Recently a friend came by work and there were some washers and dryers being moved around the building. He asked what was up and I explained what we were doing and the reason why. While the specifics are pretty boring, the “why” is that the more money we save operationally, the more money can be directed into more important things which is why companies and non-profits look to cut operational costs.
As we sat down in my office, he started to mull over his church’s budget and started to list off expenses that many organizations would reject. He then told me what his church spent on conferences and I was stunned. Him and I talked about Jared Diamond coming to Saskatoon. We both had attended and the talk was one that he had given out of Collapse. We paid $40 a ticket to go and while Diamond was entertaining and gave a good talk, it was nothing we hadn’t read before from him. He asked me how that was different than most church conferences I had gone to. Well, it was out of pocket for me and I think for him as well (Wendy gave me the tickets as an anniversary gift) but other than that, it was pretty much the same formula. A speaker who is always a published author give an excerpt from a book I have probably already read or will be able to purchase in the lobby after the talk.
The question comes down to how better spent would conference money be doing something else in the church? Conferences are an expensive line item for a lot of churches and of course that money comes from tithes to the church. For some that money is being used as a pastoral junket to hear speakers who are out promoting their books. Books that could just be bought and read. Airfare, hotel, conference fees, meals, all are spent to hear someone give a talk based out of a $30 book that could be ordered from Amazon.
Of course this is being done at a time when we are in a great recession. I have had these misgivings for years and have listened to pastors says, “if the church is paying for it, why not go?” It’s as if they have no personal responsibility for their actions and I have to admit, that flippant usage of church money really bothers me.
There is a bigger question here as well and that is why does the evangelical church as a whole need so many conferences. Years ago I read an article which talked about how students at Canada’s premiere seminaries were not as good as quality as students at the neighboring university. The idea was that with low wages and a stressful lifestyle, the best and brightest were avoiding seminaries and the marks were curved to suit the students. Maybe conferences serve the need of a clergy that are not as smart as other professions. Maybe this explains the lack of serious journals and publications dedicated to the trade of being a pastor. Perhaps they serve as a vacation subsidy for pastors. Lower than average wages mean that vacations are not as common and therefore this kind of boosts them up. Also they may just happen because no one asks if there is any value to the church for a conference like this. It is just taken for granted that a couple thousand dollars spent having an author read to a room of pastors is better spent than spending it helping the community. Either way something doesn’t seem right.
Yup. I think the “vacation subsidy” hits it on the mark.
I think we have to rethink it. It’s getting a little conference crazy out there.
http://timbailey.typepad.com/anotherthing/2009/04/in-the-loop-or-loopy.html
that money is being used as a pastoral junket to hear speakers who are out promoting their books. Books that could just be bought and read.
I agree, conferences are a way of hearing what’s already in a book that I probably already have (or in a book that I suggested to a local library that they went and bought).
However, one thing I like to do is find other like-minded fans of that author and network with them. It would be cool to be friends with Gladwell or Jared, but what would I really accomplish. However, if I were friends with fans of Jared, and we had some commonality – ENTJ, engineering, transit fans, etc., – together we could achieve critical mass and make some changes in the world.
I don’t think many do this analytically, but many do it subconsciously?
> students at Canada’s premiere seminaries were not as good as quality as students at the neighboring university.
Kevin Phillips has something to say about this? Want to pursue it?
I agree that networking does have some value but with the web and sites like TheOoze and the Missional Tribe, Emergent’s cohorts and such, it is easier than ever to do that online. Of course conferences do provide the opportunity to meet face to face.
I have some strong thoughts on the education part of it as well. I’ll see what I can write tonight.
Reading this stuck in a snow storm in Calgary on my return voyage from our Canada denomination’s conference and annual meeting. We are required to do an annual meeting so it’s combined with speakers, etc as a conference too. Speaker – a professor from a Jordanian Bible college that we are partnering with. He didn’t read from no book! Instead we heard God’s word sprinkled with enlightening cultural flavor from the books he teaches- John’s gospel and letters. Oh, yeah, we also heard from a Haitian Dr who runs a medical clinic in an urban centre there – stories and reports on what God is doing there. Opportunities to give. Opportunities to participate.
That was one great weekend! The relational stuff was great too. Sometimes it pays to be small.
> with the web and sites like TheOoze and the Missional Tribe, Emergent’s cohorts and such, it is easier than ever to do that online.
I think it is easier to maintain a relationship with the web, but it seems difficult to make the initial connection to start the relationship. Most of the emerging/emergent sites seem to be good places to write, but the writers rarely join the forums attached to Ooze, Allelon, Emergent Village, etc.
Hi Linea, I don’t really consider denominational meetings in the same category. I am thinking more about “Church Inc.” type conferences.