I would say that I don’t think that an organic rather than top down means that there is no place for leadership. In fact, I think the need for strong, healthy, Christ-centred leadership is even stronger. We’re grappling with this at the moment. How can we raise, equip, and release leadership to equip and lead a sponaneously expanding movement which is empowering rather than controlling.

Thanks again for your comments. I’ll look forward to more dialogue in the future and shall take a look at your VOX too.

Lon Wong directed me to your post after reading something I posted called a “chaotic leader” for the emerging missional church…he said to check this out.

I just read through the entire interview as you suggested and wasn’t convinced with many of the premises Dee Hock presents. The premises that you have pulled out and used to bring clearer vision to your church are excellent but I think Hock makes too many broad statements that don’t seem accurate.

I do not adhere to his concept of a system that “…harmoniously blends what were previously conceived to be opposites…” The first thing that came to mind was the opposites within God’s Kingdom: mercy vs. judgement, death vs. life, the last shall be first, etc. I don’t see God harmoniously blending…it is what it is. Hmmm…Consider how the presence of opposites in magnetism produces power.

I like the idea of using neural networks and others as models but that is not the only way nature is organized. There are many diverse designs in nature from the micro to the macro, and many of them top down. God was very creative. Each different organized virus or cell or organ or creature can be analyzed and described to have some unique and some similar organizational characteristics. Each detail can be used as a different model for creating. Protein synthesis is a step by step process and fundamental to all life. The DNA must be transcribed into mRNA, the mRNA has to be transported outside the cell nucleus, the mRNA must bind to a ribosome and the correct tRNA’s have to be floating by as the protein chain is elongated. The protein then has to find its destination. There’s all sorts of “float time” in the process.

Jesus models servant leadership…that’s bottom up organization.
God has organized the Trinity in a neural network mode? but top down organization with Himself then man then angels (even the angels and demons are organized…top down I believe).

I love using different models to challenge our old ways and creating new but for Christians we still need to keep our eyes on God and his plans. God inspires our hearts and minds with the past, present and future (prophecy!) and with nature and personalities and emotion.

I penciled in about 30 comments throughout the interview, half I applauded and half I discarded. Just opinions but again, I love what you derived from this interview! I want to continue to ponder. - Kathy

I’ve just begun to read Alan Hirsch’s ‘The Forgotten Ways’.