The Chicago Invitation

Pournelle’s Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people: those who work to further the actual goals of the organization, and those who work for the organization itself.

Examples in education would be teachers who work and sacrifice to teach children, vs. union representatives who work to protect any teacher including the most incompetent.

The Iron Law states that in all cases, the second type of person will always gain control of the organization, and will always write the rules under which the organization functions.

Can anyone think of examples in church organizations? I can.

The good news is that on Epiphany we celebrate a King who defeats the power of all the Iron Laws out there, “so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 3:10)

Part of the ideology of the “Missional Church” movement in the RCA is historically inaccurate and unfair. Read more…

Okay, so I’m a day late. But I was pondering yesterday what I should say in a New Year’s post. And my thoughts predictably circled around the notion of resolutions, of which far too much is written and said this time of year. Read more…