Over the years certain ways of doing things become habitual, pile up, and finally seem like unchangeable rules. Unless people take time to rethink them, these ways become mindless or rigid in any organization and in individuals' personal lives. Anyone facing years of piled-up, self-imposed rules, and unrefreshed ways of doing things will be familiar with what I'm talking about.
For church members, this tendency takes on an added importance, no matter what denomination they are a part of. After serving on committees, praying together and individually, dealing with church repairs or other crises, people learn a lot about themselves and their fellow members. Probably members of any organization have had to deal with these situations. I just happen to have had a lot of experience at being a church member.
With any organization that people belong to for years, the membership gradually accepts certain ideas about the way things should be done. Some of these ways have gone unquestioned simply because of their longevity. While some rules may have been established by the founders of an organization, others grow up out of custom and habit. For example, the Church of Christ, Scientist, is governed by a slim book called the Manual of The Mother Church. These rules never change. But individual branch Churches of Christ, Scientist, have their own rules and customs. Many of them will continue to be useful for years, while others probably will need to be adjusted as conditions change.
