Q&A: Martin Deacon

For him, crisis means opportunity. Martin Deacon of Call2All has faith in benefits of tough times.

BY JONATHAN LERNER

Martin Deacon, vice president for global mobilization of Call2All, an international ministry, thinks today’s economic slump just might be the best thing that ever happened to churches and their outreach efforts. Born in South Africa in 1968 and educated at the University of Johannesburg and the Dallas Theological Seminary – where he earned an M.A. at the age of 21 – Deacon is considered an innovator and efficiency expert at this kind of work.

“Churches and organizations with long histories,” he says, often tend “to protect the clan, and not to first and foremost pursue the mission and vision. Being viable or having modest growth was often rewarded, and a complacency and reliance on established core competencies and constituents were natural. Leaders that initiated organizational change often faced opposition, and change was often rejected.” But, he observes, “The current financial crisis is forcing everyone to rethink models, costs, programs and personnel.”

In the past, Deacon has promoted faith-based events and “train the trainer” programs all over the world for groups including Walk Thru the Bible, Purpose Driven, Equip (Christian Research Institute) and the Silver Ring Thing. Rejuvenate caught up with him as he was attending the Pacific Call2All Congress in Kona, Hawaii, in late July.

How has the economic downturn affected faith organizations?
Faith-based organizations are particularly slow to change in stable and good times, as changing programs and adopting new technology causes a change in how many people we need as well as the skill sets they need to employ. As the financial crisis came, change had to be reluctantly enforced as a way to survive. So the last 18 months have been in many ways a very traumatic time for organizations. But there is a big silver lining in the storm and I do believe that after the turmoil, organizations will emerge with a lot better focus and much better business models. And the good news for those in the hospitality, venue and conference industry is that faith-based organizations and churches will, by their very nature, continue to meet.

What kinds of changes has the situation forced groups to make?
Unproductive programs, meetings and staff probably – and hopefully – did not survive the downturn, and leaders will emerge with a team that feels wanted and has been empowered to succeed. Much of the middle management in organizations has left,
leaving the remaining junior staff with decision-making responsibilities that they are implementing themselves. A lot of leadership development is happening as people learn new skills, as they add the workload of others to their own job descriptions, and as they outsource non-core activities.

I have also seen, with a lot of relief, that most people that were affected by downsizing have been able to find new opportunities often better suited for their gifts than in the organization they worked in previously. To work in an organization that has too much capacity or redundant programs creates an environment for internal politicking versus outward productivity.

How has the current economy affected your group’s mission?
We are a new organization so we are growing. Most of our staff are missionaries that raise their own support. I called three new leaders to join me in Call2All in January, and they are funded by monthly supporters who believe in them and the vision.

Our organization has a vision to have at least 40 congresses, to reach 100,000 leaders globally. Our meetings are designed for interaction, networking and then for those who attend to make significant commitments towards the mission of Call2All.

Call2All started as a collaborative venture of major missions organizations to share a platform and mobilize leaders together. Mark Anderson, the president of Call2All, had a vision for our first global congress to be in Asia, and over 3,000 leaders from 101 countries attended the event. The event was only finally decided on in December and promoted from January onwards. We mobilized all our networks and did not rely on traditional marketing strategies.

Speaking of non-traditional marketing, what roles do technology and the Internet play in your “universal” call?
What’s interesting is how many of us are investigating telepresence technology as a new option to use in communicating, training, meeting and consulting.

You have to communicate constantly through your database. We sent out daily emails for over two months. A DVD with the vision articulated well in five minutes was key for us. We have a media site where our constituents can upload their videos related to the themes of our mission statements. People want to contribute, not just receive.

How does a Call2All event differ from other, faith-based conferences?
It attracts action-oriented leaders that are motivated by the challenge of practitioners to adopt new best practices to reach the least, the last and the lost. At least 40 percent of the time is spent in round-table discussions, and time for reflection is given.

It is very experiential, with maps of the globe the size of Olympic swimming pools that are walked and prayed on during the conference.

Each session calls for very specific commitments that on the final day are collected as forms, and then are returned with solemn intents to pursue previously unthinkable goals.

What practical decisions helped make this event a success?
The congress was affordable – $149. We used the Expo center adjacent to the Hong Kong airport. The local Chinese hosts paid for the venue, and this was a true partnership in making it affordable for our constituents. It also meant that our Chinese hosts had ownership for mobilization and in the presentations. More than 800 leaders from the Chinese mainland attended. It was probably the biggest gathering of mainland Christian leaders coming together outside the mainland.

The event caught people’s imagination, but so did the cost to stay over for five days in what is traditionally an expensive city. We were also able to negotiate $32 per night per person sharing rooms in 5-star hotels – something the current economic environment and bulk commitments made possible.

What expectations do attendees bring with them?
They do not want a talking-head conference with one famous speaker after another who disjointedly preach one message after another, or promote their own agendas. They appreciate the intentional structure and collaboration of the presenters who work together on a cohesive strategy. People seek collaboration and best practices and want to network with others. The venue, program and setting all contribute to this.

Traditionally, the faithful have been adamant about their annual get-togethers, meeting with other churches within their denomination or their country. Is this changing with the global nature of organizations like yours?
Leaders want global exposure. We had more leaders from the U.S. attend our congress in Hong Kong than attended our regional meting in Dayton in January.

Are there any other special challenges involved in global meetings?
English is accessible for many, but we did have translation from the front in Mandarin, and with headsets in languages like Korean.

What is the age makeup of Call2All?
We are delighted that it is multigenerational. Although young people made almost half of our global congress, our regional congresses are created for the needs of established leaders.

What plans do you have for future meetings?
We want follow up with local chapters meeting in cities and we want to implement telepresence technology to globally meet, train and network.

We are launching Call2All “next generation” in New Zealand in January, and plan for 3,000-plus to meet, camp out and have very different prayer and worship expressions in 24/7 meetings during the congress.

I am currently working on getting mission teams to come to South Africa on 10-day outreaches during the Soccer World Cup.

What other advice do you have for faith-based planners?
You cannot assume traditional loyalty. You have to rethink, reposition and promote a dream that will meet the needs of people that attend and equip them to make a difference in line with your mission statement. Traditional marketing strategies are not enough. Viral marketing through networkers who have a vested interest in the success of the event is crucial.

The younger, next-generation leaders want experiential, authentic environments that challenge them in and beyond the event. They want in on the planning, presentation and future implications and adventures related to the event. We always must leverage the momentum out there for our organizational goals.