On Seeking Consensus

Dear Northminster,

For the past two days, I have been thinking about the word consensus. Defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, consensus is

1.a) General agreement, unanimity
   b) The judgment arrived at by most of those concerned

2) Group solidarity in sentiment and belief

Most of the systems we work with in society are not based on consensus but a system of democracy where the majority wins.  Setting aside the complexity of the Electoral College where that isn’t the case, the closest our country gets to consensus is the system put into place for amending the US Constitution.  Constitutional Amendments require a 2/3 vote in both the House and the Senate and then to be ratified by 3/4 of state legislatures.  While 2/3rds and 3/4ths both qualify as super majorities, creating a supermajority is not the same as building consensus. Building consensus is not about ensuring that the majority of people agree with a position, but working on an issue or a solution until almost everyone is in agreement.  We tend to pass over consensus building in favor of a simple majority because building consensus can be extremely difficult.

While consensus is more difficult to achieve, consensus is what I am aiming for when it comes to the various changes happening at Northminster.  I know that some of the changes we have discussed sound similar to previous plans that previous Northminster leadership teams have suggested. Folks have not been shy about sharing how similar plans didn’t work and the reasons why they fell apart. The Session and I has been taking notes on why those plans didn’t work. Moreover, by aiming for consensus rather than a simple majority agreement we are hoping that these changes fit our needs today.  Knowing that not everything will work straight away, we are also planning check-ins to adjust our plans as we encounter issues.

I am incredibly grateful for everyone who has come to the Lunch ‘n Learn sessions after worship the past two Sundays.  Your feedback on our plans has been invaluable.  Not only has your feedback pointed out some places where we need to fine-tune our plans, it has provided ideas we had not yet considered.  Furthermore, it is only by this process of feedback, change, and more feedback that we are able to build consensus on how to move forward.  If you haven’t made it to either of the previous two meetings, click here to get a copy of the committee restructuring plan, and click here to access the document that discusses the initial ideas for a CCB/Northminster rental agreement.  

This Sunday, we have one more Lunch ‘N Learn discussion after worship to discuss the 2025 Preliminary Budget.  This Budget is not finalized but will give us an initial idea of what to expect for the following year.

Blessings,
Pastor Chris