Asbury consultant: No quick fix to crisis

Dr. Curt Bechler has written a memo titled "The Journey Forward" to help Asbury Seminary heal and move forward after its recent leadership crisis.

In the memo, which was posted at an on-line seminary forum, Bechler (who was brought in to ease tensions) writes: "The problems that have occurred within the Asbury community were not created overnight and they will not be solved overnight."

The school's president, Jeff Greenway, was forced out by its board on Oct. 17, even though Greenway had received a lopsided vote of confidence from the seminary faculty.

Bechler doesn't pick sides in the dispute. "In my many conversations, everyone has acknowledged that mistakes were made on all sides during this process," he writes.

To read the entire memo, click below.

November 16, 2006

To: Dr. Ellsworth Kalas, President

From: Dr. Curt Bechler, Venture International LLC

Re: The Journey Forward

Over the course of the last three weeks, I and two other Venture team members had the privilege of interacting with over sixty different individuals from the Asbury community.  In addition, I met in four different forums with faculty, staff, students, and board members.  The Venture team gathered information and listened to individuals that often had very different perspectives on what had occurred over the past several months.

In a two and a half hour presentation with the board, this past Monday, I discussed three things: The Venture paradigm on working with organizations in crisis and conflict situations from a systematic and systemic perspective; a preliminary overview of the critical issues that led up to and contributed to the current difficulties; and, time was spent responding to questions and concerns. 

It is clear from my conversations that the board reflects the Asbury community with different members having different perspectives regarding what “truth” is in the midst of this conflict.   As I said to the board, the critical issues that led up to this crisis involved: the president, the organization -- its history and culture, and the board.  To assume there are simple solutions or “one truth” regarding what happened is to engage in the behaviors that will only replicate the problem. 

During times of conflict, there is a temptation to want to resolve it with quick fixes.  This grows out of a culture where immediate gratification through easy solutions becomes the media message of the day.  The difficulty is that these quick solutions often, under the guise of spiritualized language, embed the dysfunction deeper.  The problems that have occurred within the Asbury community were not created overnight and they will not be solved overnight. 

In the coming months, I and a Venture team will be back on campus numerous times.  We will again be meeting with faculty, staff, students, and board members.   For those that did not have an opportunity to meet with us, we will take the time to meet with anyone who would like to talk about these issues.  In addition, there will be small group forums to both listen and respond to questions and concerns. 

With regard to organizational issues of concern, there will be opportunities for stakeholders at all levels to be engaged in a process of identifying critical issues related to roles, boundaries, organizational direction, as well as working to restore health to the community.  While this is seldom a fast or easy process, it has the potential to be a tremendous time of growth and change. 

As part of the process, the board will also be taking time to review its own patterns of governance, its role as a policy making group, and the identification of appropriate boundaries and behaviors for individual members, sub-committees, and the collective whole.   Again, discussing difficult issues and past patterns will not be easy, but it is essential for renewal and reconciliation. 

In my many conversations, everyone has acknowledged that mistakes were made on all sides during this process.  It was also encouraging that the board committed itself to working through the difficult issues currently facing the community. 

In cases such as these, there will always be points upon which individuals disagree.  However, disagreement and conflict are healthy and essential for organizations to change and grow.  There are times when individuals must agree to disagree on how they perceive situations; but in doing so, it is important to do so humbly and with the acknowledgement that we may not be right.   

I would also encourage individuals to follow a Biblical model for disagreement and conflict.  In the midst of conflict situations, we cannot control the other person, but we can model the civility and respect that we desire in others. 

This model in Matthew 5, highlights the importance of not triangulating, but instead calls for individuals to own their issues and concerns and pursue direct conversation with those with whom they disagree.   

Christians and non-Christians alike acknowledge that love and respect require sacrifice.  As Stephen Carter notes in his book Civility, the call for civility does not focus on if we like the other person or agree with them.  It is not about our “rights.”   Civility and respect are about our willingness to act with a higher calling. 

The Venture team will continue to encourage and call upon the collective community as well as specific individuals to own their points of disagreement and engage in personal conversations to seek resolution.   We have had and will continue dialogue with Dr. Greenway, as well as individual board members, so that they have opportunities for resolution and reconciliation as well. 

At all levels within the Asbury community, members have a pattern of targeting individuals or groups with disagreement using public forums.  Public forums can be necessary to air concerns during times when organizations are not actively seeking to resolve issues; however, this can be dysfunctional when individuals continue to use these forums as a means of gaining personal gratification or attention-getting under the guise of problem-solving or seeking resolution.   

As the board and various members of the community seek to work towards resolving these issues of concern, I would encourage individuals to reject the temptation to seek allies in a particular stance or position. Instead, I would invite those with interest to be involved in a process of change over the coming months.  Everyone will not get their way, but there will be opportunities to shape the future and to have your voice heard. 

This will be a time of moving forward with reconciliation and renewal.   This will be a journey of reflection and visioning, both personally and communally.  This will be a time when God can speak in new ways.   I would invite all to join in that journey.