This report contains the following memos:
Subject: Church organization
Date: July 15, 1985
To: L. R. Soneson and other clergymen
From: Oliver R. Odhner
In response to the interest Bishop King expressed last yearin lay input on General Church planning, I offered to present
to him my views on "activity planning". He asked Rev. Soneson
to review my ideas for him. Larry and I had repeated discussions
which are documented by memos I, II, and III (attached hereto).
The result of these meetings was a group of specific proposals for reorganization of the General Church. Whether the proposals
are acceptable has not been expressed, but Larry, with the Bishop's
OK, has chosen to share them with other ministers for a consensus.
By way of introduction, this memo will summarize the perspectives
from which the ideas developed.
Organization in the church should accommodate both doctrinal
requirements and business needs. Doctrinal requirements specify
the spiritual uses of the church. Business needs call for practical applications that work.
The business community in the United States of America is currently undergoing intensive reformation. Challenged by Japan
and other foreign competition, the traditional business organization has become obsolete. Prime emphasis is switching
from dividends and profits to quality and service. Also from a rigid management control heirarchy to instructed,
low level self-management practices. I believe these sudden
trends are recent results of the last judgement. Doctrines of the New Jerusalem continue one-by-one to gain footholds
in our community.
The present organization of the General Church is unique
because we recognize the Writings as the primary authority
in all of the affairs of the church. Our church therefore
has the unique opportunity to participate in the organizational
reformation with a conscious knowledge of the principal causes
of the current managerial revolution. I have been involved
in that business revolution both as a management-level employee
and as an entrepreneur. I have also been a devout lay student
of the Writings. I feel strongly compelled to share with
the General Church a vision which could multiply the uses
of our church. In the following attempt to express the vision,
I hope I do not appear too dogmatic. I invite discussion
of other perspectives. For us to properly constitute the church, we must support
the divine end of creation, and so we must also abide by the laws of the divine providence which the Lord has "imposed"
upon Himself. A basic law is the provision of the faculties of freedom and rationality. The appearance that man thinks, wills, speaks, and acts as if from himself underlies and
is essential to those faculties. The appearance of self-life seems to be the "bottom line" of divine providence.
How can our church help the Lord implement this bottom line?
We all know that unless the Lord builds the house, they labor
in vain who build it! But we also know we are all born evil, and would not engage in labor without a proprium. The FIRST-IN-TIME priority of the church should be to defend the appearance
of self-life in all our activities, including evangelizing, educating children, leading congregations, and governing
the church.
To successfully defend the appearance of self-life, several
policies should be adopted by the church:
1) Destroy Babylon! The Lord leads everyone through His
Word only. All we can do is lead people to His Word, so
that as of themselves they can come to the Lord. This has
generally been followed.
2) Utilize individual initiatives in matters of doctrine
and religion. When new-comers, our children, members of
the congregation, and workers in the school and church are fired up with ideas to communicate or programs to implement, they should be solicited and encouraged - never shot
down.
3) Forgive evil and falsity. Let the tares grow with
the wheat. Counseling should be preferred over punishment.
4) Avoid throwing pearls to swine. Those who acknowledge
nature and human prudence only are not worthy and must be led by external rather than internal means.
The policies just proposed apply to all activities of the
church. Since "charity begins at home", it was logical in
our discussions to focus upon their application within church structure.
However, chaos is the natural result of unbridled freedom.
If every member of the church can spout his opinions and impose his programs upon the congregation, there is anarchy
in the church. An organizational structure is needed to direct, channel, and coordinate the energies of the members.
The first element of structure is to provide for a process to define the goals. What is the use of the church? What
are we going to do in the foreseeable future? What are the criteria for accomplishment? This process should include the participation of the whole congregation. Those who contribute to
a plan are co-authors of it, and will feel personal achievement
in its success. The second element of structure is to provide for a process
to establish priorities. Although priorities are implied by goals,they are set by executives. Those who define
the goals should also elect those who will set the priorities. This is another form of participation, and should be an
on-going function.
A third element of structure is to provide for a process
to coordinate performance. All the organs of a body must work in harmony. If each organ knows its own function,
and all organs have mutual communication, then cooperation is possible. A system of "activity planning" is described
in the following reports which encourages effective coordination
on all levels of performance.
