I am convinced that a fair percentage of male clergy treat the health of their church the same way as they treat their own health. The NCD process has made this link very apparent. I wrote the following allegory for an NCD National Conference back in 2004. Not surprisingly things haven’t much changed. Nor, as experience has taught me, have the issues been much different in places outside Australia. It goes like this. (The Australian male is known colloquially as the “Aussie bloke”.)
The Aussie bloke knows something is wrong but doesn't want to go to the doctor. So he waits until things get bad and he can't tolerate the pain any longer. He then makes an appointment to see the doctor.
If he actually gets to the doctor instead of cancelling, the doctor recommends a series of tests because it appears to be serious.
The bloke's first response is to ask how much the tests are going to cost, the clear implication being that if it is a choice between confirming you have serious health problems and having to pay to find out, you're clearly on a winner by not paying and not finding out.
After the tests get done the surgery phones the bloke and leaves a voicemail asking him to make another appointment with the doctor to get the results. Sensing that the results will be bad, primarily because the pain hasn't gone away, the bloke puts off making the appointment citing a busy work schedule.
Finally the pain starts intruding on the busy work schedule, forcing him back to the doctor where he finds out it is serious but with medication, a change in lifestyle and regular check ups, he should make a full recovery. However the warning is clear: lasting changes are needed or his health will continue to deteriorate.
So what does the bloke do? He questions the results. Did the doctor do the right tests? Did the samples get mixed up at the laboratory? Obviously the doctor is out of touch with the real world; these changes are going to impact the bloke’s lifestyle and most likely mess up his career as well.
In the end he grudgingly takes the medication script, and after waiting two weeks hoping the pain will go away, he gets it filled. He starts taking the medication. He acknowledges to family and friends that his diet has to change and he signs up for regular exercise at the gym.
After about a month he starts feeling better. So he stops taking the medication and the bottle languishes in the cupboard until the use-by-date passes. The gym and diet follow shortly after as the work schedule and former lifestyle reassert themselves.
Unfortunately the body doesn't return to normal and the pains return. The bloke concludes that the doctor didn’t have a clue and heads off to find another doctor.
Over the years we’ve seen countless church leaders who treat the health of their churches no differently to the way they treat their own health.
• They know something is wrong with their church but don't want to know exactly what,
• or if they do want to know they don't want to do the tests,
• or if they do the tests they don't want the results;
• or if they get the results they are half-hearted about addressing the issues;
• and if they do begin to address the issues they are disappointed that it isn’t a quick fix, but that lasting health requires long term changes to current habits.
• And when they drift away from a disciplined regime of tackling their church's health issues and the same problems recur, they get busy with something else.
There is no doubt that many of the issues impeding the healthy growth of local churches are deeply rooted in church life and present a substantial challenge.
Yet even the barest logic suggests that having regular clarity on key health issues, having a means of determining priorities, and having a framework for addressing them is far more conducive to the health of both the church and clergy person than the stress which comes with “the ostrich position”.
Those who routinely do an annual NCD Survey in their church simply treat it as they would a personal annual “check up”. Current health issues are diagnosed; potential emerging issues are identified and noted; vision and strategy are adjusted; priorities are set for the coming year; people get focused and precious resources are allocated wisely.
Based on our NCD experience, my summary rule of thumb for leaders wanting to improve their church’s health – and their own – is: "The leader who wants to grow wants to know."