Minister’s Workshop: Developing a Climate of Trust

A pastor who gets inspired to action by a book on church growth and then tries to transmit his enthusiasm at the monthly meeting of the church board may find it a discouraging experience. How do we get people excited about the prospects for the church today? How do we move from where we are to where we want to be?

A starting point that is often overlooked is the need to develop a climate of trust within a congregation. More often than we care to admit, plans that could lead to growth are defeated because of a lack of trust in the people involved, an attitude of “I wonder what they will try to pull next?”

Trust can be developed in a church if we work at it. The way to do it is not to manipulate people so they do what we want them to do. Rather, we must apply some basic guidelines that aid us in developing honest relationships with one another—guidelines that should be a natural part of any Christian’s life and especially a pastor’s. Here are four such guidelines:

1. “Pastor, you are the key!” I have heard that so many times in ministers’ conferences that I freeze when the words hit my ears. But it is true! We will never have a climate of trust in our churches if we do not lead the way by being trusting and trustworthy.

In a recent conversation with a prominent Christian layman, I was appalled at his cynicism about the church and its leaders. He felt manipulated at every turn in life. Advertising attempted to “use” him for profit, the business world shoved him around for everyone else’s benefit, and now he was facing the same manipulation in his church. Who cared about him as a person? Was he only a statistic for his pastor to use in compiling his annual report?

As pastors, we need to ask ourselves if we really show trust in people. When we give a person responsibility, do we keep looking over his shoulder to make sure he does it the way we want him to? If so, we have worked against the development of trust. By contrast, what a beautiful sight it is to see people working their hardest for the Lord and his church because there is a leader who they know trusts them to do their best. They want to live up to that confidence. And they will be encouraged to exhibit the same attitude toward others.

This spirit of trust should also be proclaimed from the pulpit. Members of the congregation need to know that they can and should trust one another. Everything we do to show trust and preach trust will be repaid many times over.

2. Another important part of the climate of trust is the leader’s determination to chart a definite course. People need to know what the goals are. If they know the direction in which the church is heading, they will be more inclined to be participants rather than critics. Often pastors know what they want but fail to share their vision for the future with their people. If our plans have surprise endings, we can be sure that future ideas will be viewed with greater suspicion.

I am convinced that even those who may oppose a specific action in the church can still be cooperative if they know they were always dealt with honestly. One of my most prized Christmas cards was one to which a member had added this note: “Even though we do not always see eye to eye on matters, we thank God for your leadership and ministry to us.” That trust developed in part because I tried to be perfectly honest about my goals and dreams for the church.

3. Trust will also be developed if the business of the church is done openly. Printed agendas in advance of meetings, posted minutes after meetings, and healthy dosages of news and information flowing to the congregation can do a lot to eliminate rumors and suspicion.

One pastor refused to print agendas in advance of board meetings because he thought it limited his control. He preferred to corner key board members ahead of time and talk them into what he wanted. Then at the meetings he would unfold his ideas and wait for the “spontaneous support” that followed (each member of the board thinking he was the only key person to whom the pastor had talked). It was not long until this backroom dealing backfired. The pastor found that his enemies were using the same method against him.

I have never once felt that God’s work was hindered by our policy of having information freely available to people in the church. I have been stung, however, by failing to make information known. Even when people disagree (and if we are making progress, someone will disagree), they will have difficulty causing trouble if everyone is well informed.

4. Finally, one must allow time for trust to develop. It will not do to stand up on Sunday and declare that beginning today we are going to trust one another. It takes time to alter attitudes. The deeper the mistrust, the more important it is to continue patiently to prove oneself trusting and trustworthy.

Virtually every success story in church growth has as one of its chief ingredients a climate of trust. When that climate exists, plans can be made, new programs can be attempted, other ideas can be scrapped—all because people trust one another to be doing what is ultimately best for the cause of Christ.

I recall a beautiful illustration of this trust that I observed in a non-church situation. A new school program was being introduced into the community. At a meeting of the chamber of commerce, the school principal was present to answer the many questions that had been building up. At the end of the meeting one community leader finally stood and spoke for the group: “Sir, a lot of us aren’t really sure about this new program. But we trust you and are willing to give it a try if you want us to.”

Should we expect anything less than this in our churches?—DONALD GERIG, senior pastor, Calvary Memorial Church, Oak Park, Illinois.

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