One element of church structure to be avoided is the "boss".
The Lord describes Himself as a servant. A "minister" is
a servant by definition. Everyone in the church is a servant
by definition. So are the angels. I believe we should
presume that everyone who advocates God and divine providence
is a servant. Only by enrolling enthusiastic people in
church uses can the strength of the church grow. One final comment. Teachings concerning the priesthood
imply the need of maintaining its professional dignity in order to preserve the purity of doctrine. The Council of
the Clergy serves that purpose effectively. Such professional organizations are much freer and more objective if they
are not structured into the service organizations which they serve. The AMA is not tied in with hospitals. The
Bar Association is not administered by the courts. Engineering
associations are independent of industry. Similarly it appears desirable to keep the Council of the Clergy as independent as possible from the church.
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Subject: Activity PlanningDate: November 26, 1984To: Rev. Lorentz R. SonesonFrom: Oliver R. QdhnerCopy: DuplicateRe: Your letter of November 16, 1984 Thanks, Larry, for your letter and for this opportunity for me
to communicate to Bishop King the ideas on activity planning
that for years have been the subject of my constant study and
reflection. This memo is to serve for reference in our
meeting.
Summary:
The activity planning concept presented here is not really
my invention, because it relates to what actually exists
in the organics of human behavior. The novelty of the system
is the manner of describing it and the use of the description
as a conscious guide to efficient utilization of human potentials .
The system postulates seven phases essential to the fulfillment
of any human activity. The importance of each phase individually
has been emphasized by many teachers throughout history. Also,
the importance of various combinations of fewer than seven
of the phases has been taught.
It is my thesis that all seven phases of activity must exist
for the motive to be completely fulfilled.
The most serious failures in the actions of mankind have been
in not fulfilling the Lord's directives to His church. We take
up the torch, but drop it along the way. As a method of self-discipline, I propose we make sure that all seven phases are
addressed on every level of church activity so that the Lord's
plan can be fulfilled.
Background:
After years of my employment by various corporations, Rachel
and I started a corporation ourselves. To avoid the corporate
evils and falsities I had experienced, I invented a new corporate structure. An "editorial" sketch of Odhner Corporation
appears in "The Other Ear" (attachment 1). All business activity was boiled down to seven phases which follow chronologically from conception of product or service, through performance,
to evaluation (see column 1 of "Summary of Ideas", attachment 2,
and also "Organization Outline", attachment 3, and "Corporate
Procedure", attachment 4).
These concepts, coincidentally, seemed to correspond to those
which S. E. Odhner was concurrently expressing in his unfinished
work entitled "The Hero". He related a seven phase cycle,
such as that of the creation story in Genesis Ch. 1, to intrinsic human psychological structure.
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Activity Planning (Page 2)
A few years later Gary Tennis became concerned about the uses
of the Sons of the Academy and asked me for input on a career
planning program for ANC students, which the Sons might sponsor. I responded by abstracting from the corporate planning
procedure an outline applicable to any human activity (attachment 2 column 2 parenthetical), and then applied it specifically
to career activity planning (CAP), (column 2 in upper case, non-parenthetical). After an attempt to revive the Sons, a CAP
committee was organized under career guidance counselor
Charles Lindsay, and a program developed (attachment 5).
The Sons was still lacking "spark"; however, both Chuck Lindsay
and I have used the concepts of CAP effectively. I have shared
my ideas with many high level industrial administrators
with surprising agreement, and also encouragement in my intention of writing a book on "Seven Steps to Satisfaction"
(see column 5, attachment 2). The book will be a self-help
guide.
Discussion;
I did not derive the seven phases of activity planning from
the seven days of creation (column 3, attachment 2) nor from
the seven churches (column 4). It is interesting, however,
that the phases for creating a business or a career have
a high correlation with those for creating a celestial man.
It is also interesting that the ways in which a business can
fail are quite similar to the ways a church can fail. The Spirit to the seven churches implores us to have a complete
rather than a partial participation in the activities of
the divine providence. Whether our business is individual
or collective, commercial, industrial, political, or ecclesiastic,
it will not be healthy and productive if any one of the seven
phases is not functioning. The human form is the form of use.
