Faith Works 10-9-21

Faith Works 10-9-21
Jeff Gill

Who builds, who maintains, who operates
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Last week I noted the 50th anniversary of a national, even global institution, Walt Disney World.

On his Instagram feed, the legendary designer Joe Rohde noted that in general most 50 year milestones are about legacy and nostalgia, looking backwards and celebrating "the good old days." He's delighted to note that "Walt Disney World is a vital epicenter of ongoing creative development." While few entertainment venues have stability across that long a stretch of time, let alone prosperity and growth, they've found ways to manage both continuity and change.

So let's just say I'm intrigued, as a pastor and preacher. Disney isn't preaching the gospel, but when it comes to organizational management and attracting audiences, like Paul I'm willing to at least look into being all things to all people.

Rohde later posted, after the TV celebration, about another name that appeared on the program less well known than the colorful designer is: Dick Nunis. Nunis looks like a conservative, careful manager, and by all accounts was one through his long career; Rohde tells a story you can look up yourself if you want about how the iconoclast and the traditionalist came together, to give a little on what their personal preferences would choose to find the best in each other's viewpoint, and make something happen between them better than either would have done on their own . . . and Joe is careful to explain that left on their own, neither might have done much of anything new at all. They needed each other.

Does that sound like a lesson local churches and larger faith-based organizations could learn from?

There's also a story hinted at in the highlights I can only note briefly in this context, about how the original contractor as Walt Disney World was being built stated at a key point that they would not be able to meet deadlines, and brother Roy Disney, who took over after Walt's death in 1966, brought on board two guys named Joe. Joe Fowler had been an admiral, and Joe Potter had been a general; Potter was in charge of preparing the land for building and doing the political negotiations for the property purchase and governance, and Joe Fowler was in charge of actual construction on the property, something he'd already done for Disneyland.

The story of the two Joes goes back into skill sets polished in the crucible of World War II and significant public service, and continues into their commitment to the vision of the Disney brothers. But here's the message I take away for a variety of other faith community or youth service or any public spirited contexts: neither Joe assumed that by building or managing the construction of the facility which would become the Magic Kingdom they had an automatic say, or veto, or presumed direct input as to the programming of the attraction. To each their own, if you will. They built it, and they deserve perhaps even more credit than they've gotten (hence this column), but they didn't then insist on picking the color of the castle towers or the number of buttons on Mickey's pants or how many hippos would spout on "Jungle Cruise."

And that other more recent Joe, designer Rohde, knew he needed to convince the man responsible for making everything work in his day, Mr. Nunis, that his crazy ideas for an Animal Kingdom could add to the message and the meaning and the reach of Walt Disney World, and not be "just another zoo." The creative side has an obligation to consider the maintenance issues, and the upkeep folk should give some latitude to the designers and innovators. Or as Joe Rohde said in thankfulness for Dick Nunis, "Nothing is done alone… you are never alone in what you seek to do." He's not being spiritual here, not exactly, but when he praises "alliances, partnerships, teams, patrons… relationships" in accomplishing a big vision, I think you inevitably are tapping into something that's not just interpersonal.

Church life can be dominated by individuals, or a particular perspective shared by a few individuals. We only build a vessel for the treasure entrusted us in God's Good News that will endure, and allow us to carry this treasure as far into the future as we might, when we invite broad and diverse perspectives to share and learn and grow in tension with each other. The Property Committee can't have a veto over Christian Education, and the Worship team can't tell the Trustees what to do: but we all almost certainly have a part of God's vision that no one group can assemble without the others.

Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he's fascinated by functioning institutional structures. Tell him about something boring you're intrigued by at knapsack77@gmail.com, or follow @Knapsack on Twitter.