When you put your opinions into a
blog, you can expect some critique. Occasionally,
a reader will suggest that my ideas about the work of ministry are too business
or market-oriented and leave out the spiritual or pastoral concerns about being
a minister. Guess what? This is the same conversation that is going on
among lay leaders, seminary professors, denominational leaders, and clergy in
many forums today.
In an address to new theological
faculty last year, Daniel Aleshire, who is executive director of the
Association of Theological Schools,
provided not only an overview of the history of American theological
education but also discussed an emerging model of ministry based on being
humanly authentic and how theological educators might address it.
Aleshire cited a quote from Henri
Nouwen where the Catholic priest and writer argued that “The minister is the
one who can make this search for authenticity possible, not by standing to the
side as a neutral screen or impartial observer, but as an articulate witness to
Christ, who puts his [sic] own search at the disposal of others.”
In reflecting on this statement, Aleshire
points out that this idea “has been critiqued as overly therapeutic—especially
the image of the ‘wounded healer’—and as a model of ministry that does not
serve the entrepreneurial leadership needed by struggling churches.” He rejects this thinking and suggests that “this
image of ministry may have been ahead of its time.”
Although I embrace the idea of
entrepreneurial leadership, I agree with Aleshire for several reasons.
First, if the pastor or minister
is a leader (and I believe that one should be), then the current emphasis on
relational as opposed to positional leadership impacts his or her role. Earlier generations might not have always
agreed with or accepted their pastor, but there was usually some level of
respect due to the position that the person held, especially if that position
was filled by judicatory appointment. Today, real leadership is earned by one’s
involvement, commitment, and investment in the group being led. Such a leader is immersed in the action and
not a bystander.
Second, although we talk in
family systems theory about the minister being a “non-anxious presence” this
does not mean that he or she is simply an observer. Once a pastor enters into the system, he or
she is a part of that system, both responding to and influencing the
system. The “non-anxious presence” idea
is meant to communicate some level of impartiality, but every pastor knows that
she or he has a stake in every conflict, decision, and relationship in the
congregation. He or she is a participant
and should own that role.
Third, the greatest gift that any
minister can provide to the people of God is authenticity. As someone said, “You can’s fake
authenticity.” I was impressed by the
comments by Amy Butler, recently called as pastor of Riverside Church in New
York City, who commented in an interview, “I think traditionally people
have expected clergy to be the ones that have all of the answers. Here’s the
truth: nobody has all of the answers.”
Just because one does not have all the answers, does not mean that they
are not a person of faith. The minister
can be an example of that fact.
Fourth, one of the greatest resources that a minister has is
his or her own story. The struggles that
we have faced, the failures and well as successes, are part of who we are as
human beings and believers. By owning
those experiences, we can share more completely in the lives of our church
members.
Part of the mission statement of Central Baptist Theological
Seminary is to form women and men “who are biblically knowledgeable,
theologically articulate, spiritually healthy, humanly sensitive, and
professionally competent.” Only one who
embraces his or her own wounded humanity can really be “humanly sensitive.” We need that in our ministers.
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