Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Fostering the Courage to Lead by David McAllister-WilsonDavid McAllister-Wilson, president of Wesley Theological Seminary, sees courage as essential to church leadership. He explains how courage is formed not through study or proclamation, but within groups where people care about one another and are committed to a common mission.
Courage is an essential virtue necessary for faithful leadership. Think of the courage it takes to walk into the room of someone who is dying, to evangelize the unchurched, or just to stand up every Sunday morning to speak. But what about the courage it takes to preach the unpopular word? Or the courage to intervene with the alcoholic father of one of the kids in the youth group? Or what about the courage it takes a congregation to speak in the public square about issues like racism and economic injustice, immigration, prison reform, or the health care system?
The bonds that form in human community are key to the formation of courage among those who covenant with each other as they pursue a common mission.
It takes courage to change. It takes courage to risk. And so courage is essential for leadership. As C. S. Lewis said, “Courage isn’t simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”It might seem that courage simply comes with wisdom. If we read and discuss Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail or Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship, we will absorb the lesson. But while wisdom is knowing the difference between the way things are now and the way things will be in the Kingdom of God, courage is the ability to move from one to the other.
Courage and empathy
In What Makes a Hero? The Surprising Science of Selflessness, Elizabeth Svoboda surveys what we know. She finds “heroism and altruism are hues in a single broad spectrum of generosity,” meaning the issue is how we become more generous of our time, our talent, our treasure, and our lives. It’s probably not surprising that heroes are made, not born, and that role models are important. Her most important finding is that courage is developed in groups who develop empathy for each other.
I have learned a lot about this from Wesley Seminary’s contact with the military, especially the military chaplains in a specialized Doctor of Ministry program. General James “Hoss” Cartwright is a retired four-star Marine general who serves on the Wesley Seminary Board. Cartwright lectures in my leadership class for the chaplains. He talks about how the military trains for bravery. He says, “I can scare you into the reflex to follow orders.” That was how it used to be done. But now the process is very different. The training is designed around not letting your peer group down. Cartwright says that in basic training you learn you can’t get through on your own, so you feel what he calls “peer pressure.” It sounds to me like loyalty, even love.
The application of Christian theology to this research on courage seems obvious. The military chaplains speak of esprit de corps, which contains the word spirit. Their basic training is called the crucible, a word which has its origin in crux, a lamp hung before a devotional cross. And, of course, the very word courage is rooted in the original Latin word for heart. And the key to the formation of courage is the bonds that form in human community among those who covenant with each other as they pursue a common mission.
Disciples are formed in community
We may think the key is what we say from the pulpit or lectern, or what we write in the Pastor’s Corner in the newsletter or on the website. But in my experience, the quality of the stewardship Sunday sermon has very little to do with the ultimate generosity of the congregation. By the way, the same can be said for brilliant lectures as well as prophetic sermons. Our proclamations are important, but the formation of a disciple has more to do with building relationships and community and how that work is connected to our shared mission and vision. This involves coaching, mentoring, reminding, encouraging, and holding accountable.
Disciples are formed in community. We do this work through ongoing, everyday encounters — through fellowship and fundraising events, church meetings, casual conversations in the narthex and fellowship hall, hospital visits, crisis interventions, weddings, and funerals. The real holy conversations happen on the trellis of relationships built over years at the seminary, in the congregation, and among the clergy. Courage comes from this kind of eye-to-eye coaching and team building with others.
A stained-glass window in Wesley Seminary’s chapel displays this verse of scripture: “Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13 RSVCE) During the August 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, I scanned news reports anxiously, concerned for the safety of our students and alumni participating peacefully in the counter protest. I was proud of them. But ultimately, it will take more courageous congregations and more courageous pastors to make real change in something as deep as racism. It takes courage to change ourselves, let alone confront evil in our communities.
The article is adapted from David McAllister-Wilson’s book A New Church and A New Seminary: Theological Education Is the Solution (Abingdon Press, 2018). Used by permission. The book is available at Cokesbury and Amazon.
Related Resources:
- Martin Luther King Jr.’s 4 Key Principles of Prophetic Witness by Tony Hunt
- Leadership Lived: Clementa Pinckney and Open Doors by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
5 Key Practices for Connecting with Your ContextMark Gornick and Maria Liu Wong have been working to understand new practices of ministry that are emerging in vital and diverse urban settings. They have discerned five important themes and practices in how good, sustainable, and flourishing ministry occurs in cities, and in other settings as well.
Practices of Ministry in the City is an initiative at City Seminary of New York engaged in gathering and sharing stories, data, and practices that support and encourage the church in our urban age. As we listen to the visions and desires of our city’s Christian community, especially churches, pastors, and leaders from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, we are seeking to understand the underlying practices that sustain and guide urban ministries.
After reviewing the data across all of our conversations, we discerned from them a template of important themes and practices for how good, sustainable, and flourishing ministry in the city occurs. There is no single pathway of ministry in an ever-changing city. But there are approaches and processes that make a difference.
