WHEN MERGERS WORK

Some of the most rewarding work that I have done in the last few years is to coach churches that are going through a process of merger, property divestment and re-launch as a fresh church in their community. Dirk Elliott discovered a decade ago in Ohio that mergers work best when:

(1) All property is divested.
(2) All leaders of the merging churches turn in both their positions and their keys. 
(3) A new name and place is chosen to introduce the new church to the community.
(4)The pastor has been trained in best practices of church planting. (I would add that she/he is also loving and relatively non-anxious in response to older members who have not caught the vision and wish to bring back yesteryear.)
(5)There is reasonable readiness on the part of the leaders in the merging congregations (which we now know can be accurately measured using the Readiness 360 instrument).
(6) A coach works with the leadership through the process.

We are learning that it is not always prudent to divest all the property -  sometimes it is best to hold on to one or more properties that can be significantly updated and made ready for 21st century ministry. Sometimes the cost per square foot is much lower doing this than to sell and start over.   Occasionally, the locations are priceless. But when property is retained, the keys must be changed, and significant building alterations must occur, especially in the worship space in order for all to feel that it is a fresh space, appropriate to a new church. The building (tail) must not wag the dog!

We have learned clearly that church survival is not an adequate motivation for a healthy merger. Churches that merge to survive invariably resist significant change and will continue to decline and age out, even after merger. A vital merger, to use Dirk Elliott's language, is a coming together of two or more churches to consolidate some costs in order to expand ministry and to start new ministry for new people. Mergers that work focus on the people who are 'not here yet.'   They do not focus primarily on the needs of the remnant in the congregations.

The Churches Planting Churches program of Discipleship Ministries (an agency of The UMC) is a great training and mentoring process for leader teams who wish to merge old churches into a vital new one, especially if they intend to retain more than one location after launching the new church.

If you or a church you love would like to contact us at Epicenter to learn more about Churches Planting Churches or about one of our team coaching you and your team through the merger to life as a fresh and growing ministry, you can simply email us at epicentergroup.dc@gmail.com. We can then set up time for a conversation - no charge involved.