FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024 - MANAGEMENT AND SCRIPTURE

 FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024 - MANAGEMENT AND SCRIPTURE

Yesterday, I presented W. Edwards Deming’s Quality Principles. Today, I add three people who were employed by Christian organizations and who got fired. Then, I look at scriptures relating to management.

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Person 1 is Paula Stone Williams. Paula was formerly “Paul Williams” - a highly regarded pastor and leader of a thriving church planting program (that is, a program to start new churches). When Paula told her group that she was transgender, she was fired almost immediately. Look at: “8 Drive out fear”. There seemed to be a fear that somehow a transgender woman was going to taint the work done on the team. Number 9 also might apply - Break down barriers between staff areas. It seems like her organization wanted to build barriers and reinforce fears (about transgender people)

Person 2 is Karen Freeman, a nurse and manager at a nursing home. She, too, was fired without notice. I don’t know the specifics, but it seems like communication and training weren’t followed. I found Karen caring and a great person to work with seniors. The nursing home is a service outreach of a Christian denomination.  

Person 3 is Linda McWhorter, a pastor at Hope United. It seems like one person didn’t like Linda's sermons, and boom, she is out of the job with no due diligence or understanding. Where is the love? Love your neighbor, love your brother or sister.

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Hmmm - LOVE WINS - and LOVE WINS is a doctrine for all - but especially for Christians. What did firing the individual do to improve love in the world? How did firing the individual demonstrate God’s Mercy and Grace?  

We enjoy singing “They’ll know we are Christians by our love” - but we don’t practice it.

1 John 2:9-11

9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going because the darkness has blinded them.

And 1 John 4:7-11

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. 9 This is how d showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

C’mon, Christian organizations!!! C’mon, forgive and use good management skills (in my opinion, Dr. Deming’s work).  

Institute training on the job.

Adopt and institute leadership.

Drive out fear.

Break down barriers between staff areas.

Remove barriers that rob people of pride in workmanship, and eliminate the annual rating or merit system.

Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement for everyone.

To be salt and light to the world, we need to demonstrate love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.  

It seems that the organizations behind firing these individuals didn’t follow the blueprint of the first-century rabbi they claim to believe in!

LOVE WINS

LOVE NEEDS TO BE FULLY PRACTICED BY THOSE WHO CLAIM IT AS PART OF THEIR MISSION.

LOVE TRANSFORMS PEOPLE AND CAN TRANSFORM COMPANIES.

Karen Anne White, © April 18-19, 2024