If an organ of the human malfunctions, then the whole man is
sick. Like the periodic physical examination, a run through
the checklist of activity functions can detect malfunctions.
Then corrective action can be taken to restore and maintain
a healthy life of the individual and the Church. The church itself is an internal thing, as I perceive it,
descending from heaven into the individual man. Men of
the church associate to form the external of the church,
which is an ecclesiastic body. (The external of the church
has been referred to as "the church specific".)
Activity planning can be used by the individual man in his
role as a church in the smallest form. It can also be used
by the specific church in its role as the external embodiment
of the church. If the ecclesiastic body of the church exercises activity planning from the Lord's directives to His
church, I believe it can avoid the error that orthodoxy falls
into when the external prevails over the internal.
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Activity Planning Page 3
A strict definition of each step or phase in the activity
circle is not appropriate because each activity to which
the circle is applied modifies the quality of each phase.
However* the definition of each phase also modifies the quality of the activity. The most significant phase of all in
defining the activity, of course, is the first phase, in which
the objectives of the activity are described. In the Church,
as in any activity, this phase should be constantly kept alive,
for it is its "first love11 and in a genuine church is one
with the Divine End.
The first step is properly the planning phase. It should be
spelled out not only in general terms, but also in as much
detail as necessary to carry the plans through the other
phases until the circle is satisfied and a new cycle is born.
When planning keeps the attention of each phase upon the completion of the circle (which is the Sabbath ,day), then the activity will become vivified.
Proposal;
1. Establish a program that will encourage the implementation
of all seven phases of activity on every level of Church
administration.
2. Appoint a study group to improve Church organization and
procedures to assure inclusion of each phase in all activities
3. Provide training seminars periodically in activity planning
and administration,
4. Lay out a timetable for implementation of the program
on each level of activity.
5. Keep the community advised of the objectives and progress
of the program and encourage public discussion and feed-back.
6. Maintain a watchdog committee to detect shortcomings
in the program and recommend revisions or new programs.
7. Evaluate the program and the proposed revisions in terms
of the Lord!s goals and the long term needs of His children.
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8
Attachment
1a
Click this page twice to read.
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9
Attachment
1b
Click this page twice to read.
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Attachment 2
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Attachment 3
ODHNER CORPORATION
Organization Outline - January 1979
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Initiate new
projects. (=products) | | | | | | | | Research and Development Quality Contl. | | Scientists, Engineers
Technicians, Librarians Secretaries, Consultnts. | | | | | | Acquire and maintain prod, facilities. Purchg., Inv. control, Shpg. & Recg. | Coordinate
accounts and maintainance | Accountants & Bookkeeps,
Plant Engrs, Millwrights, Janitors, Store Keepers,
Traffic & Inventory persons. | | | | | | | Coordinate
schedules and performance | Production Workers,
Time Keepers, Personnel Clerks, Expediters.
| | | | | | | | Advertizing, Promotion,
& Sales persons, Switchboard Operators, Receptionists, Mail Clerks. | | | | | | Market Analysis and
Forecasting | Coordinate
Budgets and company benefits.
| Budget & Market Analysts, First Aid, Fire, Recreation, Insurance, etc., persons. | | |
| | | | | | |
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Attachment 4
ODHNER CORPORATION
PROCEDURE SHEET PS NO. 19
Date issued ________ Approved by _____________ Replaced by PS No. _____
| | | | | | | SHAREHOLDERS (Principle cause/or end)
| | | | | | | | | Provide initiatives (e.g., advice, money)
| | | Elect a board of directors
| | | Inspire directors with corporate purpose
| | | Examine and improve corporate purpose
| | | Lead the corporation to conformance with the divine purpose
| | | | | | BOARD OF DIRECTORS (Instrumental cause, or means)
| | | Make corporate policy according to corporate purpose
| | | Determine corporate procedures
| | | Manage priorities, appropriations, and stock
| | | Elect a staff of managers
| | | Make promotion and sales strategy and sell corporate stock
| | | Examine policy vs. purpose and viability, and improve it
| | | Lead the corporation toward compassionate attitudes
| | | | | | STAFF OF MANAGERS (Ultimate, or effect)
| | | Administer the purpose according to policy
| | | Make specifications and operating procedures & keep records
| | | Manage properties (e.g., buildings, equipment, funds)
| | | Nominate operating staffs.
| | | Promote and sell products
| | | Examine and improve operations and products
| | | Lead the corporation to the exercise justice
| | | | | | | | |
| | |
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Attachment 5a
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In
Career Activity Planning (CAP) the client is guided through seven
phases of activity important to any career. Although there is a natural
chronological sequence, all phases must be considered at each point in
the flow chart. After the cycle has been completed, it starts over
again with renewed purpose. Since each phase is an activity in its own
right, the flow chart can also model each phase of career planning.
