“Vision 21” was the result of a study which was initiated with the good intention of reducing the administrative bureaucracy of the CRC as that now exists (largely) in the Pentagon in Grand Rapids. It wanted to make our ecclesiastical machinery more manageable. And that was a very legitimate and proper goal. Too bad that the cure ended up being worse than the disease—more hierarchy than ever.
Some other way will have to be found to do that which “Vision 21” desired but failed to do. And it seems to me the solution is not all that difficult. If the church wants less administrative bureaucracy and boardism, and fewer agencies, then she will simply have to take the bull by the horns and implement such action. Synod itself (the representative of the churches) is to blame for our present setup, no one else. Synod allowed things to get out of hand, and synod will have to get it back under control. But that means a will to act and to make some tough decisions. A few heads may have to roll, to put it bluntly. We cannot maintain all the agencies on their staff in Grand Rapids if we want to do what “Vision 21” intended to do. It seems to me we could easily do with half the present number of people occupying the denominational building without in the least hurting the church’s programs. In fact. the financial savings alone would be a great asset funds that could be used for much better purposes. We don’t need all the World and Horne Missions executives sitting in the Pentagon. Cut down on the number of reports (also those sent in by home missionaries out on the field), red tape, etc. Half of those now occupying the denominational building should be out on the field themselves, doing the work which they are now telling others to do. We don’t need all these executives sitting in Grand Rapids reading reports, traveling around and making good salaries. It doesn’t do the church one bit of good. The same goes for the office of Stated Clerk. If I have been correctly informed, he started out doing all the work by himself (first besides a full-time pastorate), while now there are 14 secretaries! Talk of Parkinson’s Law at work! Reduce that staff by seven, and we still have a full number. I even doubt whether we need a Banner editor and the staff that goes along with that. The Geref. Kerken never had an official church paper, and, given the present state of affairs, I don’t think the CRC should either. It surely isn’t helping the church to go in a Reformed direction.
No. I’m not being facetious. I’m dead serious about what I’m saying. There is no reason in the world that we need all these executives and their secretaries in the denominational building. We have made ourselves believe over the years that this was necessary, but now we suddenly realize have a tiger by the tail, and we no longer know how to handle him. Either we get him under control quickly, or the harm will be irreversible.
A few concluding comments:
1. If we want to reduce agencies and administration, then of course we must stop creating new ones. As late as last year we added a new one (Ministry with Retarded Persons), even though some on the floor of synod warned against yet another agency—to no avail. We don’t need agencies and standing committees for every problem that happens to come along.
2 . We don’t need all the agencies in Grand Rapids. I think the Back to God Hour has been well served in more than one way by being located away from Grand Rapids. More agencies should move elsewhere. Get rid of centralization.
3. We ought to give serious consideration to introducing regional synods. That would bring much of the work closer to the man in the pew, and we could run the matter from close range, and dismantle the Grand Rapids office. It’s too bad that most conservatives don’t even want to give regional synods a fair hearing. Are they afraid to change the status quo?
