Fifteen years after the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States, a group of 14 former slaves founded a small Alabama community called Madison Park. Tight-knit and God-fearing, the community—populated mainly by descendants of that original founding group—has endured down to the present day.

Eric Motley, executive vice president at the Aspen Institute and a former special assistant to President George W. Bush, is profoundly thankful for having grown up in Madison Park. His memoir, Madison Park: A Place of Hope, recalls the townsfolk who taught and inspired him and the lifelong lessons he learned.

According to Motley, in an interview with CT, "I don't think anyone in Madison Park, at church on Sundays or walking its streets during the week, can fail to be reminded of those who came before us, who made a promise to God that they would try to live out their lives in fulfillment of his will. Worshiping every Sunday with neighbors and seeing these shared values manifested in their thoughts, words, and deeds was very important to me at an early age. And this example has remained a guiding light throughout my life."

Some people think of institutions as fundamentally opposed to human freedom and potential. For them, the word "institution" conjures up rules and regulations, budgets and spreadsheets, bosses and subordinates—in other words, a rigid structure that stifles individual personality and creativity.

Gordon Smith, president of Ambrose University and Seminary in Canada, understands this attitude, and he acknowledges the many ways that institutions can behave appallingly and mistreat those in their care. But he also recognizes the indispensability of institutions to just about any meaningful human undertaking, very much including the mission of the church. CT recently interviewed Smith on the subject of his book, Institutional Intelligence: How to Build an Effective Organization.

"Institutional life," says Smith, "is where we recognize the limits of our individual skills and capacities. Somewhere along the way, if we are committed to being both faithful and fruitful to our callings, we have to admit that if I'm going to flourish, I need others. Artists need someone who can run a gallery. Teachers need administration to provide the structure for their teaching. Doctors and other healers need hospitals and offices. None of us are sufficient in and of ourselves. We need others for our vocations, and effective institutions help us leverage our strengths with others."

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