Credit: Secret Garden Gate Closed by ARendle is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Gatekeepers in the Local Church – Part 3

Wouldn’t we be better off with no gatekeepers at all?  Surely life would be a lot simpler and we could all get what we want. Unfortunately, this is a pipe dream.   Gatekeepers are an essential part of all groups because without them our groups would simply cease to function.  Instead, chaos would reign and nothing would get done.  In order to understand why this is so, let’s first look at why we need groups in the first place.

The Necessity for Groups in Society

Although wWestern Society emphasises individuality, the truth of the matter is that we cannot exist without one another.  We are all connected and we constantly function in a large variety of groups.  Just think for a moment about how groups pervade every aspect of our lives; from our families, groups of friends, various organisations we belong to, our workplaces, and our church with its committees, councils and friendship groups.  On a broader front, the various forms of government function in group settings.  Everything and everyone is connected in some way.  In fact, every part of our world comprises an interconnected system of groups. But how do we get a number of individuals to connect with one another so that their particular group can function?  In order to do this, we need to limit human variability.

Human Variability

As human beings we have minds of our own and free will so we do not conform easily to the demands of the groups in our lives.  Families fight over all kinds of domestic arrangements.  There are work place unions because bosses and workers don’t always get along.  The law exists to keep the criminal elements in check and to allow society to progress in an orderly manner, and so the list goes on.

When my brother was very small, he used to protest often and very loudly, “I want to do what I want.”; to which our father would reply, “You can do what you want as long as you do as you’re told.”  Human variability was allowed in our family up to a point but after that we had to conform so that the family could work together properly. It is the same with all groups, large or small.  Human variability has to be kept in check so that society can function.

In our society we have a fair bit of individual freedom but it is not absolute.  Imagine what would happen if an Adult Fellowship group argued over their time of meeting and some turned up in the morning, others in the afternoon, and some on the following day.  For the group to function some human variability needs to be constrained.  However, this does not happen automatically. This is where administration comes in.  It is the Administrator who sends out the meeting notice regarding where and when the group will meet so that everyone turns up at the same place and time. The Administrator organises for someone to provide refreshments or reminds the next person on the roster.  They also see to it that the minutes of the previous meeting are recorded and distributed; and so on.

More informally, one or two people are usually the ones to make the arrangements for friends to meet. If this does not happen the friendship group soon falls apart. The administrative role is essential to the continued functioning of any group.  For many people this role is hardly noticed. Some even believe that these arrangements happen automatically.  They do not.  There is always an administrator or two beavering away quietly in the background enabling the group to function.

Gatekeeping as Part of Administration

What is the connection between gatekeeping and administration?  All gatekeepers are primarily administrators.  Guarding the gates of the group is just part of their role. However, it is the gatekeeping role of the administrator that impacts on us so noticeably whenever we try to get new programs adopted or new people accepted into a group.  When this is prevented by the gatekeeper, we become frustrated and notice what they are doing. This is how the term “gatekeeper” has become an expletive. If the gatekeeper allows new ideas or people into the group, we are often unaware of their presence.  When they prevent access, then they receive our attention.

Control of the gates to a group gives the gatekeeper a great deal of power regardless of differences in status or whether this power is legitimate or not, as is shown in the following example.

The Drama Group Leader

The minister of the small suburban church had never really got on with Betty, the leader of the drama group. Betty was passionate about this group which she saw as her way of serving God.  Betty was also strong-minded. She had her own ideas about how the drama group should be run, and what plays they should perform including the occasional short piece in the worship service. On this occasion it was to be a special Easter Service and the minister had a particular drama in mind that he wanted the group to perform.  He had put a lot of work into the Service and he wanted everything to contribute to the overall message. He knew quite a bit about the repertoire of the group, but he wanted them to put on a little play of his choosing which fitted in perfectly with the theme. Betty disagreed. The group had been working hard recently, and they didn’t have time or energy to rehearse a new play, however short. “Here we go again,” thought the minister. “I’m sick of this. Time to put my foot down.” So, he insisted that the play needed to reflect the theme of the worship and it should be his choice on this occasion. They parted grimly.

The day dawned for the special Easter service. The minister was quietly confident that all was going well. The songs were sung well and the prayers delivered clearly.  Then the drama group took their places at the front of the church and the play began. It was the drama group leader’s choice of play, not the minister’s. “OUTRAGEOUS!” he silently fumed to himself, but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. If he made too much fuss and tried to get her sacked from her position, the drama group would collapse, and people might leave the church. There was indeed nothing to be done.

The drama group leader was the gatekeeper to her group.  She had control over what the group did and didn’t perform.  This kind of gatekeeping behaviour really annoys clergy.

Why are gatekeepers so insistent on controlling the administration of the group?  There are reasons for this that relate to organisational systems theory.  Please don’t stop reading at this point! Organisational systems theory has much to teach us about the underlying reasons for gatekeeping behaviour which is the subject of the next blog.