Charity Ah Loo
MGMT 3304
July 28, 2014
Written Assignment #2 – p. 98 Discussion Question #9
What important perspectives regarding organizational culture can we learn from Acts
15:1-29 (The Council at Jerusalem)?
In Acts 15:1-29, the Church is addressing a change to its organizational culture that
occurred with the outreach ministry to the Gentiles. The question at hand for the Council at
Jerusalem was, “Should the Gentiles be forced into circumcision in accordance with the law of
Moses?” In the process of answering that question, we are able to analyze the Church’s
organizational culture. This scenario offers insightful perspective on organizational culture in
terms of the Church’s decision making process, alignment with the organizations beliefs and
values, and the communication of decisions.
First, we see that there was a decision making process in place to answer questions of
theology in the new and growing Christian Church. The church in Antioch could not come to an
agreement on requiring the Gentiles to be circumcised. This issue needed to be taken to a higher
decision making authority. As such, the church in Antioch asked Paul and Barnabas to take the
matter before the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. These men were the “senior managers” of the
greater Church as an organization. When presented with the issue, these leaders decided to
convene a council to discuss the matter with the final decision to be made by consensus.
Throughout the council discussion, the group would review the issue of circumcision in
light of the organizations beliefs and values. Was requiring circumcision in alignment with what
they believed? In verse 11, the apostle Peter discusses salvation through grace as an important
value in their decision. “But we believe that we [Jews] will be saved through the grace of the
Lord Jesus, just as they [Gentiles] will.” In the end, the group came to agree that as equals in the
blessing of salvation through grace, the Gentiles should not be required to be circumcised.
Charity Ah Loo
MGMT 3304
July 28, 2014
Once the consensus was made, the council determined how best to communicate their
decision. It wasn’t enough to simply send a letter to Antioch. To ensure the message was clear
and well received the council sent Silas and Barsabbas with Paul and Barnabas to deliver the
letter as well as “tell you [the church at Antioch] the same things by word of mouth” (v27).
Often, important decisions need to be communicated in multiple methods to guarantee the
message is clearly received.
The Council of Jerusalem offers insight into the organizational culture of the growing
Christian Church as they enter this new area of ministry to the Gentiles. Theological issues
brought before the apostles and elders in Jerusalem provides insight into how, in those days,
theological decisions were made, aligned with their shared beliefs and values, and communicated
to ensure clear understanding .