The work of innovation, creativity, and risk-taking most commonly starts with small steps that grow into bigger and unexpected ones. We may be looking one way, but God is looking backward, forward, and to the present into our lives and experiences.
1. Begin with what is in front of you.
Ministry in the city begins with what is right in front of us, perhaps right under our feet or just out of the way, and it unfolds in ways that fit into the context. Look around, pray, think, share this journey with others, wait on the Spirit, try to see afresh what is right in from of you, and take the time that is needed.Because no two settings, neighborhoods, or cities are alike, the gospel takes shape in the local context. Whatever city or neighborhood you are in, beauty and ministry, the energies of the Spirit, and the city go together. When the work that is done fits the context, it will come from within, not from without.
2. Relationships come first.
Starting a new church, creating affordable housing, feeding the poor, training youth pastors, advocating for a cause, addressing legal issues that face refugees and immigrants — these are some of the very concrete needs that ministry seeks to address. But if there is one theme we have heard over and over, it is that the heart of ministry is not solving a large societal problem or launching a new church, however significant those are, but being attentive to and valuing relationships. This is especially true when we see cities as complexly interconnected relationships, cultures, networks, and institutions. The theologian and educator Ruth Padilla DeBorst emphasizes relationships formed in listening, learning, and giving testimony to the impact of people and their presence in community.
Relationships place a priority and a premium on time, people, building community, and patience. Programs, staff, and planning each have an important place in ministry in the city, but relationships are the foundation and the key to longevity and sustainability. This is true in work of all professions, community development in the neighborhood, and pastoral leadership at all levels.
3. Community matters.
Ministry in the city is not just what we do as individuals but what we accomplish as part of communities. In the context of the city, our local pockets of community support us and remind us of what is important. Our community can be our family, a small group, our worshiping congregation. For pastors and church workers, community can be a support system of peers that helps sustain us in healthy and thriving ministry. Community is the context for forgiveness, for vulnerability, and for unpacking our experiences. Community is integral to establishing resilience in ministry.
4. Try new things, take risks.
Ministry in the city is about trying new things, taking risks, making mistakes, finding new ways of doing things through continual learning. For if the practice of ministry begins with waiting on God, it is also about being ready when the Spirit moves, and the time is right for acting. The work of innovation, creativity, and risk-taking most commonly starts with small steps that grow into bigger and unexpected ones. We may be looking one way, but God is looking backward, forward, and to the present into our lives and experiences.
Of course, while trying something new and risky can be exciting, we are always going to make mistakes and are ever faced with the possibility of what seems like failure. But experience and experts show us that reflecting on and learning from failure are the processes by which new knowledge and practice are developed. And in the reign of God, we can’t always see how God is connecting the pieces of our stories. Our lives, churches, and ministries belong to God.
5. Who you are is significant.
The final lesson we have heard is that it’s not just the plans or designs for ministry that we come up with that matter: who you are as leaders is what matters most. Self-awareness, the interior life of the believer, recognition that we can’t do anything without God, gratitude, humility, patience, commitment, the willingness to forgive, transparency, and other areas of personal character are critical to living fully into one’s vocation and calling. Who we are in Christ and how we are attending to our journey matter profoundly to ministry in the city.
This article is adapted from Stay in the City: How Christian Faith is Flourishing in an Urban World (William B. Eerdmans, 2017) by Mark R. Gornik and Maria Liu Wong. Used by permission. The book is available at Cokebury and Amazon.
Related Resources:
- Staying Attuned to Your Community by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
- Your Community is Your Congregation by Joe Daniels
- Organizing a Missional COMMUNITY by Doug Powe And Hal Knight
Read more.
The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
A congregation wanting to reach younger more diverse people found these questions helpful.
The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
A congregation wanting to reach younger more diverse people found these questions helpful.
- If your congregation were successful in the coming year in reaching people younger than the current congregation, who might these younger people be? Where would you find them?
- If your congregation were successful in the coming year in reaching people more diverse than the current congregation (race, income, education, marital status, etc.), who might these people be? Where would you find them?
Subscribe Free to "Leading Ideas Talks" PodcastLeading Ideas Talks is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. Subscribe free today and never miss an episode. The podcast is also available on our website at churchleadership.com/podcast. Leading Ideas Talks brings you conversations with cutting-edge leaders on subjects you care about -- helping you be the leader God is calling you to be.Subscribe now.
Learn to Connect with Your Church's NeighborsThe Connect with Your Neighbors Video Tool Kitprovides you with tools and strategies to welcome your neighbors and improve worship attendance. Topics include: Discovering the People God has Given Us; Ways to Understand Your Neighbors Better; Discovering Who Your Neighbors Are; The Theology of Welcome; Needs-based Community Outreach; and more.
Learn more and watch introductory videos.
