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What Does the Future of Church Leadership Look Like?--Possibilities


In previous posts, we have looked at the context in which future clergy leaders will serve, one in which resources may be more limited, but there are options for those who are open to them. There are still churches with strong traditions on which to build.  The challenge is that they may no longer have full-time pastors.  We have also looked at the people who are training for pastoral roles in churches and realize that their numbers are declining.  We have also seen that these ministers in training bring specific gifts to ministry—some with strong life experiences and some with a focused approach to ministry. 

 

Here are some possibilities for the future.

 

Large congregations that are stable and have adequate resources will continue to seek out pastoral leaders with Master of Divinity degrees as a minimum expectation but will most likely search for a Doctor of Ministry or Ph.D. graduate (or equivalent).  More will be open to women in these leadership roles.

 

Denominations could adopt the mindset that “we aren't replacing the Master of Divinity with lay leaders or those with specialized degrees; we are augmenting it. If we insist that every small or specialized community of faith must have a full-time, M.Div.-credentialed leader to be 'valid,' we are essentially deciding that those communities don't have a future.” Here’s where the Master of Divinity trained leader comes in.

 

Those who have chosen the Master of Divinity route might take on a generalist rather than a specialist mindset.  In so doing, they can supervise, mentor, and coach those who are trained in a specific field like counseling, community development, or bi-vocational ministry.  They can also support lay leaders.  Those who have come to ministry from a mid-career calling with both hard and soft people skills are particularly equipped to serve in this role.  This type of leadership could be exercised in a single congregation or over a “field of churches” (such as Methodist multipoint charge).

 

A word about bivocational (or multivocational) ministry.  This approach to ministry has been around for years, although some are just discovering it for the first time.  Many who have been called to ministry work in other vocations as well.  Some employment may be complementary to ministry in fields such as chaplaincy, counseling, for not-for-profit work. A seminary friend terms this “conjunctive ministry.”  Some work in what we consider “secular” roles—education, business, building crafts.  In so doing, they have found a way to provide a living for themselves and their families while pursuing their calling as church leaders. Many who have been full-time ministers may need to consider reinventing themselves as bivocational ministers.

 

Another source of leadership is promoting from within or, to put it another way, acknowledge those people in a congregation who have a passion for ministry and put them on staff as either volunteer or paid ministry leaders.   The person who loves small group leadership, youth ministry, or children’s ministry can be called and equipped (or perhaps paid) to lead such a ministry in the church.  This will require a pastor or staff lead who is an equipper.  It will also require just-in-time learning.

 

This is where partnerships between the church, the denominations, the theological schools, clergy coaches, and church consultants come in.  For example, as seminaries introduce Master of Arts degree with certain specialties, they are also developing certificate programs, online learning, and workshops to bring full-time clergy, part-time ministry leaders, and lay leaders in the congregation up to speed on effective ministry practices.  Organizations like Pinnacle Leadership Associates provided continuing education for pastors including coach training.  These various entities must be seen as collaborators rather than competitors to serve churches and their leaders.

 

In Isaiah 43:19, the prophet writes, 

 

“See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.” (NIV)

 

The church has survived and prospered for over two thousand years because of women and men who have listened to the Holy Spirit, found a new way forward, and pursued it.

We have the same opportunity today.  What we choose is not second best, but most appropriate to our context.  If we are faithful, God will bless our efforts.

 

 

 

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