The Reverend Doctor Theodore William Johnson is a congregation developer who has specialized as an interim priest for congregations in transition in the Episcopal Church. He is also a consultant and coach strengthening leaders and congregations.

While there are some leaders in the Episcopal Church today who claim there is no definite, generally accepted meaning of the term “congregation development,” Ted believes it is self-evident. Using the dictionary definition for “development” as the key stone, congregation development is “a process of natural growth, differentiation, or evolution by successive changes.”

The Miriam-Webster dictionary also notes that the word “develop” is from an Old French word meaning “to unwrap, expose,” which was the opposite of the word for “envelop.” Its definition lists other key phrases: “to work out the possibilities of,” “to make active or promote the growth of,” “to make available or usable,” “to cause to unfold gradually,” and “to expand by a process of growth.”

As a congregation developer, Ted enables the process of congregation development.

MISCONCEPTIONS

There are those who have the misconception that a congregation developer works only with congregations in conflict, in decline, in financial difficulty, or in some other significant trouble. While restoring such congregations to health and effectiveness is part of his ministry, Ted places more importance on helping healthy congregation become more powerful as growing and vital centers of ministry in their localities. All congregations, whatever their current situation, can improve, become stronger, and live into yet unrealized potential.

Similarly, some believe that a congregation developer simply applies the theories and approaches of secular organization development to congregations while others regard congregation development as psychotherapy for congregations. Ted’s approach draws fruitfully from a variety of disciplines, but he has found that what works successfully for corporations and non-profit organizations does not always produce the same results for congregations. Congregations may have some similarities to secular organizations, but they are also very different; they are especially unique in terms of their identity and function.

‘FAITH, FOCUS, AND LEADERSHIP’

Borrowing the title from a book by Peter A. R. Stebinger, Ted’s approach to congregation development is concerned with “Faith, Focus, and Leadership.” He seeks to deepen faith both as it is preached and taught and as it is lived out by the members of the congregation in their daily lives. He builds upon the special focus of the congregation, reflecting its most significant spiritual gifts and the ministries at which it particularly excels. He strengthens leadership by both the ordained and the members with training in the complex systems of congregations and with coaching in the emotional dynamics of leading a spiritual community.

SPIRITUALITY OF CONGREGATIONS

The uniqueness of congregations is the result of their spirituality. Ted regards a congregation as the corporate manifestation of the body of Christ, a community of witnesses to the risen Lord in the world and a spiritual center for its locality that serves those in need and equips its members for ministry in their daily lives as representatives of Jesus Christ. [Go to Spirituality of Congregations]

PASSION FOR CONGREGATION HEALTH

Ted cares deeply about congregations and is passionate about their health and vitality, their spiritual and numerical growth, and their effectiveness as the body of Christ. He is moved with compassion for those congregations that, for whatever reason, do not function optimally or realize their full potential. He recognizes that cultural, social, financial, theological, and political issues, as well as the increasingly polarized attitudes of the current moment put tremendous pressures on congregations simply to exist. He is motivated to do all that he can, using his skills, training, experience, and temperament, to address causes of congregation dysfunction and propose solutions that will produce more fruitful attitudes, energy, leadership and organization.

SCRIPTURAL PURPOSE

The crucial scriptural basis for his call to ordination and his continuing ministry as a priest is Ephesians 4:11-16 and, in particular, the following section:

“ … to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” – Ephesians 4:12-13

This passage states Ted’s purpose as a congregation developer; it describes what he does and why he does it. In a sense, he is a “congregation physician,” building up congregations and equipping their members individually and corporately to increase their health, vitality, and effectiveness in their mission and ministry as the body of Christ in the world. In another sense, he guides a process of “congregation resurrection” that leads to a fresh start – a new beginning or turnaround – and a congregation on the path to its future.

BECOMING A CONGREGATION FOR THE FUTURE

Ted believes that the key task of congregation development today is to help congregations become congregations for the future. In truth, this will determine whether some congregations have a future. The prevailing paradigm for being a congregation began to lose its relevance and effectiveness in the mid-1960’s, yet many congregations today continue with that paradigm even though they recognize its is not working as it once did.

A variety of writers, theologians, and congregation developers has defined new paradigms for the congregation of the future using terms such as “Missional,” “intentional,” “emergent,” and “apostolic.” Yet, congregations are not adopting and implementing these valuable new paradigms because they do not know how to shift from the familiar to something sharply different. Ted is devoted to helping as many congregations as possible with this task.

INTERIM SPECIALIST

A few years after his ordination, Ted came to realize that the most opportune time in the life of a congregation for this kind of congregation development is during the interim or transitional period between installed rectors. As Loren B. Mead put it: “But the one place I am certain that renewal touches the hundreds of congregations I know and have worked with is at the moment of a change in pastors.” [Go to Specialized Interim Leadership]

He is emphatically committed to accomplishing the five developmental tasks of the interim period that address the congregation’s recent history, its identity, its leadership, it relationship with the Diocese, and its readiness for new ordained leadership. [Go to Developmental Tasks]

CONSULTANT AND COACH

As Ted’s experience broadened and his knowledge of congregation development theory increased, he began offering his services as a congregation development consultant and leadership coach to congregations not in an interim period, but seeking to strengthen their mission and ministries with their current clergy.

His primary objective is to help the rector and vestry discover the unique identity of their congregation, expressing it in written statements of mission, vision, and core values. The key to this process of discovery is the special focus of the congregation – what it does particularly well.

He also provides individual coaching on a regular basis to rectors leading their congregations through a significant size or demographic transition or other major change.

EXPERIENTIAL RESEARCH

The congregations he has served as interim priest and consultant and the leaders he has coached have been Ted’ s experiential research laboratories. Because of this broad and diverse experience, he is knowledgeable about congregations and what makes them healthy and effective.

10/8/2007