Applications Due Friday for the 2018-19 Lewis Fellows ProgramWe are now receiving applications for the 2018-1 Lewis Fellows program that brings together outstanding young clergy (under the age of 35) from a variety of denominational backgrounds for intensive leadership development activities and sustained peer interaction. Support for this program is provided by the Lilly Endowment Transition into Ministry Initiative. Applications are due by April 13, 2018.
Learn more about the program, meeting dates, costs, and eligibility requirements.
Quotable Leadership
Courage is a habit, a virtue. You get it by courageous acts. (Mary Daly)
Adult Education Studies: "Methodist Identity"The Methodist Identity video series explains what it means to be Methodist. The studies benefit both lifelong Methodists and those coming to Methodism from other traditions. Part 1: Our Story is hosted by Rev. Dr. Justo González, and Part 2: Our Beliefs is hosted by Bishop Gregory Ingram. Each study includes eight lessons and video presentations, supplemental videos, study guides, and extensive supplemental presentations.
Learn more and order now.
50 Ways to Improve Pastoral TransitionsPastors moving from one church to the next need to focus on how they can effectively conclude their ministry in the church they are leaving, paving the way for their successor, and on how they can get off to a good start in their next church. "50 Ways to Improve Pastoral Transitions" offers tips on concluding ministry in one setting and beginning ministry in a new setting.
Pastors moving from one church to the next need to focus on how they can effectively conclude their ministry in the church they are leaving, paving the way for their successor, and on how they can get off to a good start in their next church.
Concluding Ministry in One Setting:
Maintain good successor relations
- Work with the congregation to prepare the way for your successor.
- Work with your successor to provide good information about the congregation.
- Spend significant time with your successor with an agreed-upon agenda.
- Talk about your successor only in positive terms.
- Avoid making comparisons between yourself and your successor.
Approach the move with a generous and graceful spirit
- Share ownership for the move, and avoid blaming others.
- Avoid making inappropriate use of closure to address unresolved problems.
- Be gracious to everyone, especially those with whom you have had difficulty.
Provide good records and administrative wrap-up
- Prepare essential lists for your successor, and be sure important files are up to date.
- Make sure church bills are paid through the month you leave.
- Ensure that denominational giving is up to date.
- Never leave any unpaid personal bills in the community.
- Do not take church records with you.
Plan for appropriate goodbyes, grief, and closure rituals
- Provide adequate rituals to mark your leaving and the coming of your successor.
- Find appropriate ways to say goodbye and grieve with the congregation.
- Encourage loved ones to grieve the transition, and grieve with them.
- Grant and ask for forgiveness where needed, and tell the people you love them.
- Arrange personal visits and write personal notes where appropriate.
Clarify your new relationship with the church
- Clarify in spoken and written communication your new relationship with the people.
- Be clear that you will not be returning for pastoral roles.
- Take time to teach the congregation about closure and boundaries.
- Affirm love and friendship while releasing persons from pastoral relationships.
Keep working
- Continue vital ministry, avoid emotional withdrawal, and do not initiate major new programs in the closing months.
- Settle as many hanging difficulties as possible, including (and especially) staff difficulties.
- Leave the parsonage and office clean and in order.
Beginning Ministry in a New Ministry Setting:
Learn about the new church and community
- Allow 6–18 months to get to know the people and community.
- Demonstrate willingness, and make the effort, to learn the history of the congregation.
- Learn the mission and vision of the congregation and their place in the life of the people.
- Study data (worship and financial statistics, community demographics, etc.) to understand the church and community.
- Make careful assessments of strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities.
Spend time with people and build relationships
- Make building relationships your highest priority, visiting as many people as you can.
- Visit people with pastoral needs and also those with key leadership responsibilities.
- Ask everyone you visit to suggest others with whom you should be talking.
- Meet with the pastoral relations/personnel committee early and regularly.
- Pay particular attention to pastoral care and preaching.
- Meet community leaders including other clergy. Be visible in the community.
- Develop a plan to get to know the people, communicate that plan, and stay faithful to it.
Be cautious about making immediate changes
- Do not change things at first, especially worship.
- Listen and observe with an open mind to discover strengths and needs.
- Earn the right to change things before initiating changes.
Build trust
- Express joy in being in your new ministry setting.
- Be authentic, honest, and genuine.
- Let people get to know you, and allow the congregation time to learn to trust you.
- Focus on the congregation and its future, not your agenda.
- If you introduce yourself in writing, have others read what you write to make sure you are not communicating unintended signals.
Honor your predecessor’s ministry
- Do not criticize the former pastor, even if criticism is warranted.
- Honor the progress and achievements accomplished before you arrived.
- Assure people it is all right to grieve the loss of their former pastor.
- Honor traditions long enough to understand the positive motivation behind them.
- Throughout it all, keep in mind: Avoid talking about your previous congregation. Do not complain, criticize, or make excessive demands. And be patient.
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Editor: Dr. Ann A. Michel
Copyright © 2004-2018 Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary
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