Networks?

Leading up to the Congress and flowing out of the Congress the formation and building of networks provides the infrastructure for growth. Why networks?

There have been dramatic changes in organizational culture over the last 30 years.   The rapidity of information flow has democratized decision-making, and meant that hierarchical organizations with linear authority have ceased to be as competitive as the formal or informal networks of small specialist organizations with similar goals and value systems.

Movements are developed through cell-like structures linked together, each with high levels of commitment to their individual task in their context, yet linked to the central goal of the movement.  The movement gives the integration, and added momentum, but the interlinked networks give the free-wheeling dynamics at the coal-face.  Usually the networks pre-exist the larger movement, which harnesses existing values and dynamics.  The value added by the movement is what has come to be known as synergism,  the creativity and motivation and new ideas that comes from putting similar people and organizations into interaction with each other.

Some central structure is needed for any movement.  Of necessity it must be simple, minimal, yet formalized, and a servant structure to the individual goals of the component networks.   It must have enough resources to develop the communications large enough to integrate the networks. 

Generally it will have three levels of Leadership - the Leadership team,  a broader working team made up of the leaders of the networks, and a council of legitimizing leaders, a "bishops council" that has minimal responsibility but do act as advisors, and givers of blessing from the formal church structures.  The latter tend to become involved once the grass roots movement is already initiated.  Such people may have a high profile at public events or as statesmen.