Communication

1. The committee observed that communication or the lack of it, affected all other critical operations

(a) Drawbacks to Communication

These were seen as:

i.  Lack of money;

ii.    Lack of trust among workers;

iii.   Non dissemination of information and decisions of Executive by Superintendents to pastors and pastors to congregations;

iv. Lack of follow-through by the head office on decisions made, i.e. General Executive> Head Office> District Superintendent> Pastors> Congregations.

v. Lack of specific time frames and schedules for the implementation of decisions.

(b)Principles of Communication

i. Responsibility needs to be given for a particular task;
ii Accountability should be required for the enactment of it;
iii Follow through was essential for the task’s fulfillment.

(c) Methods of Communication

i. The committee agreed that the cost of communication may be made more economical by the wise use of technology, i.e. by fax and e-mail, before telephone and postal service.

ii. Steps should be taken to develop the International Office as the Communications Center of the fellowship, by ensuring that adequate tools of communication are available. These include internet capability, e-mail, fax and printing facilities.

iii. Methods of communication also include operations personnel. The Facilitator emphasized the need to identify clearly, an operations person who would be responsible for communication. (The Administrative Officer was so identified). Such a person would need to be supported by personnel who were adequately trained. He remonstrated that one of the ten commandments of communication was “If you cant change the people, change the people.”