DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE CHURCH LEARNING FROM OTHER ORGANISATIONS

This essay is concerned with how the Church can learn from the world of management and organizational change as it develops structures of accountability. Since the aim of the Peter and Paul Seminar is to assist the Church in the ongoing work of reform and reunion, with a practical orientation, lessons learned from other organisations can provide opportunities for receptive learning, which can be appropriately applied to the task of ecclesial reform. The first section of the paper provides a definition of accountability and explores the mechanisms of accountability in large organisations, paying attention to how defence mechanisms can be deployed to frustrate efforts at reform. The second part of the paper will provide a theological rationale for engaging with the insights and experience provided by the culture of accountability in these organizational settings.