Contrary to the concept of competition for job positions, CAP views the
career as a product of individual and community cooperation. If the
community does what it can to help the individual in his career, and he
in turn directs his career to the common good, then both will succeed.
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Attachment 5b
CAP
Career Activity Planning ADVICE FOR ADVISORS
1.
You have been chosen by the participant to give him assistance in the
planning of his career activities. It is his (male or female) career,
his activity, and his plan. He will carry out ...
+ only that plan which comes from his own enthusiasm
+ only the plan which he sees will logically implement his
goal
+ only the plan which he believes is
obtainable
+ only the plan which he wants to carry out
+ only the plan which he believes will be recognized by
others as worthwhile
+ only the plan which he believes is capable of being
improved and perfected and
+ only the plan which completely fits in with his value
structure.
The participant needs your help—not to make his plans for him. but to show him how to do it himself.
2.
Your first meeting with the participant (only one at a time) should be
arranged by him. Over-solicitude on your part may tend to create a "Big
Brother" image. Discussion can start with becoming acquainted. Mutual
knowledge of each other's background—cultural heritage, family
background, and personal career history—is a good starting point.
However, a time limit is best set on any meeting, and introduction
should be brief.
Discussion
can center on the Participation Form. Help him to fill it out, or, if
he prefers, give the him a copy to execute at his leisure. Emphasize
that this is NOT an examination by you. It is just a list of questions
that sooner or later he will bump into—better now than later. Tell him
it is in questionnaire form to help you find out where he needs help in his activity planning. LISTEN to him.
Even
though you may be an expert in the participant"s chosen career, it may
be best to not perform that role. As an advisor your charge is to
direct the participant to expert consultants, not to be one of them. If
you believe you are the best qualified consultant available for
a crucial decision point in the client's activity planning, it may be
best to refer the participant to another advisor so that you can wear
only one "cap" at a time.
File a record of each participant's program with the CAP Services Mgr.
1
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3.
As an advisor, you are providing volunteer services. This may require
expenses which cannot be provided by the CAP committee. If your costs
become burdensome, please contact the CAP treasurer for assistance. You
may also feel a need for training in some aspect of career counseling.
The CAP committee will attempt to provide work shops for such training.
4.
Your primary job is to analyze the participant's program and determine
where he needs help. You will receive periodically an up-dated list of
consultants who specialize in the various categories of career activity
planning. Feel free to contact these specialist volunteers. It may be
preferable to have the participant make the contact, depending on his
shyness and your judgment. Your participant may have a question which
none of the listed consultants can answer. Contact your CAP leader in
that case for assistance in locating an appropriate specialist. The
participant must be instructed that consultant fees may be involved
when help outside of CAP is solicited.
You
must keep in contact with the participant as he progresses. Record his
contacts with specialist consultants, both from the reports of your
participants and from the reports of the consultants. Make your records
easy enough to read so that if, for any reason, someone else must take
your place, he will be able to carry on.
5.
It is important for the participant to know what CAP is all about. He
cannot benefit from the program beyond his understanding of it. Take
every graceful opportunity to reveal the workings of CAP. There are no
secrets. An enthusiastic participant may bring others into the program
and he himself could also become an active member (advisor or
specialist). In any case, if he knows the how's and why's he can
utilize the program better.
6.
Your help is needed in making the CAP system work better. You are at
the center of the action. You see the shortcomings and successes better
than anyone else. Please research them and report them to the CAP
leader. Even if the CAP system were perfect, it would not remain so for
long, because the culture is changing. The CAP system must change with
it.
7.
