What dynamics did you observe?
I can see first that there is a lack of openness and honesty about where the church is, and a lack of vision for where this faith community is headed. It seems as though the Congregation was not clear with the size of the church in their information packet when he visited, and it also seems like the church does not have an open and honest budgeting process in which members can clearly see how the work of the church is being paid for.
There also seems to be a deep sense of anxiety within some of the members that the faith community might not be viable in the future in terms of either finances or membership. Everyone seems to be reacting by trying to find solutions on their own instead of engaging in a group process to find answers.
I also see people jockeying to exert influence over a new minister.
What other information would you want?
I would want to know the specifics about the financial health of the church. I would also like to know more specifics about the membership of the church including an honest accounting of the number of members, and whether the racial, ethnic and socio-economic mix of the congregation is reflective of the community it is located in.
What would be your next steps?
I think I would want to get a clearer picture of the situation the church is facing at present, then start to engage the congregation in a process to determine what they want their faith community to look like in the future.