Talk-ism and the CGGC Strategic Plan

I've seen some of the material published by the General Conference to support the, well, implementation of the Strategic Plan. Or, perhaps, non-implementation.

From 40,000 feet, one truth about the Strategic Plan stands out.

By design, the plan is all talk.

I've made a fuss, in the past, about the fact that there is no intention that the plan be adopted and, more to the point, put into action across the body.

However, as I reflect on the material I've read, it seems clear to me that, the plan is not intended to be walked at all.

It is be talked.

The Strategic Plan booklet is pure To Talk is to Walk-ism.

In the booklet, General Conference staff explains;

"Our expectation isn't that you'll adopt, word for word, the contents of this resource as your church's strategy,..."

The Strategic Plan booklet contains an overview of the plan and suggests many ways to generate, not action, but talk.

It contains for example, "questions to be used with your church's leadership..."

The writers suggest that possible uses of the booklet "could be with membership classes, elder or council training, leadership development, or with strategic planning processes in your church."

Talk, talk, talk. With everyone. With anyone. Talk.

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Let me be clear.

I have no problem with talking about the plan. Of course a boatload of talk will have to take place if there is to be walk.

But, I've asked around. As far as I can tell, there is no vision for the plan actually to be put into action. Implemented. Walked.

In fact, the booklet makes that clear...without shame.

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It's one thing to believe that, due to the high degree of cynicism across the CGGC, that, no matter how hard leadership tries to put this plan into action, it will never become a reality.

It's quite another to note that leadership isn't even trying to have the plan walked.

In his eNews articles, Lance himself notes, from time to time, that, in the CGGC, we tend to talk without matching walk to our talk.

With that understanding, how could the folks in the headquarters building in Findlay even dream of this plan becoming action without assertive and determined effort to get our people to do it?!

Yet, all that booklet considers is ways to get CGGCers to talk, something we can't stop doing in the first place!

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The statistics presented at General Conference reveal an alarming decline in attendance over the in the years between 2016 and 2019 General Conference sessions, continuing a long standing trend.

We need to do something different.

We've been talking big for years. We know the fruit our talk has produced.

We must, actually, turn from falling and foolish ways. The foundation of our fall has been, and, now still is, walkless talk.

We must repent.