Healing Toxic Church Cultures with Scot McKnight

After the release of their groundbreaking book, A Church Called Tov, which recorded the stories of abuse and toxic church cultures at some of the most prominent churches in the United States, New Testament scholar and blogger for Christianity Today Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer heard from a flood of people who had experienced similar instances of abuse. After all they’ve seen and heard, they still believe it’s possible for church cultures to be transformed from toxic to tov-from oppressive to good.
In Pivot, Scot and Laura help churches to implement practices,establish priorities, and cultivate the Kingdom Gospel-centered qualities that form goodness cultures. Readers will find answers to the four most common questions people have about culture transformation:
How can I transform the culture in my church or organization to make it tov?
I believe my workplace has unhealthy values. How do I initiate change?
How do I unleash a culture of goodness in my ministry?
I’m not in a position of church leadership. What are some red flags that indicate a toxic culture, and what can I do if I see them?
Pivot also includes the following practical features:
The “Tov tool,” a survey to help you discern your organization’s culture and to promote spiritual conversations
A “getting to work” section at the end of each chapter with questions and next steps for application
Transformation is never easy. But for the sake of the next generation, we must do it.
Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham) is a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor, and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese. He is the author of The Jesus Creed, The Blue Parakeet, The King Jesus Gospel, Revelation for the Rest of Us, numerous commentaries, and is now writing a sixteen-volume series of reflections called The Everyday Bible Study.

[@adamslaura768]

I’m a 61 year old deconstructer. I was a women’s Bible study leader. Longtime faithful congregant and was utterly failed by my so called leaders. I don’t trust them Anymore I have missed terribly the “gathering” but still gather with two or more… I think whatever “church” has become, it only vaguely represents Christ…

[@robinwadsworth9775]

Love how my podcasts are merging with each other! Just listened to Bema “Donkeys and Rabbis” which talks about how Jesus interpreted Torah through the lens of loving others. So much of how the church has functioned is through an interpretive lens of obedience instead of love for others. So many “rules” are just church culture, not Jesus. Thank you Kyle for diving into these topics!

[@takakomolgard8747]

Wow This episode is amazing… No one articulated this well. Thank you. I though struggling a lot with this knowledge and feeling powerlessness. Jesus help us.

[@gretajohnson6503]

Courage to listen can't be top down. WOW ! I truly look forward to change and to be part of this!

[@robinwadsworth9775]

Yes! Memorial!!

[@TaliaSmile]

Thank you very much for this interview which brought balm to my heart. I thought I was going crazy! I live in Europe and I share your points of view. This is so relevant and full of wisdom! Merci beaucoup ! God bless you.

[@BruceTum]

Thank you very much Kyle for arranging this amazing and deep conversation with Scot Mcknight! You did a fantastic job by asking those deep questions and it resonates with him. I thought this episode should spread even farther or gone viral. I really pray that different roles in the church leadership can watch this and work towards the TOV culture. For a start, how can we get the evangelists, teachers and elders, to work closely together. Can they even agree on any stumbling culture that has been built up? I pray for this day to come sooner.

[@smdeal]

Thanks Kyle, really good discussion. The stuff about 7 years was very interesting. I believe the discussion about idolotry plays a huge role in the generational problem. Each generation has its own cultural idols and these idols dictate how we attempt to get our value and signigance through performance. Since our idenity is rooted in these idols we are not very objective about them and we are defensive when they are threatened. The Gospel is the key as it tells us that our value and signifigance is not achieved but rather recieved on the basis of what Christ has accomplish (Ephesians 2). He did what no genration could ever do! Keeping our eyes on this I believe is the key in coming together. Thanks again.

[@Torracat]

My observation is that you have about 10 years before you will have too "renovate" again. I'm concerned that this discussion is based on changing the church into something we will only have to fight again against in a decade. It seems that the way we think about human organization is all wrong. American religion searches for, rules, permanence and certainty rather than a simple walk with God encountering life as God reveals it.