Missionary Renegade: Lewis Center for Church Leadership from Wesley Theolgical Seminary of Washington, D.C., United States for Wednesday, 6 May 2015 "Commencement Season Lessons for All Leaders | Pastors Moving to New Churches Need the Right Start

Monday, June 8, 2015

Lewis Center for Church Leadership from Wesley Theolgical Seminary of Washington, D.C., United States for Wednesday, 6 May 2015 "Commencement Season Lessons for All Leaders | Pastors Moving to New Churches Need the Right Start | 50 Ways to Welcome a New Pastor"

Lewis Center for Church Leadership from Wesley Theolgical Seminary of Washington, D.C., United States for Wednesday, 6 May 2015 "Commencement Season Lessons for All Leaders | Pastors Moving to New Churches Need the Right Start | 50 Ways to Welcome a New Pastor"

A Report from the Director
"Commencement Season Lessons for All Leaders"
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Commencement messages gravitate between sublime reminders of the high calling and the practical guidance required to achieve effective church leadership.
Next Monday is Commencement for Wesley Theological Seminary of which the Lewis Center for Church Leadership is an integral part. Commencements are happy and glorious occasions. The location of Wesley’s commencement service at the Washington National Cathedral adds to the grandeur of the day.
But the spectacle of commencement soon gives way for seminary graduates to the daily routines of pastoral leadership. Perhaps that is the reason that commencement messages tend to gravitate back and forth between the sublime reminders of the high calling of ministry and the practical guidance required to achieve, or at least not sabotage, effective church leadership.
It is impossible to evade the tension between those common sense practices that make ministry possible and that deeply personal spiritual calling that sends people to seminary in the first place. My friend and former colleague, R. Kevin LaGree, captured both of these dimensions succinctly and well several years ago when, as dean, he addressed graduates of Candler School of Theology of Emory University at their diploma granting service. He offered the soon to be graduates these two exhortations.

“First, don’t do anything stupid. This bit of wisdom has served me well over the years, and I gladly pass it along to you. When you are tempted to let loose at someone who has deliberately irritated you; when you feel caught in the glass house of parish life; when you mope that your talents and gifts are ignored or even tamped down by the noncreative forces around you; whenever, in short, you are tempted to do some impulsive thing because it would feel so-o-o-o good to do it, remember this exhortation: don’t do anything stupid. I can testify that it has helped me every time I’ve remembered it, and that every time I have forgotten it, I have regretted not following it.
“Second, be the person God created you to be. You will continue to be pressed to be someone other than who you are. Your own ambition may tempt you to become what is popular at the time in order to hasten your rise to the top. Those with whom you work may seek to make you over into someone with whom they are more comfortable. In the dryness of your spiritual journey, the allure to have someone else’s spiritual experiences will be strong and tempting. Be the person you are created to be — that is the essential spiritual journey on which we all travel. In the mystery of God’s grace, the fullness of shalom depends on each of us being the person God created us to be, because, without our unique contribution, shalom cannot be complete.”These are two outstanding reminders for all who would be Christian leaders whether in church, home, workplace, or society.

Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., is director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. Check out Changes Congregations Are Facing Today, an e-book drawn from his series of articles on this subject.
"Pastors Moving to New Churches Need the Right Start"
Are you a pastor preparing to begin ministry in a new setting? With The Right Startvideo resource, you’ll learn how to end your current ministry well, develop a personal transition plan, and make the most of your first days, weeks, and months in your new congregation. The Right Start is available in both Pastor’s and Group Training Versions in DVD/CD and downloadable formats. Learn more.

Learn 50 Ways to Welcome a New Pastor
If a new pastor is in your congregation’s future, be sure to check out “50 Ways to Welcome a New Pastor,” prepared by Bob Crossman. This free resource shares how to say goodbye to your current pastor in a healthy way and offers helpful advice on how to welcome your new pastor.

Read and download this and other free “50 Ways” resources today.

How to Be Emotionally Intelligent for Leadership
Given the attention in recent years to the importance of emotional intelligence for effective leadership, you may want to check out “How to Be Emotionally Intelligent” by Daniel Goleman in the New York Times. Goleman says that qualities associated with emotional intelligence distinguish the best leaders, and he shares his short list of the competencies.

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