Those in the pioneering camp are the outgoing and adventurous lot who are willing to take risks for the Kingdom of God, and those in the settler camp are those stable, down-to-earth folks who maintain and fortify the home front.

I've always liked this analogy because it is such a good description of the general makeup of practically most any church you will find anywhere on the planet.

Conflicting Priorities
While personality, gifting, calling, culture, and other traits will have an effect which of these two categories we will generally gravitate towards, the single most important item to how we will function within our specific calling, is our personal maturity in Christ.

So the question is; what is the best structure and order for the church to best accommodate this maturing work in Christ?  If a pastor, or majority of folks, is given to being pioneers or settlers, the overall structure and government of the fellowship will focus on that camp's personality and vision. I have seen and participated in both camps.

Pioneers will proclaim: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." Matthew 28:19-20

The settlers will banner: "Building of itself in love...." 1Peter 2:5, Ephesians 4:16

It is for these reasons of differing goals, and values, that people sometimes experience a clash in visions.

Camp Visions
I recently had the opportunity to meet with the district leadership of our denomination and one of the things we discussed was church structure and different governing philosophies.  Two drawings were referred to as we discussed governing philosophies.  The first drawing looks like a whirlpool of water where everything within its circumference eventually swirls around and goes "down the drain." The second drawing comes from a book by Jamie Buckingham that depicts a mother bird sitting on her nest, without a bottom to it.

The first drawing depicts a problem of entropy and a slow but certain internal degradation.  The second drawing depicts a problem of lacking personal loving care and maintenance.  Neither of these attitudes in the church will solely foster positive long lasting effects, and both will have great difficulty with consistently producing healthy, mature Christians.

It is interesting to note that neither drawing suggests a specific solution for itself, or the other drawing's problem.  One unhealthy situation cannot fix another, and by their very nature, the camps will conflict.

No Obvious Solution
We might have the tendency to think that the solution to overcome the two camps’ weaknesses is to get together, work things out, and create a well-balanced healthy place to grow and reach out in Christ.  I wish it were that simple.  For some reason, this does not seem to work.  The problem goes deeper than this, as the solution does as well.  While people have written many books on the subject of church growth, may I offer just three things to consider:

Leadership, Church Government, and Personal Maturity

1. We must be equipped.
"He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelist, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ…" (Ephesians 4:11-16)

The church's leadership has the responsibility to create and cultivate a healthy spiritual environment that will facilitate and accommodate healthy Christian fellowship and personal growth.  Being equipped also supports and fortifies items two and three.

2. We must have unity.
"Be of one heart and of one mind" (1 Corinthians 1:10, 11:17-19)

The fellowship's government and operating structure is vitally important. It is not so much that we should try to operate with two existing camps of pioneers and settlers.  The church should try to operate as one; but this is easier said than done. However, this is where item three comes in.

3. We must grow up.
"Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the nature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13)

The common denominator that addresses that frictional tendency between the pioneers and the settlers is our personal maturity in Christ. Each individual must see and embrace the value the other brings, not only to the local church fellowship, but also the Body of Christ as a whole. This will be a heart-testing stretch for each of the two camps. It will take real Christian maturity to succeed at it, and we will not accomplish the task without His love, grace, mercy, truth, strength and forgiveness.

Each camp must correct their own heart and shortcomings first, then fully embrace the calling and gifts of the other. While folks will always have their specific gifts and tendencies of doing things that will lead them towards one of the two camps, this is normal; but the vision should be to pursue each aspect fully... as one camp, not two. Mature Christians in Christ can do this.  Moreover, they should be able from time to time, to jump over and dwell in the other camp’s vision and purpose when necessary, to accomplish a certain seasonal goal for the fellowship.

Redrawn
Lets revise the two drawings.  Instead of an inward spiraling whirlpool, lets clear the debris that is both shallow and deep, and allow the waters to flow freely to take us somewhere.

Let us also see a complete, safe and sound nest, full of growing maturing baby chicks just about ready to fly, as loving parents care for them.

The Biblical Marriage
Similar to the Biblical marriage where God successfully brings together two very different people in their gender and personality, into a wonderful, fulfilling, lifelong experience, as they grow up and submit to His ways and His will; God's people can come together as well, in His Holy matrimony.

The church, like a marriage, will be what we strive to make it, "for better, or for worse".

"I'm speaking of Christ and the church..." (Ephesians 5:22-33)

"The goal in marriage is not to think alike, but to think together." - C. Dodds

Take Special Note
Having fellowship, praying, reading our Bibles, growing up, evangelizing, having quality relationships and marriages, maturing in Christ, are all good and necessary things to do, but these things are not the goal.

Maturity In Christ Is...
”.... being about our Father's business.”  (Luke 2:49)

Our ultimate goal is doing the will of our Heavenly Father.  We will always have our personality and personal interests to reckon with.  Maturity will figure out how to properly fit and function with the rest of the Body of Christ, especially in the local assembly.

Jesus understood this - at 12 years old. (Luke 2:49)

Lord, may we have the strength and grace, to model Your example.

Amen.