Christian Townson Lottie Moon SLOC Paper 3.28.26.pdf
LISTENING GUIDE
Lottie Moon’s Adaptive Communication for Strategic Leadership & Organizational Change
Christian Townson | Evangelical Theological Society Southwest Region
Thesis
Lottie Moon adapted her communication across nearly three decades to illustrate strategic leadership principles and strive to drive organizational change in the SBC and FMB’s missionary deployment strategy, using Iorg’s framework as the analytical backdrop.
Biblical Rationale
Three scriptural models undergird this study: Moses & Jethro (Exodus 18); Deborah & Barak (Judges 4–5); Paul (1 Corinthians 9:19–23)
Key principle: Strategic leadership in Scripture emphasizes faithfulness, adaptability, and God-directed action.
Theoretical Framework
| Theorist | Core Contribution |
|---|---|
| Kotter | Change through urgency, vision, and mobilization |
| Heifetz | Adaptive leadership for complex, value-based challenges |
| Bolsinger | Leading “off the map” through loss, learning, and perseverance |
Case Study: Moon’s Adaptive Communication Mapped to Iorg’s Six Stages of Change
| Iorg Stage | Moon’s Communication Strategy | FMB Annual Report # |
|---|---|---|
| Direction from God | Reorientation Back to the Mission | 29th |
| Leader Initiative | Influencing SBC Leaders to Action | 33rd & 42nd |
| Follower Participation | Mobilizing Buy-In | 42nd & 29th |
| Dependence on God’s Intervention | Trusting the Process | 57th |
| Messy & Difficult Change | Exposing & Enduring Opposition | 44th & 45th |
| Change Glorifies God | Celebrating the Success of the Strategy | 39th, 56th, & 57th |
Application for Christian Leadership
Key takeaways from this presentation: