I am on a committee at my Unitarian Universalist church that is facilitating the development of a new mission statement for the church at a time when we have just for the first time in about sixteen years taken on a new settled minister. Among the congregation are folks who would like our church to be bigger in membership, attendance, and character. Robert Latham, known to LibraryThing as Robert T. Latham has written a book on moving from a 'pastoral' congregation of up to 175 Sunday attendees to a 'program' congregation of more than 175 Sunday attendees (there are actually important outliers) that stresses the importance of an accepted mission, Moving on from Church Folly Lane. I have met the Reverend Latham, seen him interact with a small group (our committee), and discuss his views with a large group (a Sunday service). I bought two of his books when I met him. The other night the minister coaxed a couple of us to read this book. I have.

The task is impossible. I despair.

Our church already has some of the political characteristics of a bigger congregation along the lines that he proposes in his book, but because we are not that big we don't have the resources that he says we should put into it. He is also not clear about distinguishing between hopes and reality. He says that if we have a compelling mission we can't help but grow. He doesn't allow for a credible congregation that may want to retain small service warmth. If we don't build a bigger church so as to be inviting to a bigger Sunday attendance we are not being true to the mission we would have if we were a bigger church. Without that mission we cannot attract the bigger Sunday attendance to fill those seats the we would have if we were true to that mission. Augh!

The mission is to come from the congregation, but led carefully by the powers of the church. There should be an endless deliberation in workshops to see that the congregation gets to develop the mission, but the powers must constrain the congregation so that they make it a genuine mission and a genuinely religious mission, and all that in a faith without creed. I have seen this congregation deliberate on what they want from the church; they lie; they have special interests; and so forth.

We would do best to declare the church as a Sunday morning social club for liberals. I am an old man and naturally conservative; how would I fit into that?

Augh!… (altro)

About the author: quoting from the book's back cover: Robert T. Latham has been a Unitarian Universalist minister since 1969. He is currently a professional interim minister, following a number of successful settled ministries and special project ministries during his career. The creator of the Committee On Ministry program and an originator of the concept of Shared Ministry (originally called Co-Ministry), Reverend Latham has been an advocate of religious mission reclamation since the mid-1970s. About the book: quoting from the book's back cover, "Is your congregation stuck in a holding pattern? In transition without a blueprint? It may be that you have reached your attendance-size plateau. This book. . .[focuses] on the critical shift that occurs between the Pastoral Congregation and the Program Congregation. . ."… (altro)