The Merger of National Denominations

A Travel Free Learning Article

May 31, 2010 Edition

By
George Bullard
Ministry Partner with The Columbia Partnership
Voice: 803.622.0923, E-mail: GBullard@TheColumbiaPartnership.org
Web Site: www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org

Why?

Why in the world would two or more national/international denominations want to merge? So there are
fewer denominations and thus decrease the splintering of the Church? Maybe. To create greater capacity
for leading edge Christian ministry in areas of mutual passion? Maybe. Out of close meaningful fellowship
and close working relationship on various Great Commission and/or Great Commandment issues?
Maybe. Because separately they are too small to provide basis congregational services in an era of
higher expectations? Maybe. Or, because each denomination is plateaued and declining and long-term
viability is a concern? Maybe.

For whatever reason some denominations are considering and perhaps need to consider merger. The
hope is that they will merge to create greater vitality and thus strengthen their collective journeys. The
caution is that they will do so to recover past vitality and thus out of the weakness of their collective
journeys. Probably many more mergers are a response to weakness rather than an opportunity to
combine the strength of two or more denominations.

If denominations merge out of strength, they may be able to realize some economies of scale in certain
service areas that allow them to offer more or deeper service in areas that can increase vitality in their
new denominational movement. If denominations merge out of weakness, they may be doing so to keep
certain services alive because they have been decreasing and the overhead has been draining the
denomination. Mergers should occur to help good capacities for Christian ministry become great
capacities. Not to collect weak capacities and offer more weakness to the Church.

When denominations merge it should not be to bring together the services of the merging denominations,
but to create a totally different denomination. The newly created denomination should reinvent its service
components rather than just figuring out how to integrate similar services together in a new denomination.
If a new denomination with vitality and vibrancy is the goal, then it is also a great idea not to merge two
denominations, but to merge three or more denominations.

Merging three or more denominations requires the setting up of a new mission, purpose, vision, strategy,
and structure. Merging two denominations can be more about deciding to do things the way one
denomination has done them or the other denomination has done them. If significant size difference
exists between the two denominations, it is likely the strategy, structure, and culture of the larger of the
two denominations will prevail.

When larger and smaller denominations merge, it increases the possibility that one result of a merger will
be the creation of another denomination that is smaller than either one of the two merging together. It
may be made up on congregations and middle expressions of the denomination who feel disenfranchised
by the merger. It is always possible this will occur any way, but absorption of a smaller denomination by a
larger denomination increases the possibility this will happen.

One reason that the merger of denominations can be good is that the world has changed and greater
capacity is needed to provide basic services to congregations. It is no longer possible for denominations
to provide the same services they once provided to congregations, for various reasons. The cost of
providing field services has increased. Personnel, travel, communication, and materials all cost more than
they once did.

May 31, 2010 Edition 1 Copyright 2010, Rev. George Bullard, D.Min.
Some denominations need to merge because they have way too much infrastructure for the number of
congregations they serve. Other alternatives would be to downsize their infrastructure, or develop
partnerships with various service organizations who can provide some of the infrastructure services they
had been providing.

Think it through and be sure you do not want to merge just to keep alive an overweight bureaucratic
infrastructure or to save the jobs of people who have the power to control decisions within the
denomination. Be sure it is not to keep alive a denomination with clear historic strengths that has lost its
way and can no longer captivate the spiritual imagination of its affiliated congregations.

Some economies of scale can be realized by merger. One would be in the area of publishing. If each
denomination has a publishing function, the combination of these into one publishing function can
generate some economies of scale and increase the potential the publishing function may actually make
income that contributes to the denominational movement. Since the trend in publishing is digital, it is
increasingly difficult for denominational publishing functions to make money, except in the largest of
denominations or among publishing strategies that have a clear focus and a strong constituency of
purchasers.

Often more important than the mechanics and structure changes that need to occur during a merger, is
the culture of the two or more denominations that need to be merged. Merging the programs and
management factors of denominations, as difficult as that can be, is easy compared to merging the
relationships and culture of two or more denominations. It will take 20 to 25 years before people stop
talking about how it was before the merger, and which group each congregation was affiliated with
originally. Long past strategic and structural merger is completed, merged denominations will be dealing
with core issues of relationship and the establishment of a culture that truly has a new identity, ethos, and
synergy.

Why are you considering merger as a possibility for your denomination? Why is it the next best step in the
development of your denomination? Why is it the best response to current opportunities and challenges?
Why is it worth the three to five years of focused effort it may take to achieve full merger? What additional
other issues surrounding merger than need to be addressed?

Important Things to Know

George Bullard is a Ministry Partner and the Strategic Coordinator with The Columbia Partnership. He is also General
Secretary [executive director] of the North American Baptist Fellowship of the Baptist World Alliance. The Columbia
Partnership is a non-profit Christian ministry organization focused on transforming the capacity of the North American
Church to pursue and sustain Christ-centered ministry. Travel Free Learning is a leadership development emphasis.
For more information about products and services check out the web site at www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org, send
an e-mail to Client.Care@TheColumbiaPartnership.org, or call 803.622.0923.

May 31, 2010 Edition 2 Copyright 2010, Rev. George Bullard, D.Min.