Go out into the world...

One of the difficulties in helping congregations do a better job of caring for their pastors is that there is no one to raise the issue. If the pastor raises the issue, it feels like s/he wants to be pampered or is whining. It feels as if the pastor is being self-serving when the Gospel s/he proclaims emphasizes that Jesus and his disciples came to serve rather than be served. We forget that the gospels make clear that there were those who focused their energies on caring for Jesus.

Most congregations are not averse to treating their staff well. They just don’t think about it. Unconsciously the congregation assumes the pastor will take care of himself or herself, and if they get broken, the congregation will simply find a replacement.

Most congregations recognize that the pain and discomfort of saying goodbye to one pastor, going through the process of finding another one, and then adjusting to that new pastor is an exhausting process. When you suggest to them that treating a pastor well may make for longer pastorates, they usually nod their heads in agreement. However, who initiates that conversation?

I want to suggest that the place for that conversation to begin is when the Committee on Ministry is educating the Pastoral Nominating Committee. As the committee moves to calling a pastor, the COM should guide the committee in designing a good plan for pastoral care. Actually, having a good plan can help make the call even more attractive.

So the question is, recognizing the demands of the pastorate and the resulting stress and strain on the pastor, how can the church make the position more humane? This is the objetive of this blog and the ToolBox that you will find at www.pastoralcarenetwork.org . It is also the focus of our national meeting beginning on October 26 in San Francisco. Go to the same website for details.

As part of Presbytery’s support of our pastor’s spiritual journey, we can build on Scripture’s declaration that each of us are graced with different gifts of the Spirit that are to be used for the up-building of the Body of Christ? (See 1 Corinthians 14:1ff) There is value in trying to discern the different spiritual gifts that exist among our clergy in any given presbytery?

Begin by simply asking each of the clergy to consider the spiritual gifts that they see among the other clergy. Let them speak publicly of particular gifts that they have seen in other colleagues. The conversation might take place at a retreat, with individuals placed in a “hot seat” so that others can focus on them. Publicly affirming the gifts of colleagues also nurtures their spirituality by recognizing how the Spirit has gifted them.

While it is not as personal, one could also take advantage of the internet to invite clergy to identify the gifts they see in different colleagues. Over time you could highlight each of the clergy and affirm their gifts.

Someone should keep a running list of the gifts affirmed in each individual. Then, having recognized some of the particular gifts that exist in our part of the body, the body can then strategize to enable those mentioned to exercise their gifts on behalf of the larger body.

One final suggestion might be finding room for some intentional humor in the midst of some of our denominational gatherings. The planned interjection of some humor in the midst of our deliberations might soften the tone as we seek what is best for the larger church. Most gatherings feel the pressure of time constraints but here is one possibility that might fit into an agenda with favorable benefits.

Have the people in the meeting cluster in small groups of not more than four or five participants right in the meeting place. Ask them to spend about 15-20 minutes recalling some of the funny experiences that each have experienced in the church. Having shared their stories, they are asked to pick out one to share with the entire group. This way everyone will get a chance to share, but without taking an enormous amount of time the whole group can experience some of the classic stories. An experience like this might help people transcend ideological divides and sense a new form of community.

The Westminster Confession begins with the question, “What is the chief end of man (humanity)?” Its classic answer as to the purpose of our humanity is to “glorify God and enjoy God forever.” Sometimes I fear that in attempting to do the first part, we fail to participate in the second part. The result is a fractured church that fails to glorify God as we should. “Have you heard the one about . . .”

Presbyteries have been through some very difficult times in recent years. The debate over sexuality is the most visible issue that has divided us one from the other, but there are lots of other pressures as well.

We know that Jesus said one of our most effective witnesses to the world is to demonstrate how we love each other in a manner reflective of how Jesus has loved us. A paraphrase of Jesus words is that the world will know that we are Jesus’ disciples if we love one another. If that is the criteria, how is it going within your presbytery?

As I have suggested in previous blogs, I think that laughter and humor can be an effective antidote to some of the relational poison that has been affecting us.

A simple suggestion that any presbytery leader or member of presbytery could take would be to have a lunch of humor. Invite several clergy to have lunch together. Make sure that there is theological diversity among the group. It would probably be possible to ask some cooks in a specific congregation to prepare the meal. That would surely be a gracious act that most congregations could accomplish if the group was of reasonable size.

The agenda, which should be announced ahead of time, is that each participant should bring their best religious joke or story and a humorous story that they have experienced in their own ministry. The leader should have a set of his or her own, but the objective is to get as many as possible to contribute.

Food and laughter can be healing contributors to any community. If a presbytery were able to arrange several of these lunches across the presbytery, my guess is that it would build better relationships that would help when the more difficult issues also need to be discussed.

As denominations attempt to change to meet the changing conditions of our society, a clear trend is to decentralize. In the Presbyterian Church that means the action moves further down the hierarchy. Our national offices are seriously downsizing in response to the reduced amount of funds available. At the same time, they are trying to send a message that they are focused on servicing the presbyteries and churches below. In some areas the work of synods has continued to play a role but in others areas their functions have become almost non-existent.

That brings us down to the presbyteries. Like many presbyteries, Salem Presbytey, where I am, has recently gone through a significant decentralization. As mentioned in earlier blogs, we have identified three neighborhoods of churches in three distinct areas of the presbytery. An important distinction in our effort is that we are also redirecting some of our funds towards those neighborhoods. In this first year we have set aside about $50,000 to be used in what is called “neighborhood initiatives.” Then, to increase the investment in this work, we have invited every clergy and DCE to make their own contribution of $100 to be used for neighborhood initiatives. This should add an additional 10 to 15 thousand to the fund. It also makes it a more personal project.

The idea is to encourage our connectionalism at the local level. If four or more churches come up with an idea for linked ministry, they can apply to their neighborhood for some of these funds. Those who were the commissioners to the last presbytery meeting, both lay and clergy, are asked for their approval of this project. Sixty percent of them must approve and then the funds are released. The projects can range from providing joint officer training within their churches to responding to the needs of the homeless in their area. Not only does this encourage the several local churches to work together but, because the other elders and clergy have to vote to approve the project, it keeps all of the churches in the neighborhood aware of what is going on. It will also be possible for the three neighborhoods to come up with a presbytery wide project that brings it all together.

Jesus used power but used it for the sake of others rather than to build himself up. In our society, money is power. The intention of this new direction is to empower the churches to work together for the sake of their common ministry. While decentralization is the trend, we want to do it in a way that does not sacrifice the value of our connectionalism.