Are You Loving or Commodifying Your Congregation?

August 4, 2016

Valuing People

Being loving means recognizing the intrinsic worth of individuals and treating them with genuine dignity and respect as people created in God’s image. That should happen unconditionally, apart from the person’s wealth, power, abilities or personal attributes, because this is the way Jesus designed it.

By contrast, valuing and respecting people only to the extent they can “produce” in some way is not loving them at all. When one’s value is measured primarily by utility, people share the same status as a commodity.

Viewing People as Commodities

The commodities market is clearly beneficial to investors and producers. However, quantifying the value of a person is now being extended well beyond business. It is influencing just about every kind of relationship including life in the church and particularly marriage. Nobel Prize winner Gary Becker made this point more than 40 years ago in, A Theory of Marriage: Part II. Becker demonstrated how even the most intimate of human relationships can be commodified, cautioning that “economic theory may well be on its way to providing a unified framework for all behavior.”

The Role of Utility

Dr. Becker argues that the selection of a spouse, how long to stay married, whether to have children, can all be quantified. He uses a series of related utility functions (income level, physical capital, intelligence) to calculate value. This is not to suggest that vast numbers of people are testing mathematical correlations to select marriage partners. However, it’s clear that such variables are becoming more prominent in relationships, particularly in the church. This is not a good way to promote church growth.

Biblical Model of Covenant

Ironically, growing evidence indicates that the Biblical model of covenant applied to relationships in any kind of organization, is far more productive than the commodities model. That’s because commodities can be manipulated, but people must be led. As fundraising consultants, we see that organizations built on the principles of covenant, are ones where leaders respect and value people intrinsically. It makes sense that rather than being commodified, people would prefer to be treated lovingly. And after all, isn’t that the way Jesus told us to treat one another.

The Commodities Model in Organizations

Yet, organizations still cling to a commodities model in just about everything, including human relationships. It’s what we know. The “value” of individuals is often measured by how well they can serve my self-interests. That certainly is prevalent in selecting leaders in the church, at least in some churches. The intrinsic worth of individuals is sometimes lost in a culture of non-related performance measures. Not that performance isn’t important, it is. But what does corporate achievement have to do with leading in a church and knowing how to motivate church members? Clearly covenanting with people is a far more loving and productive proposition than commodifying them.

When relationships are steeped in consumption rather than commitment the product of the relationship (what I receive) becomes more highly valued than the individuals. Human interactions are reduced to the exchanges of products, services or resources. Conversely, when people are valued intrinsically and bonded together in love, they tend to give themselves more fully to a purpose, and productivity often skyrockets.

Truly Loving Church Members

Unfortunately, though it is far less effective, such commodification still seems to be the model of choice in many churches. Yet, it doesn’t have to be that way. Spiritual maturity transcends career. There are as many spirit led plumbers as there are CEOs. The job of pastors is simply to find and love them.

“I really support The Covenant Group’s strategic planning process because their approach encourages staff-based support with board buy-in, and I felt that was important given what we were trying to achieve. The outcome is an effective plan that builds consensus and provides a clear sense of direction.”
- Jennifer Scott, Director of Development - The Cabbage Patch Settlement House

“The Covenant Group is highly competent, very experienced and knowledgeable. They provided a broad perspective by equipping us with useful data…and best practices in the field. All in all, they are excellent.”
- Dan Jones, CEO - 21st Century Parks

“The campaign has truly been a miracle. People were committed from the beginning, but…even raising $650,000 seemed like a stretch. To nearly double that amount is incredible! When the plan they developed allows you to hit a goal like that, it builds such a sense of community. The momentum built by the campaign is spilling outside the walls of our church and benefiting others in the process.”
-Father John Hollowell - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church

“For those of us who don’t do this everyday, The Covenant Group instilled confidence in us. They helped us get through the fear and apprehension by providing us with a process, training and motivation. They taught us and helped us plan in a way that was for the better. We have built lasting relationships with donors and we will continue to steward these relationships long into the future.”
- Sue Finke, Director of Institutional Advancement - Covington Catholic High School

“No one anticipated we could raise this amount. Even the Archdiocese is surprised. The funds raised represent about 15 times our annual giving. But it’s not just the financial results. People stand around talking more than they did before the campaign. There is also a renewed and energized spirit among the parishioners. It’s the most exciting thing to happen in our parish in the last 100 years.”
- Gary Libs, Campaign Co-Chair - St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic Church

“The Covenant Group’s process involved a lot of people in our congregation doing small tasks … that built ownership. They took our vision and put it into a concrete plan. They helped us understand the importance of making our vision clear and laid out the steps to make the vision a reality. Their process built consensus and showed people how they could help. Their methods are based on a solid theological foundation that includes key documents, prayer support, and requisite training … all of which were invaluable.”
- Daniel Montgomery, Pastor - Sojourn Community Church

“Everything The Covenant Group did to help us…in the initial stages was helpful…the development of the case statement; our materials; the training of our Board members; strategies; all these steps laid the foundation for eventual success. They brought such a high level of professionalism, a wealth of experience and a strong track record of integrity and success… just being associated with The Covenant Group helped us.”
- Nancy Doctor, Development Director - Wellspring

“The structure The Covenant Group provided was excellent. It allowed our members to use their God-given talents to benefit the church community They helped us develop a plan and identify key leadership candidates to chair the effort, as well as engaging between 80 to 100 people to carry out the work of the campaign. It was truly a whole congregation effort and The Covenant Group helped facilitate that. They helped us reach our full potential as a congregation.”
- Ron Poisel, Pastor - Christ Lutheran Church

Are You Loving or Commodifying Your Congregation?

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