A final word of advice for Advisors: Remember why you are doing this
service. Giving people assistance in developing a rational program for
becoming a useful part of society is pivotal. Your advice can swing the
participant's life around. Be humble. Keep in mind it is his life. And
if a swing occurs, it is the advice—not you—which performs the miracle.
Let all of us participating in CAP pray that our advice be not ours,
but that of the Truth.
2
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Attachment 5c
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CAP
Primary PART I C I RATION FORM
for Career Activity Planmnc
This
Participation Form (PF) is to help you organize your career plans. Your
answers to the questions will be an outline of your own goals. After
you have answered all or some of the questions you may change your mind
about your career. Good. One purpose in the planning process is to
discover mistakes before thev are made in act. Think about it—and then
do the PF exercise again. As you carry out your plans, new insights
will arise and your plans will change, possibly without your noticing.
Review your objectives with a new PF every three to six months. It will
strengthen your determination and refine your program.
Your
PF goal outline will be used by your CAP advisor. He (she) will work
with you to implement your intentions by bringing you into
communication with experts in the various phases of your program. Your
participation in CAP, and that of an advisor and a host of specialists,
will help you to participate in activities important to an effective
and successful career.
MOTE:
Please answer questions on the back of the form or on a separate paper,
and reference each answer to the paragraph number of the corresponding
question. Put your` name and the full date on each page. Sometimes
detailed questions under a given heading do not seem to apply to one's
situation. When that is the case try to summarize your answers to the
block of questions in one sentence, referencing the heading. Thankyou.
QUESTIONS FOR PARTICIPANT TO ASK AND ANSWER
For help from advisor in answering check box.
( ) 1.0 VOCATIONAL GOALS -
( ) 1.1 What do I want to be. —or do?
( ) 1.2 Why do I want that?
( ) 1.3 How can I achieve this goal?
( ) 1.4 When might the goal be reached?
( ) 1.5 For whom do I want to be or do this?
( ) l.6 Is this a useful goal?
( ) 1.7 But, what is more important to me than this career objective?
( ) 2.0 SCHOOLING AND RESEARCH
( ) 2.1 What knowledge is needed for this career? (Make a comprehensive
1ist.)
( ) 2.2 What subjects must I study to qualify myself? (List educational
accomplishments to date, patents, publications, major discoveries,
etc.)
( ) 2.3 How can I avail myself of this knowledge? (Detail any sources
you are aware of.)
( ) 2.4 When do I expect to be knowledgeable in my chosen field?
(Provide a time frame.)
( ) 2.5 What educational requirements are placed upon me by others?
(Scolastic, legal, trade, etc.)
( ) 2.6 What follow-up knowledge will be required in the exercise of my
career?
( ) 2.7 What knowledge not directly related to any career would contribute
to my usefulness?
( ) 3.0 FINANCE AND TRAINING
( ) 3.1 How will I gain my goals? (total input from myself and the
community)
( ) 3.2 What support programs are currently available? (e.g.,
scholarships, work/study, apprenticeships)
(
) 3.3 How much money will I need when? (Make a cash flow forcast.)
( )
3.4 What practice or experience must I have to qualify for mv career?
(
) 3.5 Who will sponsor or underwrite my initial losses? (start-up costs, capital goods investment, personal expenses before full
salary, etc.)
( ) 3.6 What else will be needed before I can go to work? (foresight is better than retrospect.)
(
) 3.7 Is this drain fair to the community? (Can the money and training,
etc., be repaid with sufficient interest in the long run?)
( ) 4.0 JOBS AND SCHEDULES
( ) 4.1 What do I want to do? (make a list of jobs you would accept.
Which of these would you prefer?)
( ) 4.2 What are my qualifications for these jobs? (Summarize your
education, patents, publications, available reference sources,
experience etc.)
( ) 4.3 What do I expect to provide the job—and what do I expect the job
to provide me? (List your skills, aptitudes, tools,
transportation,
etc., and pay requirements, job benefits, etc.)
( ) 4.4 When can I
report for work? (Outline your schedule of employment needs with specific dates when you are available.)
( ) 4.5 Do I enjoy working? (Rate your own performance by your own
standards. Are you satisfying your standards? Have you told this
to your boss or customer, etc.?)
(
) 4.6 How can I improve my effectiveness on my next job or assignment?
