On the website
http://www.christianitytoday.c... Branimir Schubert has written an excellent article,
Organizational Pain. Schubert points out that two of the biggest mistakes organizations make is that they either ignore problems or do not diagnose problems correctly, choosing to call them something other than what they are. He states that ineptitude is particularly common in religious organizations because the thinking is that Christians should not have problems or any pain.
Schubert iterates that symptoms of an unhealthy organization are low morale, lack of cooperation, little enthusiasm, complaining, blaming, shaming, micro-managing and using coercive power tactics. Poor leaders seek a place of camouflage rather than turning bow into the wind whereas effective leaders spur into action at the first sign of dissent, paying attention to any harsh gossip circulating, following up on any complaints, listening impartially to all sides, seeking first to understand then to be understood. Competent leaders zoom in on the root of the problem.
Resolution through mediation is ideal but what do we do when an internal resolution cannot be reached?
Many, though not all Estonians, seem to think that turning to the legal system for resolution of a dispute is somehow wrong. The danger here is that if we have no recourse to the courts our democratic rights are obliterated, thereby opening the door for dictatorship and its Alpha personalities to stomp in and lock up the place.
In 1992 Rev. Walter Johanson wrote to St. Peter's Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Vancouver quoting the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XVI which says "lawful civil ordinances are God's good creatures and divine ordinances in which a Christian may safely take part...". I agree.
In my view there is nothing disrespectful in seeking remedy from the courts. Civil rights are a valuable cornerstone in our democratic society, the glue that gives peace a chance, and wisely the law ensures our civil rights stay in place even if we privately give them up. Our Canadian legal system though not perfect stands to give us a reasonable crack at justice. Some may call legal intervention treason; I see it as a fundamental instrument in keeping our society orderly and free.
