I’m just thinking about complexity, because…

I’m speaking to an executive leadership team for a large church this week.

They are working on their understanding of the new “organizational structure of their modern day, multi-staffed church.”

In the old days, structure was less complex.

Marcus Welby M.D.  pretty much worked alone. But Dr. Gregory House, pretty quirky himself, had to lead a quirky team of doctors.

W.E. Sangster, the Pastor of Methodist Central Hall during World War II – (Methodist Central Hall is right across from Westminster Abbey in London, and the building hosted the first ever meeting of the United Nations) – pretty much served as simple preacher/pastor, not as strategic-planning pastor — not as leader (the equivalent of CEO)  of a large multi-staff organizational structure.

Today, structure is much, much more complex.  In every organization.

But, the complexity is needed. Though the leader (probably) knows more than any one member of the team, the team — (and then, all the teams throughout) — together, with the leader, knows more than just the leader alone can ever know.

And, there is too much to do for any one person.

The greater complexity is a greater challenge. But also, greater opportunity.