( ) 4.7 How does society in general (the community) view ray job? (Are
there people outside of he company or sphere of interest who would
recommend you for your next job?)
( ) 5.0 MY PUBLIC
( ) 5.1 Who will my vocation serve?
( ) 5.2 What methods of communication can I use to reach them?
( ) 5.3 What help do I need to reach them (assistants, money, equipment)?
( ) 5.4 How fast and vast will my public grow? (Provide data.)
( ) 5.5 Do I enjoy communicating with and serving this public?
( ) 5.6 How can I tell I have successfully reached them?
( ) 5.7 What do I believe is ethical promotion?
( ) 6.0 MY MEASURE OF SUCCESS
( ) 6.1 What are the real needs of my public?
( ) 6.2 What criteria can be applied or research performed to find out?
( ) 6.3 How much investment is required to find out?
( ) 6.4 When should the needs of my public be reviewed?
( ) 6.5 How can I reach their real needs rather than just what they say
they want?
( ) 6.6 How will I know I have succeeded in reaching the real needs?
( ) 6.7 Do I believe satisfaction of these needs serves God"
( ) 7.0 VALUES
( ) 7.1 what is my overall outlook on what is most important (e.g. more
important than my vocation)?
( ) 7.2 List some value priorities (including negatives) from one to 20.
( ) 7.3 In this list, which priorities have I actually adopted?
( ) 7.4 Which am I working on adopting?
( ) 7.5 How do my values affect my usefulness to society?
( ) 7.6 Are my values determined by me, society, revelation, othe?
( ) 7.7 Am I letting the Lord build my house? |
Subject: Activity Planning/Church Organization
Date: December 10, 1984
To: Rev. Lorentz R. Soneson
Copy: Duplicate
Re: Our mtg. and my memo to you 11-26-84
As you suggested, Larry, I studied the confidential
materials you provided and applied my concepts of activity
planning to church organization, and specifically to the General Church of the New Jerusalem.
Definition: Church.
The New Jerusalem can be identified as "the New Church"
in box 1. The church descends from the Lord through heaven into the man of the church, and through him into
his marriage, family, and community (as shown in box 2).
Let us first look at the church in least form in the individual person. Later I will relate it
to the organized church.
Church purpose
The divine end of creation is a heaven from the human
race. The purpose of the man of the church should be to implement the divine purpose. In general there are
three heavens: natural, spiritual, and celestial. The church can therefore help the divine providence
in the following three primary activities:
Lead the purely natural man to become a natural
man open to the spiritual.
Lead the natural man open to the spiritual
to become a spiritual man open to the celestial.
Lead the spiritual man open to the celestial
to become a celestial man open to the Lord.
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Activity planning
The activity circle discussed in the referenced meeting
and memo is outlined again in box 3. It is used as a model
for checking that all essential phases of an acitivity of any kind are addressed, so that the activity can be completed
and then continue in a new cycle.
The phases are represented by key words and are:
1. Good (specific goals)
2. Truth (awareness of goal implications)
3. Proprium (acquisition of means)
4. Use (scheduling and performance of service objectives)
5. Faith (mutual communication with those served; trust)
6. Charity (action toward the real needs of those served)
7. Love (perception of the activity from the infinite
and eternal) 
Activity planning can be applied by the man of the church
to each of the primary activities, for example:
Opening the Natural:
1. Help others to plan a useful, satisfying life.
2. Provide opportunities for appropriate education.
3. Assist in finding the minimum wealth and training
necessary to make a start possible.
4. Provide opportunities for job placement and growth.
5. Assist in communications skills development and
practice.
6. Encourage individual self-evaluation and improvement
of usefulness.
7. Discuss, and encourage meditation on, the long
range value of each individual to the community.
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The individual can apply such secondary activities
within the immediate spheres of his own life, his marriage,
and to some extent within his immediate family. In his
work and in the community he is less effective because of dilution. However, when individuals and families band
together, they can help implement the Lord's providence
more broadly. This is sometimes done through "charities",
government, specialized businesses and institutions, clubs,
and "old churches", any of which can be functions of
the church universal.
