To the Members of the American Church in Paris,
From the American Church in Paris’ 2024-2025 Council
8 April 2025
Dear Members of ACP,
We informed you on 3 January 2025 that we had engaged LeaderWise -- para-church nonprofit consultancy -- to advise, guide, and support our congregation, lay leaders, and senior pastoral staff in their efforts to improve internal communications, governance, and working relations. LeaderWise was tasked with a three-phase project (detailed in acparis.org/lw-plan-timeline) of identifying issues, facilitating dialogue, providing training in constructive dialogue, and proposing trust-building initiatives.
Thank you to all who generously shared their time and input to help LeaderWise consultants Mary Kay and emilie complete Phase 1 of the project, with the objectives of assessing ACP’s strengths and struggles as a community of faith, uncovering the layers of contentious issues or dysfunction in the system, and making pointed recommendations for moving toward health. Phase 1, carried out from January to March 2025. encompassed six main activities: 1) listening sessions with ACP members, staff, and AFCU members, 2) review and analysis of hundreds of pages of our history and Council minutes, 3) meetings with ACP’s Council and Executive Committee, 4) a three-hour History Gathering Event, 5) countless emails and exchanges, and a week-long visit to ACP, and 6) delivering a Phase One Analysis Report.
Phase 1 Analysis Report – Structure and Content
View the Phase 1 Analysis Report here
The structure of the report is as follows:
• Background. A brief ACP history, role of the consultants, the process, and the report.
• Strengths of ACP. The Sunday Worshipping Community, Authentic Diversity, Unity in Christ, A Sanctuary Located in the Heart of Paris, Commitment to our community, and Resilience.
• Consultants’ Observations. What they heard related to significant ACP events (shifting demographics, staff departures, the welcome and inclusion statement,...)
• Themes. As defined by LeaderWise, Themes are stories, information, or data we heard at least three times in our 1:1 Listening Sessions and/or at the congregational History Event, or in one of the many documents we’ve reviewed, and included the following: anxiety, wounds, culture, leadership and governance, and words from the congregation.
• Recommendations. 14 recommendations were highlighted by LeaderWise, presented in the order they believe the recommendations should be implemented. Some recommendations are for the Executive Committee, some for Council, and some for the congregation as a whole.
• Conclusion. Words of encouragement. The foundation is there.
Phase 1 Analysis Report – A Reflection from ACP’s 2024-25 Council
When Mary Kay and emilie were with us at our March Council meeting, we took the time to read out loud, word by word, their report. It was an emotional experience for many of us, hearing what perhaps we already knew deep in our hearts about our beloved church, but also hearing, maybe for the first time, an outside perspective of both the strengths and struggles we have been internalizing over weeks, months and multiple years.
After reading through the report, we took the time to clarify, ask questions, and begin reflection on our next steps. A number of us commented on how impressive it was to see how quickly Mary Kay and emilie were able to really get to the core of ACP; they were able to identify and define our strengths, recurring themes, and areas for improvement. The overall feeling in the room was similar to what was experienced by many after the History Gathering Event, one of hope, determination, faith in God and love for our church. At the same time, there was also some anxiety in the room, as the recommendations require thoughtful implementation and willing servant leaders to move them forward.
As Mary Kay and emilie mention in their report, “Systems can’t make forward progress when distrust is prevalent.” This is a crucial first step and one of the reasons why each phase with LeaderWise has intentional work to rebuild trust within the Executive Committee and within Council. As Council, we are elected church members, a manifestation of the system itself. It is crucial for us to re-learn how to talk to each other, disagree with each other, make decisions together with love and guidance, and work towards rebuilding trust to make our system healthy. The road might feel long, but we are taking steps each and every day towards growth and healing, so Council leads by example and reflects the best of ACP.
Phase 2 and Next Steps
Following analysis of the Phase 1 report, the Congregational meeting on 30 March, and prayerful discernment, the Council has voted to move forward with Phase 2.
It should be noted that while the recommendations in the report are not directly related to the Phase 2 activities with LeaderWise, there is flexibility in the contract to modify parts of Phase 2 in order to better address LeaderWise’s recommendations from Phase 1. The Executive Committee is currently discussing with LeaderWise what modifications to the contract (as an example, modified objectives or participants to the constructive dialogue workshop) to better address some of the recommendations in the report.
Moving forward, the contractual work and liaison with LeaderWise for Phase 2 and 3 will continue to be managed by the Executive Committee. Council recommends establishing a Task Force (of current and previous Council and committee members) with a leader or point persons for each of the recommendations. This task force will define priorities, timelines, action plans, and congregational activities which will lead us towards rebuilding trust and healing our system as a whole. Some recommendations may need a few weeks to implement, others months, and some may be a continuous process in our new way of being. This will be the work of the Task Force over the coming weeks and months.
Council has just begun to discuss their analysis and recommendations and, as a congregation, we want to hear from you. A number of Council members will be available to hear your input this Sunday after both worship services, 13 April.
Words of Hope
In the end, consultants, like coaches or a therapist, cannot make a team or community change or assume the responsibility of fixing unhealthy habits. They can provide professional analysis, pinpoint areas that need attention, highlight strengths, and provide tools and training for a community to heal, if they so choose. LeaderWise told us they often ask congregations questions like:
“What are you willing to do to see positive change happen here and how committed are you to be part of the change? What are you willing to do?”
Questions like this reveal how much “stomach” the congregation has for change, and remind us that just as everyone plays a part in any system’s dysfunction, and so everyone also has a responsibility to do their part to make it healthy again.
John 5: 2 Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay many ill, blind, lame, and paralyzed people. 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The ill man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am making my way someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.
Romans 5: …because we know that even troubles produce endurance, 4 endurance produces character, and character produces hope. 5 This hope doesn’t put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
On behalf of Council and with hope in Christ,
Kay Enchill and Paul Rock
