The early church was growing rapidly, and disorder naturally resulted. As we look at that situation, maybe we can learn something from contemporary spokesmen in the field of organizational behavior.

A new theory of leadership is emerging  called chaos theory. In the past, managers and leaders of organizations have assumed that organizational events can always be controlled and ordered. Leaders usually like things to be organized, hence the term organization. But chaos theory recognizes that events  are rarely controlled and suggests that systems (organizations) naturally go to more complexity. As they do so, these systems become more volatile (or susceptible to cataclysmic events) and must expend more energy to maintain that complexity. As organizations expend more energy, they seek more structure to maintain stability. This is what was occurring in the early days of the church.

In the book Leadership and the New Science, Margaret Wheatley writes that most organizations attempt to avoid chaos at all costs by controlling and planning for every occasion. As a result they become mechanistic and “managed by bureaucracy, governed by policies and laws, filled with people who do what they’re told, who surrender their freedom to leaders and sit passively waiting for instructions.” These organizations “crave efficiency and obedience.” They rely “on standard operating procedures for every situation, even when chaos erupts” (p. 169).

But Wheatley says in the “real world” chaos, not order, is the norm in organizations. The real world demands “that we learn to cope with chaos and that we adapt strategies and behaviors that lead to order not more chaos” (p. 169). Leaders who can cope with chaos are what she calls “adaptive leaders.”

PREFERRING ORDER
For those of us in church leadership who prefer order over chaos, this week’s lesson text from Acts might trouble us. The apostles, who were men of God, were not prepared for the growth of the church and the resulting chaos. Didn’t they have a strategic plan like all good church leaders should? Shouldn’t they have been able to foresee problems and prevent them?

In reading Acts we see that many of the problems in the early church came from unpredictable and chaotic circumstances. Yet the apostles were adaptive leaders who recognized the problem, reacted quickly, found a suitable solution, and delegated responsibility. The result? The ministry of the church became more efficient and the gospel spread.

THE CHALLENGE—AND POTENTIAL—OF CHAOS
The lesson for us: we should not be surprised if chaos sometimes emerges in our churches, colleges, and ministries. God may be a God of order, but our world is spinning out of control. Chaos is a constant state; chaos is neither abnormal nor rare. Chaos requires adaptive ministers, elders, college administrators, and church members who are willing to react quickly to perform ministry more effectively.

Chaos means revolutionary as well as incremental changes may lie on the route to organizational success. (Adding deacons was a revolutionary change to the structure of the church, but it was needed.) As conditions rapidly change, it may be necessary to adapt by making enormous changes quickly.

Chaos also means we should not cling to or insist on predictability. Our God is not predictable, and we should welcome the exhilaration of the unpredictable.

Chaos also presents us with opportunities. If handled correctly chaotic situations can actually make our ministries stronger and more effective. New ideas and strategies can emerge forcing us to think differently about our ministries.

Chaos also means organizational success can come from contradiction as well as consistency. What we often desire from our leaders is consistency, but sometimes the best thing a leader can do is go in the opposite direction he or she was headed, when unforeseen events occur.

Alan Greenspan’s new book is entitled The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World. From Acts 6 we see that the world has always been turbulent and the need for adaptive leaders like the apostles is great.

* All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, unless otherwise indicated.