"If We Always do What We’ve Always Done..."

by The Ven. Michael Doty
Archdeacon for Mission, The Diocese of East Tennessee
"If we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we always got."

I came across that saying in a most unlikely place recently; a men's restroom in a Methodist Church in Unicoi, Tennessee. It was printed on a bright yellow piece of paper and taped over the sink just where I had to read it and see myself in the mirror at the same time. Now while that may not seem to be all that noteworthy or extraordinary in itself, the context – that is the church – in which it was posted made the quotation and my reflection take on new significance.

The Methodist church in question is enjoying explosive growth and vibrant ministries. They are building, and have paid for, a new wing that triples the size of their physical plant. They have added additional services to accommodate their growth, and they are trying to buy more property for parking. Our new Episcopal Church congregation in Unicoi County meets there every Sunday afternoon for worship. The Methodists have been quite gracious to Fr. Harry Bahlow and our fledgling flock, and I thank them for their hospitality. I also thank them for their inspiration.

Unicoi United Methodist Church has been a small church for a very long time. The nave probably seats no more than 150 people. I understand that they are the oldest church in Unicoi County, and as a consequence they have a long history and deeply held traditions. They had not changed much for decades. So what happened? Why did this little mountain congregation suddenly begin to experience a new vitality and rekindled energy? The answer is simple. They came to the realization that "if they always did what they had always done, they would always get what they always got." (The grammar is terrible, but the sentiment is right on.) Led by an energetic and visionary pastor, the Unicoi United Methodist Church congregation chose to focus on mission rather than maintenance, on growth rather than stagnation, on vigor rather than indifference. They chose to take a new direction in terms of evangelism, outreach, worship and stewardship and the fruit of that choosing is vitality and renewed faithfulness.

At the heart of this excitement and development is the willingness to engage and come to terms with the dreaded "C" word – change. Change is one of those things we human beings resist with a passion, and often when change is in our best interests. Change challenges our history, our values, our routine, our comfort, and our sense of self. Most of us resist change even when we know that change will do us good. (If change came easily, diet companies would have no reason to be in business.) But change is also necessary, and it is usually irresistible. The question is, "What kind of change do we choose?" Our lives today are the products of radical changes from what was once the norm. How many of us can imagine life without such things as automobiles, sewing machines, televisions, and computers? Yet each one of these things was resisted as frivolous and unnecessary when it was first introduced. Eventually they were all accepted. Now they are normal parts of everyday life and we have grown in many ways as a result. How many of us would now be willing to relinquish their use?

Growth is usually the result of making a choice to change rather than being forced to change. We grow as individuals, as communities, and as churches when we recognize that change is going to occur whether we want it to or not. We are most successful when we choose how to engage change and make it our own, rather than sitting back and accepting the consequences of what change does to us. Positive growth is most likely to occur when we are realistic about facing the challenges of change, and then forging ahead with determination and intention, using the change in our favor. Growth does not always occur the same way for everyone, but positive growth is always preceded by intentional and methodical efforts to choose the way we change.

As I stood over the sink that Sunday afternoon seeing my reflection underneath the words, "If we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we always got," I came to the realization that change begins with me. Each of us is responsible as individuals for bringing about positive growth in our selves and our churches. We are all called to engage the changes in our culture and use them for the growth of our churches. Each one of us has to come to the realization that if we do not intentionally address the changing needs of our young people, minorities and the unchurched, then one day the change that we cannot stop will catch up to us, overwhelm us, and we will be like the buggy makers who refused to accept the advent of the automobile (and how many of you have gone buggy shopping lately?).

Please hear me when I say that choosing to change for the sake of positive growth is not about just adding bodies to the pews. Growth for numbers’ sake alone is far too akin to merely recruiting to increase the membership in a religious club. In Christianity we are instructed by Christ to “go and make disciples,” not for the sake of growth in numbers but for the sake of gathering in to God’s household those who are lost, lonely, searching, hoping--in short, those who might find God in Christ through our ministries and be transformed for good.

During our recent Annual Diocesan Convention we adopted "20/20: A Clear Vision" as the domestic mission imperative of our diocese. "20/20" calls on the Episcopal Church to double its size by the year 2020 by enhancing our ministries in every place on every level. It is a holy, audacious, and realizable goal. It calls our Church to be intentional about facing the societal changes that swirl around us, and for us to speak the Gospel to that changing society in ways that can be understood and embraced by everyone. As a result we are called to address the changes by changing ourselves so that we can truly be effective ministers of the Gospel. We are called to look at new methods and models of being the Church that are different and more relevant to our contexts, to the emerging populations of the 21st century, and to the aging populations of the 20th century. We can choose to grow, and to change for growth, or we can choose to stay the same and risk failing to fulfill Jesus' Great Commission. If we do not minister to the needs of those around us, our church might even be in danger of becoming an insignificant curiosity on the sidelines of history. In the end, it is a matter faithfulness and of choice–often personal choice. But remember, "If we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we always got.