In Tom Ehrich’s Column mentioned yesterday, after describing the challenge of being a pastor, he describes a type of leadership that he thinks offers potential for churches in the future. He suggests that in the past some have suggested that in return for hard work, pastors should be offered tenure like that offered university professors. In theory, this would provide them the protection that could result in their freedom to proclaim the gospel even when it stepped on a few toes in the process. Actually the proclamation of the full gospel would challenge any congregation right down to the toes of all the members. Ehrich recognizes that the theory of tenure does not hold up in most congregations. ” . . . clergy who dare to proclaim the full gospel and its tranformative implications and who manage institutions to meet changing conditions feel under constant threat.” The statistics of pastors being fired from congregations offer ample evidence of that reality.
Of course not all terminations of relationships is because the pastor was a fearless proclaimer of the gospel. Sometimes the relationship with the congregation is just a bad marriage. Relationships are critical and sometimes the chemistry just does not mix. At other times, one has to admit that it is a case of clergy incompetence or sheer laziness. All that being recognized, we still have to recognize a built in tension between what the gospel requires and our ability to hear it.
The image that Ehrich offers, drawn from the marketplace is that of the entrepreneur. Most clergy are adverse to comparing their position to a business entrepreneur, but on closer examination the image has possibilities. As Ehrich describes it, “Typically, an entrepreneur owns the enterprise, is invested in its success, has freedom to innovate, accepts accountability, expects rewards and is driven by opportunity and challenge, not by safety or fear of failure.” What I would suggest is that that is the type of leadership that church boards should support and encourage if they want their church to be vital.
In tomorrow’s blog, I will look further at what that would look like.
