Reader: Empathy over degrees
course) can come difficult-to-fulfill expectations: if we just get the right pastor our 20-year slide in (choose one: membership, attendance, giv- ing, youth participation—OK, you can choose more than one) will be reversed. We will again become the leviathan of our golden age (pick a decade) when the Sunday school was full, all the youth belonged to the Luther League, everyone was in church, the hymnal was red, stores were closed on Sunday, no one played soccer, T-shirts were underwear not fashion statements, acolytes wore hard-soled shoes, and there were so many women’s circles that after they went through all the good girls of the Bible they had to go back and start naming circles after Jezebel and Tamar and Gomer. Yeah, that’s when church was
church!
Similarly, some candidates for call believe their dream congregation is beckoning them. In fact, rostered leaders are encouraged to describe their desired ministry context when filling out the Rostered Leader Profile.
The RLP, an important component of the call process, is reviewed by synod staffs as they try to match can- didates with congregations. It’s help- ful for candidates to be clear about their desired context. It’s not helpful when candidates expect a congrega- tion to be the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. We all want a healthy congre- gation filled with hundreds of faithful people all trying to outdo one another in serving, dozens of Bible studies, a waiting line for the nursery, active in the community, filled with children and youth, with vibrant worship, and able to quote the confessions from memory. But it might be that the pastor and parish
need to grow into that together. Enter: The ‘yenta’ ...
Congregations seeking pastors, pas- tors seeking calls—how do they find each other? Enter the synod staff, the ecclesiastical yenta (matchmaker). We hope, believe and pray that the relationship between a rostered per- son and congregation is a match made in heaven.
The call process is really a time of discernment for the congregation and its call committee, the rostered person and the synod staff to see whom God would send to serve God’s people. Names aren’t pulled out of a hat, lots are not cast (though that worked pretty well for the 11 disciples), entrails aren’t consulted, neither is this merely a bureaucratic exercise. Congregations take great care in preparing their “ministry site pro- file”—trying to paint a picture of their life and ministry. Rostered leaders take equal care in preparing their pro- files. Bishops and synod staffs meet with congregations to ensure they understand their contexts and min- istry needs. Bishops and staffs know the candidates.
And the whole process is sur- rounded by prayer, asking the Spirit for guidance. Finally, candidates and congrega- tions begin to interview each other. This isn’t speed dating, this is a seri- ous courtship. Congregations can be extremely fastidious in this process. One Midwestern congregation went through 15 candidates before it found “the one.”
Call committees should ask searching questions about mission, ministry and theology. One member of a call committee west of the Mis- sissippi tried to formulate a question about sin. “What do you think about sin?” he asked, to which the candi- date replied, “I’m against it.” Now that’s a good answer—direct and to
the point.
Another call committee in a region where deer hunting is an important part of the cul- ture wanted a candidate to share his views on gun control and wildlife harvesting. Not your usual question, but important for their context. Candidates should also be
The most important skill/characteristic hoped in a pastor is empathy, as well as the ability to faithfully share the word and sacra- ments. While inspiring sermons are nice, they’re not essential. Friendliness, biblical insight and a willingness to treat all members with respect and concern are more important than profound scholarship or
advanced degrees. Ken Simila Faith Lutheran Church Keizer, Ore.
thorough when interviewing the call committee. What are the congrega- tion’s hopes and dreams? What is its vision for mission? How does it make the gospel known in its community? Where can it grow? A candidate should not, however, lead off with: “How many women of dating age are available in the congregation?” as happened in a congregation west of the Missouri.
God willing, candidate and con- gregation find each other and a call is extended. A new ministry is begun. This is also a time charged with pos- sibility, hope and renewal, and quite possibly a little anxiety. And it’s the beginning of a unique relationship. Rostered leaders are not “hired” by a congregation but are “called.” And call committees are not head hunters. Pastors model their ministry on the Good Shepherd and promise at their installation to “love, serve and pray for God’s people” (“Installation of a Pastor” from Evan- gelical Lutheran Worship Occasional Services for the Assembly). Jesus pointed out that hired hands run when faced with difficulty or danger (John
For a study guide, see page 26. July 2011 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52