The Old Way Is Best ??

What happens when “fried” chicken is no longer as profitable as “grilled”?

If you were in the fried chicken business, would you keep selling fried because that was your business model, or would you make the move to grilled?

There is a related issue that has to do with business ethics. IF you were the major fried chicken seller in the country, and you knew fried chicken was contributing to the over-all poor health of your countrymen, would you try to effect change in their diets, or would you continue to insist on fried chicken because, after all, that’s what everybody wants and that’s where the money has always been?

These are not hypothetical issues, and they DO have to do with the Church.

Kentucky Fried Chicken has been the leading seller of fried fowl for decades. But fried chicken has twice the calories per piece and two to three times the amount of fat. Since 2008, KFC has been marketing grilled chicken and I have to tell you, it’s good! I’ll never go back to fried.

But I digress.

Some KFC franchise owners are suing corporate because corporate is focusing more on grilled chicken. Despite the fact that this move has only increased sales, the franchise owners are upset because corporate made the move without consulting them, and they see the move as not being true to their heritage – the sign says Kentucky FRIED Chicken after all.

The exact figures are in a recent Washington Post article by Ylan Mui and reading it I thought: “how foolish and petty.” It would be a little different if sales were down because of the change (but only a little), but when they are the same, or up, why would you gripe? Especially when you know that this change in product presentation (it’s still chicken after all) is good for the future of your business!

What happens when churches implement important decisions that are unpopular, and when members have strong feelings opposing the change? Should leaders press ahead anyway? If yes, isn’t this running roughshod over the church, “lording” it over them as scripture forbids (Luke 22:25-26)?

Perhaps . . . but perhaps not.

For ages in this country (and still in some parts), black Christians and white deliberately worshiped separately. There was nothing right about this. We excused it sometimes as being about “culture” and “comfort.” But it wasn’t. It was about race and segregation and prejudice, and ignorance and mindless, stupid unfounded hatred. The right thing to do was to integrate the churches.

But how? That was really the issue. Some did it poorly. Some didn’t do it at all. But slowly, it happened anyway. And slowly is probably the way.

But slow doesn’t mean “put it off.”

KFC has made some critical errors in leadership, but these have to do with the way change has been effected – not the change itself. All this takes us back to the issue we’ve been discussing: how leadership effects change. Next week, I will have some suggestions as to how we can lead in important matters, when those who follow are likely to be resistant.