Is "Accountability" a Dirty Word?

The small group coordinator was in the middle of his small group leader training and everything was going really well. He had shared how small groups are at the heart of a healthy and growing congregation and how they, as new small group leaders, would be instrumental in helping the people under their care grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Everything was going so smoothly during the orientation until...until the mention of a single word, a word that took some of the potential small group leaders by surprise. The word?

Accountability.

When this word was mentioned in relation to small group ministry, there was a noticeable shift in what had been a positive spirit throughout the meeting. As the small group coordinator tried to continue to talk about specific ways to help small groups incorporate and encourage accountability as disciples of Jesus Christ, one of the participants vocalized her objection.

"Wait a minute. Is that what these groups are supposed to be about? Accountability? I'm not going to be telling people how they're supposed to live their lives. That's their business, not mine."

The small group orientation never recovered from that point on. Even after a longer discussion about what was meant by small group accountability, just that one word, somehow shut down the whole process.

Accountability. What this small group coordinator experienced as a result of using this word is not unique. When clergy in our conference were told that it would be mandatory for us to be involved in a covenant group of accountability with other clergy that met on a regular basis, based on the responses of clergy, you would have thought we were being asked to schedule a root canal.

At it's best, Christian accountability is that process whereby followers of Jesus Christ gather together to share how they are living out or not living out their discipleship so that they can help one another to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. This process happens best when a small group has developed a trust level that encourages people to share at a vulnerable level.

One of the reasons we might react negatively to any talk about accountability is because in many ways, this process goes against the grain of our society. We live in a highly individualistic society in which we rarely have opportunities to engage in any type of communal mutual support.

One of the core values of the church is "intentional faith development" which includes personal as well as communal faith formation. Jesus had his twelve disciples and he also had his inner circle of Peter, James, and John. The early church in the Book of Acts met in homes for worship, teaching, and accountability.

The United Methodist Church would not exist today without the Wesley brothers reforming the 18th century Anglican Church from within by starting hundreds of Methodist societies/classes/bands to serve as groups of Christian accountability. In Wesley's day, the only way you could be a "Methodist" was to be regularly involved in a small group that was led by one of Wesley's trained leaders. These small groups always included a time for each member of the group to share how they had been faithful or unfaithful to Christ over the past week since they had last met together.

Actually, the word, "Methodist," was used as a derogatory label by critics of Wesley to describe his methodical approach to Christian discipleship.

During this Season of Lent in which we give particular attention to having a growing personal relationship with Jesus Christ, what group of trusted Christians is helping you to stay accountable in your faith? If you are part of such a group, you are very blessed. If you don't have such a group, I'm sure there is one that God is leading you to join.

When I next meet with my small group, I'm going to thank them for being that group for me.

Accountability is not a dirty word.