Today I flew Southwest.
Not the direction, the airline.
I’ve flown Southwest Airlines many times before. When I lived in Chicagoland, they were the cheapest and most accessible airline for my travel needs. But that was over a decade ago.
When I lived in the Quad Cities, Allegiant was my airline of choice. But in Florida, my preference changed based more on destination. I flew Allegiant to the Midwest, Breeze to Raleigh, and JetBlue to Costa Rica.
Now, living in Charlotte, American Airlines rules the skies. Nevertheless, I was able to snag a Southwest itinerary to Chicago for the weekend, eager to see how much impact the company’s new policies had on the overall experience.
Historically, Southwest has been the fun airline! Inexpensive with great customer service–a unique combination. The flight attendants are often telling jokes, and choosing your own seat upon boarding meant very few uncomfortable middle seats. These, plus two free checked bags per person made it a really great experience to fly. But a few months ago, Southwest changed its baggage and seating policies; the very things they were known for!
So what was the impact?
Surprisingly, almost nothing. Not for me, at least.
I rarely check bags, so there was no issue with that change. And my seat assignments were great on both flights, in the front half of the plane and with extra legroom in the exit row. The flight attendants were just as funny as always. The snacks were tasty. Both flights were smooth and easy with no delays.
Policies changed, but the culture didn’t.
In fact, the culture of Southwest has continued to be a topic of positive conversation despite the policy changes. Just last week when Spirit airlines abruptly closed, a Spirit pilot who was scheduled to fly his final flight the following day was recognized by Southwest for his accomplishment. He was just a passenger with Southwest, but received applause as he walked off the flight and into his retirement.
I hope Spirit also gave him his flowers. If they did, that headline didn’t come across my news or TikTok apps. But that isn’t the culture Spirit was known for.
Two companies with similar policies and vastly different cultures. One survived, the other didn’t. (I’m sure the decision was made because of money–as most business decisions are–but we cannot deny that culture plays a huge role in profitability, too. It’s much easier to fight for an organization when there is a healthy culture to protect.)
I see this in churches often. Pastors and leaders in every denomination are sworn to uphold its policies; but each of those pastors creates a different culture in his or her church. This is why you could walk into two different churches of the same affiliation, in the same city even, and have such varying experiences. This is why some churches thrive and others close, even with the exact same beliefs. It’s not because of theology; it’s because of people.
Policies don’t decide culture, people do.
When someone attends or leaves a church, it’s rarely because of policies. It’s usually more about culture, which is a product of people.
And in the times it is about policy, I would argue it’s still about people. Because when leaders don’t make policies clear–especially when church leaders don’t teach their congregations what they actually believe–everyone loses. The leaders, who are then lying to the flock God has entrusted them to shepherd, lose. The church members, who become part of an organization without knowing what they truly believe, lose. The community, those who expect and seek support from the church, loses.
Those losses are easily preventable with policies. Clear policies, which is a result of culture, which is created by the people in charge.
If you are a pastor, be clear about what you believe and why. Be consistent with this message. Unless the answer is, “the awe and mystery of God’s vast, abundant, unimaginable love” or “the peace of God that goes beyond our understanding” all other policies and beliefs should be clear and definable. You answer to a higher authority than shareholders or investors; be honest and clear.
If you are part of a church, ask your pastor direct questions about what your church believes. If he or she cannot give you a clear answer, leave. The main reason someone wouldn’t answer a question clearly is because they are ashamed the answer won’t be suitable to the audience. Pastors should not be ashamed about what they believe. And audience suitability isn’t a good foundation for a belief system. So if they can’t give you a clear answer, know that the culture won’t be clear either, and policies won’t be equally clear or upheld.
Today I flew Southwest airlines. They continued to maintain a great culture through policy changes, because they are clear on what they believe.
Let’s be clear on what we believe.
