Last Monday I broke down third sector organisations into three sub-sectors. Today is the first of a series of posts where I consider some organisation types in more detail.
My interest is in the contribution churches make to the local economy, as a part of the community sub-sector. Many churches contribute to their neighbourhood, similar to the role played by community groups. They are usually exclusive because they restrict decision-making to their members. (I use the word “members” loosely, not all churches have membership as understood by community groups. I could write a post on this topic alone but for now let it rest.) Churches can be responsive to local needs. Many tthat have been around for a very long time, know their neighbourhood better than other organisations.
Church members are often active in local groups and so churches have an impact beyond the projects they start themselves.
Typology of Churches
If you are not involved with churches it may not be obvious they are a range of organisations. They manage their affairs in a variety of ways. These various ecclesiologies can make a real differences. The main ones are
- denominational – here the differences are about the ways in which churches organise decision-making. Congregationalist churches have almost complete autonomy based on one member one vote. Connexional churches make decisions through elected committees and pass some of their decision-making to higher levels. Episcopal churches devolve power from Bishops to parishes. These are generalisations. All churches have a degree of local autonomy, especially about the contribution they make to their neighbourhoods.
- geographical – the Church of England for example is organised into parishes. This means they draw their membership, from a defined geographical area. In practice this is not always true. Usually churches’ community work is confined to the parish, entering neighbouring parishes by agreement only. Other churches do not have a defined parish but may still work in the immediate neighbourhood of their church building.
- theologically – what a church believes can be more important than how it makes decisions. Motivations for community work can vary. Some churches are evangelical and so their work is about communication of the gospel; others by social justice. In practice the difference that matters is the willingness of a church to work in partnership, some theological stances are exclusive, the church relies on its members to do the work, whilst other churches will happily work alongside other groups.
I write to manage expectations, the work of an exclusive church may be valuable; providing food banks, street pastors and similar work effectively from a substantial committed membership. Others involved in similar work may be more collaborative. Which is most effective? It’s impossible to generalise.
How do churches contribute to the local economy?
- churches start new projects. I’ve already mentioned food banks and street pastors. The work they do with the elderly, children and young people is so common it can be taken for granted. Until recent years, churches employed community development workers (probably the biggest employers outside of local authorities) and initiated a range of experimental projects in community and the local economy. Sadly development work is out of fashion although new projects are still happening.
- provide support for people in work through various forms of chaplaincy. Industrial chaplaincy was in its early days in the large manufacturing industries and there have been many retail chaplains over the years.
- asking the awkward questions about the local economy, through campaigning and relationships with key people in the private and statutory sectors. A recent example is Listen Up, a churches project to research the impact of Universal Credit on the lives of people living on benefit.
- provision of support for people at key points in their lives, especially bereavement. Perhaps we underestimate the value of having people around who have experience supporting people through difficult times.
It is valuable having people in the local economy who actively question the motivations of the powerful and support those who struggle to make a living. But the assumption volunteering and grants are somehow morally superior to trade is an issue many churches need to discuss, if only because their scepticism alienates small business people seeking an honest living.
But maybe churches will eventually challenge these assumptions and open up new possibilities. Can you think of faith projects that have challenged assumptions about the local economy?
