How can a congregation support their pastor in being a leader? You’ve heard the usual introduction of a pastoral search committee when they present a new pastor for a congregation. “We’ve worked extremely hard and prayed even harder. We are convinced that the Holy Spirit has led us to present to you Reverend ???? to be the spiritual leader for our congregation.”
The credentials are presented, the congregation votes, and the pastor comes to the congregation. S/he receives a warm reception. But what is the subliminal message that many congregations send to their newly arrived pastor. Without being too cynical, is it not something like this:
“We invite you to bring God’s Word to us and lead us into the future to which God calls us.
“However, there are a couple of exceptions:
1. Don’t offend our biggest givers or any of our long time revered members.
2. No word preached, action taken, or personal behavior by you should disturb our barely conscious but nonetheless firmly held traditions.
3. In short, lead us into a glorious future without disturbing our sinful present.”
You could add others. In fact I would like you to share some of them with me. But the basic message is be a manager who makes us all feel comfortable while changing the world around us so that they will be attracted to us the way we are.
The challenge of effective leadership in our contemporary church is not going to be easy. It will require sacrifice and the ability to trust God even when the answers are not clear. I recently heard a Jewish Midrash about the children of Israel as they came to the Red Sea. The waters churned in frightful chaos even as the Egyptian Army bore down upon them from behind. Everyone looked to Moses concerning what to do but Moses wasn’t sure what to do either. Finally one Israelite, lets call him Benjamin, decided that if God wanted them to cross the Red Sea, then someone had to begin, so he stepped into the water. As he walked, the water began to rise around him, first to his knees, then his waist, and finally to his shoulders. As it reached his shoulders, God finally spoke to Moses and told him to stretch out his staff. It was then that the waters parted and the children of Israel were able to pass through.
The church needs some Benjamin s who are willing to act on faith even though they are not sure what is going to happen and some Moses’ who will stretch out the staff on God’s command.