Those people who believe the heavenly doctrines and identify
themselves with the New Church know the Lord's aims and
can take certain responsibility in seeing that all aspects
are addressed. When they come together at a General Assembly,
they can provide the PRINCIPAL CAUSE for the General Church
(see "Church Procedure", box 4, and compare with "Corporate
Procedure" in reference memo).
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General Assembly (Principal cause, or end)1. Formulate the purposes of the Church organization.2. Determine Church organization's primary structure.
3. Provide initiatives (recommendations, money,
recognitions, etc.)
4. Appoint the bishops.
5. Maintain a dialog with the episcopal government
on the goals of the Church.6. Improve the objectives of the Church organization,7. Lead the Church to conform with the Divine Purpose.
Council of Bishops (Instrumental cause, or means)
1. Make Church policy according to Church purposes.
2. Determine Church procedures.
3. Manage priorities, appropriations, and membership.
4. Appoint counselors.
5. Convey policies and solicit suggestions.
6. Examine policy versus purpose and viability,
and improve it.
7. Lead the Church toward compassionate attitudes.
Church Council (Ultimate, or effect)
1. Administer the purpose according to policy.
2. Make specifications and operating procedures
and keep records.
3. Manage properties.
4. Nominate operating staffs.
5. Coordinate all operations.
6. Research and improve operations.
7. Lead the Church to the exercise of justice.
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Council of Bishops;Government of the church is with the Episcopal council.
It has seven functions (see box 4) and, per activity planning,
potentially seven seats. As instrumental cause of the Church
this council determines how the purpose will be carried out.
(I would like to see a minimum of three bishops. The Executive Bishop would be elected by the council.)
Church Council;
The Council of Bishops appoints seven counselors to carry
out the policies determined by the bishops (see again box 4,
and Organization Chart, box 5). Each Counselor has a committee
appointed by himself which administers the assigned functions.
The committees coordinate or regulate any of the following
types of body:
Sub-committee.
Task force
Society, Circle, Group, Isolated
Affiliated organization
Each committee has at least one member from each nationalbranch of the General Church, so that all branches will befully represented in each administrative function.
20
Additional Comments:
Each member of a council or committee has two functions.
The external function is for the committee. The internal
function is to the committee. For example, the external
function of the Pastoral Counselor is coordinating societies and ministers, and the internal function is
coordinating schedules in the Church Council. This can
be applied to all positions, see box 6.
In
all cases more than one function can be performed by one person.
However, I do not consider it ideal. Also, two people should not be
assigned to one function.
Organizations tend to get fat, and in the church this
is called "Babylon". Only those activities should be
included in Church purpose that are not being filled elsewhere. Also, divestiture is healthy. The Church
will truly grow if it has offspring. When a use has
matured, it should become independent.
In the Activity Planning concept vertical organization
(heirarchy) is based on the number "3" because of end,
cause, and effect, just like heaven. Horizontal organization is based on the number "7". just like jubilee.
21
Although the societies of the General Church are under
the GC, they can yet have a similar structure, with the pastor acting as a Bishop's representative, and
the society membership acting in the place of the General
Assembly,
This proposal implies more than just a streamlined
organization chart. A new chart would be no more than a new winebag. This proposal calls for a new way
of thinking. "Performance of use" is the muscle
of the New Church — and heaven. Let us think in terms of activity planning, and use our muscles! Obviously
the organization of a church which includes so many people, and many of the people for so long a time,
cannot change completely overnight. I propose that a five, no a seven year plan be created to phase over
gradually and gracefully into a new era for the General
Church of the New Jerusalem.
22
Subject: Activity Planning/Church OrganizationDate: 12-17-54To: Rev. Lorentz R. SonesOnFrom: Oliver R. OdhnerRe: Our meeting and my memo of 12-10-84
This memo is to confirm some of the points touched on in our
discussion and fill in some areas which need a little more
thought.
A review of the objectives of activity planning in church
organization may be useful.
1. Churches are commonly steeped in tradition, much
of which tends toward the traditions of men. The process of activity planning keeps the attention
of the whole organization constantly on its stated
purpose, which should be effectively the Lord!s will.
2. The activity planning program requires each person
in the organization to exercise managerial skills, assuring that all jobs will be conducted with forethought, without omission of essential matters.
