Long range planning and the church

This article examines the incongruence of long range planning within a traditional religious organization, analyses the performance of a typical work-unit and describes the difficulties encountered in regaining a clear grasp of the purpose of the institution and an accurate and objective evaluation of its task performance within its present context. The second half of the article outlines the performance and management of an alternative, functional work unit for the church and highlights the dynamics of change from traditional to functional with particular reference to the role of the organization analyst, or analytic group, as a functional change agent.