“This is my church.”

“If you change anything, I’ll leave.”

“This is who we are.”

The intensity of these emotions can shock the fledgling minister but merely discourage the more seasoned leader who has heard these objections before.

“Why does this happen?”

“Why can’t they see that why these changes are necessary?”

For many Christians, the deep feelings of attachment and belonging to their local church go to the very core of their hearts. Their membership with a particular congregation is an important part of their social identity.

What is social identity?

Every one of us has a personal identity – “I’m a book lover”, “I’m a sports fan”, “I’m a kind person who likes to help others” and so on.  But we also share social identities. When someone says, “I’m a footy supporter”, “I’m a scout or a guide”, “I belong to Rotary”, or “I’m a member of my local church”, they are not just describing who they are as an individual. They are describing how they see themselves in relation to a group.

In 1979, Henri Tajfel and John Turner 1 coined the term social identity. This concept can be used to account for the deep sense of belonging to a group or organisation experienced by many.  Groups provide their members with shared goals and values which prescribe how they should behave and what they should believe.  Social identity in a church setting also includes attachment to sacred spaces and objects, viz. the church buildings and their furnishings.

Social identity is the glue which holds the congregation together.

For church members, their social identity is closely allied to their devotion to God.  Belonging to a church is very important to church members because it involves their sense of who God is and what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

‘Don’t change that!’

If a church leader tries to make changes to the way a local church functions, or alter any aspect of the buildings or furnishings, the social identity of the members will be affected.  Change can feel like a personal attack on the centre of one’s being and is therefore extremely painful and stressful.  Even seemingly small changes may well be strongly resisted because they are so deeply felt.

When much needed change is mooted, church members have to deal with this sense of assault on their social identity.  Several courses of action are possible.  They may passively endure what is happening. They may fight the change to preserve their sense of social identity. They may leave the church “because it doesn’t feel like our place anymore”.  Hopefully they may take on the prospective changes as a challenge to better the church’s mission. 2

How do we help church people to embrace much needed change as a challenge rather than a threat to their social identity?

The answers to this question are many and varied.  Here is one vitally important consideration.

The Source of Church Members’ Social Identity – God or the Group?

Why are people coming to this particular church?  What is important about this place that draws them to attend and become involved in its activities. Is it because the church is a good place that espouses good values?  Is it the safety and security of the familiar ways of doing things?  Is it because this is what our family has always done?  Is it the other church members who have become friends? Without realising it, it is easy for the church itself to become an idol that is worshipped rather than God.

Finding our social identity as church members, in Christ not ourselves.

St Paul seeks to impress on the early Christians that their group identity is in Christ, not in themselves. He supplies them with the beautiful metaphor, the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12).  Their relationships with one another are therefore sacred and they are enjoined to love one another as Christ loves them. They are to be connected to one another through the Holy Spirit which underpins their gifts.  They are not in the church just for the sake of each other but as a means to fulfill the mission of Christ.  Groups that exist only for themselves will resist change because this is where their social identity lies.

Motivation for membership is crucial to allowing change in the church.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come to his followers and we see this described in Acts 1 and 2, the birthday of the Christian church.  From the beginning the church is ideally meant to be groups of people filled with the Holy Spirit, making disciples and bringing about the realm of God on earth as in heaven.  Moving right along through 2000 years we ask the question of our modern churches.   Are they spirit filled groups, inspired by the Holy Spirit and intent on the mission of Christ in their neighbourhood?   If so, their shared values and goals will enable their sense of social identity to weather the storms of change?

How do we bring about change in the social identity of the congregation?

Helping the people to deepen and develop their faith is crucial to this endeavour.

Watch this space for some ideas?

If you have any helpful suggestions please feel free to email me.

References

1. Travis Dixon, Feb 16, 2017, “Tajfel and Turner’s Social Identity Theory”, 1B Psychology (themantic eduction.com)
2. Matthew J. Slater, Andrew L. Evans & Martin J. Turner (2016) Implementing a Social Identity Approach for Effective Change Management,Journal of Change Management,16:1,18-37,DOI:1080/14697017.2015.1103774

© Copyright Elizabeth Vreugdenhil