Congratulations to the 2012 GRACE Award recipient Albert Kwabi.

Albert is an M.Div. student with a concentration in Christian Education Formation. An international student from Ghana, Albert plans on completing his course of study by writing a thesis on theological education in Ghana. The GRACE Award is given to the student pursuing the M.Div./C.E. concentration who shows the most promise of exemplary contribution to the profession of the pastoral educator.

by Israel Galindo

A colleague invited some of us to a discussion on the phenomenon of BFST orthodoxy. This is the tendency we’ve seen among some “Bowenians” to guard the orthodoxy of the theory. At times it manifests itself as:

* A focus on the exclusively “correct” use of terms, concepts, and vocabulary
* The creation of a list of verbotem words, phrases, or references
* A dismissal of certain concepts that are considered “outside” the original theory’s schema
* The identification of “camps” (e.g., Bowen vs. Friedman) and the self-identification with the original conceptualizer with an accompanying dismissal of those not deemed disciples of direct succession.
* The manifestation of the affects of hubris and exclusivity.

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At a recent conference on congregational leadership I was again struck by how the level of energy (anxiety?) in the room increased when the topic focused on change. This is natural, of course, since one of the critical functions of the leader in any system is bring about positive change on several levels. In fact, it is likely that the new leader in any system will enter with a mandate to make changes in the system–notwithstanding that any attempts of consequence to do so on the part of the leader will likely meet with resistence if not outright sabotage.

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I’ve been developing a presentation on practical leadership tactics from a systems perspectives. I’m calling it “Systems Ju-jitsu.” You can read a series of blog entries on the topic on the Perspectives on Congregational Leadership blog.

A new series titled “Systems Ju-jitsu” begins today at the Perspectives on Congregational Leadership blog: http://perspectivesig.blogspot.com/2010/05/systems-ju-jitsu-part-1.html

GRACE member Israel Galindo reflects on three things an organization needs in order to be “great”. Read his toughts at the Perspectives on Congregational Leadership blog site.

Visit the Perspectives on Congregational Leadership blog for two ideas on bringing about organizational change.

Some thoughts on the necessity of interpreting emotional triangles within the context of the emotional field at the Perspectives on Congregational Leadership blog.

A question from one of my students in the systems theory class results in a new insight for leaders from the Dog Whisperer.

Brian Gumm offers a well-written review and critique of The Hidden Lives of Congregations.