Within the church, the use of the term “gatekeeper” often evokes moans and complaints about the way “these people” hinder our work.  But what if it’s not the role but the way the role is acted out? Let’s look more carefully at this concept.

The term “gatekeeper” was first coined by the social scientist, Kurt Leeuwin, in 1951.[i]  He noticed that certain individuals controlled the flow of information into, and out of, the groups they belonged to.  The term was soon adopted by many different disciplines including ethnography, where researchers noticed that their ability to enter and observe particular groups depended on the assent of certain individuals who “policed” the boundaries. [ii]These people were the gatekeepers.  Other disciplines followed suit in using the term gatekeeper, including Media Studies and Organisation Theory.

Within these disciplines, the use of the term gatekeeper is neither negative nor positive.  It merely describes the position and behaviour of certain individuals who look after their group by allowing or preventing the entry and exit of individuals, projects and resources.

We can work more productively with the gatekeepers in our church if we understand and accept that their role is both legitimate and essential.

These ideas are further explored in subsequent posts.

[i] `Lewin, K. 1951: Field Theory in Social Science. New York: Harper and Row

[ii] Hammersley M. and Atkinson P. 1983: Ethnography Principles in Practice. London and New York. Tavistock Publications.