Barnabas File

  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. (Isaiah 43:19, NIV)   In previous posts, we considered context, calling, and possibilities for church leadership in the future.  I am convinced that the Spirit of God is always at work among God’s people, providing ways forward that will allow the church’s mission to flourish.  In this post, I suggest five key issues for the church today, shifts in thinking from our current ways of dealing with them to new strategies, and leadership skills need to make the shift.  You may find my suggestions unsettling, even controversial, but please give them some thought.   First, a shift in theological training and the leadership roles of clergy.  With a decline in the number of seminary students who are seeking the Master of Divinity degree and the increase in ...

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 ...

In 2017, 68 percent of the 156 congregations affiliated with the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ had no full-time clergy.     Darren Morgan, the associate conference minister said , “They recognize their reality that they can’t afford a full-time pastor, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to have a ministry. . ..     The leadership within those churches is strong. They say, ‘We’re not going to be a weak church. We’ll be a strong, small church.’” Whether a church has always had a biprofessional minister or is shifting from full-time to part-time, members should consider some guidelines for helping to make their pastor successful so that the church can thrive under his or her leadership. First, there should be a clear understanding about time commitment.  The church and the pastor should clearly state boundaries including when the pastor is available for calls, how much time the pastor will be “on the field,” and time off for h...

Our churches and the environment in which they minister is changing.  The theological institutions that were created to serve the churches are not only aware of this but are seeking to be relevant in the situation. I write about this as a person with contacts in theological education.  I serve as an adjunct instructor for a seminary, read reports and articles from the Association of Theological Schools, and talk regularly both with pastors and with theological educators.  Writing as one who has his nose under the tent, I suggest that theological schools provide several services in the future if they intend to survive and prosper. 1.  Preparing ministers for parish and congregational ministry.  Churches will continue to seek seminary-trained clergy and look to established institutions to provide them.  In addition to learning skills in preaching, biblical interpretation, teaching, and pastoral care, prospective ministers will also need to learn ...

When I served as collegiate minister, I tried to get to know as many freshmen students as possible.  When leaders come and go as they do on a college campus, you are always looking for the next generation of leaders. Whether a minister is working with volunteer, part-time, or full-time people, she or he needs to have the same mindset. Although turnover happens less frequently in a congregation, leaders come and go more often than we would like.  Volunteers are those lay leaders who form the core of every church’s ministry.  They teach Bible study for adults, youth, and children, work with preschoolers, lead in worship, provide maintenance and administrative support, and perform vital ministries both within and outside the walls of the church.  Ministers need to identify, cultivate, and encourage these lay leaders. Often in churches today, a gifted lay leader shows the potential to become a part-time staff member in a specialized area such as music, a...

Bivocational or biprofessional ministry has always been part of Christian ministry.  The idea of serving as a minister while earning a primary or secondary income is nothing new, but the concept has been more common in some eras than others.  With the declining revenues in many churches and denominations, some are asking such questions as, “Can the church andminister afford each other?” Biprofessionalism is one alternative that many churches consider.  Those ministers who are biprofessionalism understand both the positive and negative aspects of the practice.  A new paradigm requires new ways of thinking.  One challenge is helping the church to transition to the idea that the pastor can longer give his or her full-time to the congregation.  On the other hand, the trend provides opportunities for lay leaders to reclaim significant ministries in the life of the congregation.  This is the topic I want to address. Lay leaders may be asked to ...