3. Training in activity planning skills will assure
a balance between various arms of the organization and thus discourage domination by one or two departments.
4. In order to have excellent performance from staff
personnel, work schedules must be realistic. When too much is expected of someone, either he fails
to do it all, or he does it all poorly. I suggest the Executive Bishop: l) Go through his proposed
position description and, for each task, write down the number of hours per month he needs to perform
that task with excellence. 2) From that let him calculate
the number of hours of work each day required of him.
I expect he will see the need to divest some assignments. 3) Look at the purposes of the Church in his
charge, and apply activity planning concepts in order
to clarify where his time can be most usefully directed.
5. Activity planning carries people toward doing their
thing - not for their own satisfaction, but for that
of others, and takes it from an introverted to an extroverted activity. This has implications in evangelization .
6. Tradition is broken by activity planning. It requires
that a more useful objective be found for the next effort. The purpose of the church cannot stagnate.
7. Finally, it obviously directs the minds of the individual,
and therefore the organization, to the greater good
— that of the community, heaven, and the Lord.
23
The constitution of the Council of Bishops was presented
by me somewhat vaguely. It is important to insist that
no one in any council or committee is over the others.
Each has his unique function, and in the exercise of that
function he has priority. But all functions are to coordinate
rather than rule. Whoever the Council chooses as chairman,
for example, will preside, but his only clout will be in
conducting the meetings, etc.
The General Assembly is organized by the Bishops and Church
Councils for determining and updating Church purpose, and electing bishops to the Episcopal Council or affirming
their status by a vote of confidence. There should be enough
ordained bishops available in the priesthood that the Assembly
will have a choice. This means there would be some bishops
not elected to the council. There should be enough bishops
in their council that there is an effective division of labor.
I have not addressed the organization of the priesthood per se,but only the Church Organization. I view the priesthood
much the same as other professional associations. It qualifies
its own members and provides for its members a mutual professional
technical support. It provides for the church a pool of professionals to draw from in structuring the organization.
The Council of the Clergy is the association the General Church
draws on.
A timetable for phasing out the present structure and introducing
a new requires more knowledge of the present organization
of the GC than I have. Nevertheless, I will attempt to outline
graphically the steps that might be considered in the transition.
24
The 1984 organization chart as I understand it is where
the General Church is now. Starred boxes are jobs held by
Bishop King. There are nine of them - eight too many.
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1985: Start to select three candidates for the third degree
of the priesthood. Assign the Consistory more responsibility
in governing the Church. Hake six dishop's representatives
in the Consistory to handle the six activity functions not
exercised by the Executive Bishop.
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25
1936: Appoint a Pastoral Counselor with full responsibility
under the executive 3ishop to manage the pastoral affairs
of the Church ana to propose changes in assignments.
The Pastoral Counselor shall appoint a pastoral committee
to implement his duties. Ordain three bishops.
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1987s Hold a General Assembly. Appoint the three new
bishops to key positions in the Consistory. Form within
the Consistory (l) a Council of Bishops and (2) a Church
Council. Start to select two more candidates for the third
degree. Call on the General Assembly to contribute to
a 1991 Assembly Task Force under the Executive Bishop to consider
the Purposes of the General Church.
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26
1988: Start to institute operating committees under
the direction of the Church Council to oversee the seven
functions of Church uses. These committees should include
the leaders in the various uses so that an integration
rather than isolation of active participants will occur.
Appoint the Pastoral Counselor to the Church Council.
1989s Continue instituting operating committees.
Institute activity planning seminars for the committees
and councils. Retire the Council of the Clergy from
administrative duties to being only a professional
association.
1990: Ordain two new bishops. Institute activity planning
seminars on sub-committee, ANC, Corporation, and Society
levels. Assure church-wida representation on all committees.
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1991: Hold a General Assembly. Ask it to accept
the resignation of the Executive Bishop, and elect four
bishops to the Council of Bishops. (The theme of the '91
Assembly might be "The Divine of Use".} The Council
of Bishops should divide among themselves episcopal responsabilities. The Assembly should discuss and form a consensus
on the purpose of the General Church. Open the task force
on Purpose of the General Church to all members, and ask it
to report at the 1995 Assembly. Another candidate for
the third degree should be sought.
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END
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