We are experimenting with consensus building. How do we make a decision that affects everyone in a local church? Take a vote? Is it better to have a group of leaders make a decision for the whole group? Should the lead pastor decide and make the final decision?

Another possibility is to to decide as CONSENSUS. Does that sound slow and inefficient? It certainly can be. Does that seem emotionally trying? It certainly can be as we have described in Part 1.

So why bother? First there is a precedent in the Bible for this type of decision-making. Acts 6: The choosing of the Seven. Acts 15: The Jerusalem Council. 1 Corinthians 1:10. While some of the mechanics and practices related to the New Testament decision-making process are hidden from our eyes, to be sure, there was a very relational nature to the decision-making process.

Secondly, consensus decision-making helps us mature. It exposes our character faults, spiritual immaturity, and prayerlessness.

Despite the challenges we described in Building Consensus, Part 1, it has caused us to grow spiritually as individuals and relationally as a church. That being said, we also discovered that we are probably not ready to make decisions in full consensus yet. We will, however, be making decision RELATIONALLY. A decision that affects the whole family should involve the whole family.