You have heard the old joke about the perfect pastor.The perfect pastor
- is 29 years old and has 40 years experience
- has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends most of his/her time with senior citizens
- works from 8:00 a.m. until midnight and serves as the church's janitor
- is available at the church for anyone who drops in and spends all of his/her time out evangelizing
- is willing to be paid $100 a week and gives $75 a week to the church
- is, above all, good looking
There are lots of variations of the joke that expand on the qualities of that perfect pastor. We generally chuckle at such a description, but expectations of pastors do tend to be very high. Many years ago, I attended a retreat for pastors who were in transition between calls. One exercise required the entire group to work together to produce a list of expectations, written or unwritten, spoken or implied, that had been experienced. I remember the group getting a good laugh from the extensive list. Word and sacrament ministry seemed so far removed from the chauffeuring and plumbing that made the list.
I spend a great deal of time working with call process and I have recently been giving some thought to the qualities I like to see in our first call candidates. I have also had some discussion with other members of the synod staff and have come up with a list. I do not assign any particular order to the following.
It is very good if new pastors come to a first call
- with a deep longing to remain grounded in prayer, the Word of God, and the faith practices of the church
- with a desire to know and love the people of the congregation
- with respect for tradition and an appreciation for the history of the Lutheran church and the congregation
- understanding that an incarnational ministry builds relationships and “showing up” in places and at events that are significant to members is important
- believing that every pastor is a youth pastor and a stewardship leader
- understanding that home and hospital visitation is not a thing of the past
- with the knowledge that there are members of the congregation who are more spiritually mature than they are
- seeking to be excellent worship leaders
- knowing that their preaching requires great attention because it is not as good as it will be in a few years
- committed to self-care, family relationships and maintaining healthy boundaries
- with a willingness to listen
- with an attitude of humility and servanthood
- with an ability to receive criticism without becoming defensive
- understanding that they are role models in the community and people are watching
- with a desire to help a congregation understand its mission in its context and the ability to cast a vision
- with the ability to receive thanks and admit mistakes
- willing to be a partner in ministry with colleagues and the wider church
- with a willingness to ask for help
- with a sense of humor
What do you think? This list is by no means exhaustive. What would you add? Comment on the blog site at http://niselca.blogspot.com/ or on Facebook. Thanks for reading! --JC
Comments transferred from Facebook:
ReplyDeleteMary DeFrancisco Miller: While we search for a new pastor, this is a very interesting blog. There are many good points we would do well to contemplate.
Robert Lee Bennight: Why would first call qualities be different than other call qualities?
Judith L. Huseth: grace
Judith L. Huseth: Good question, Bennight!
Sally Louise Perez: Love and understanding to the congregation. You have to have your listening ears on, and compassion.
Jackie Fancher Danalewich: thick skin and a spine...and a treadmill
And it would help if they were independently wealthy.
Arthur Bergren: All good pastors come with a love of God's word and God's people. But there is a learning curve in the first years of ministry. I think a first call pastor should be quick to listen, willing to risk failure and ready to lift all things up in prayer. Once this pattern gets established - repeat!
Pastor Jim Jensen: A strong prayer life.
Thanks for the comments! Lee, I framed the qualities in the blog for first call pastors because if one does not bring these to the first call, the need for them will be learned before the second call. So, I agree with you.
ReplyDeleteJudy Bergeson emailed me to add a sense of humor to the list. How did I miss that one?
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled on this post and love it! And, I happen to know many who really do seem to believe the "joke" portion of the perfect pastor.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I have a personal one to add to your list:
...doesn't treat his first call as a stepping stone to a better call.