Introduction
by Allen T. Hansell and Nancy Knepper
Session One: Theology of Leadership
Part One by Carol Mason Page
Part Two by Jeff Neuman-LeeSession Two: Open Equally to Men and Women
Part One by Galen R. Hackman
Part Two by Christy Waltersdorff
Part Three, Resolution on Women in MinistrySession Three: Calling the Called
Part One by Janice G. Kensinger
Part Two by David K. Shumate and Emma Jean WoodardSession Four: Ministerial Education
by Warren Eshbach and Harriet and Ron Finney
BY ALLEN T. HANSELL AND NANCY KNEPPER
This study guide, along with the 1999 Ministerial Leadership paper, may be used by individuals or groups as a unit of study in its entirety, or each session may be lifted out and treated on its own.
"Church falls short in promoting pastorate." This headline in The Mennonite, a publication of the Mennonite Church, USA, regarded a study released in January 2000. The article revealed that the Mennonites, like most denominations today, are experiencing a shortage of ministerial leadership.
Why? The primary reason is that most congregations are not calling people to the ministry. The church relies on volunteers, frequently provides inadequate financial support for those who do step forward, and often fails to call those who are called by God, paricularly women and people of color.
Is there an encouraging word? Will congregations in the Church of the Brethren assume the important role of calling people to the ministry, offering them their blessings and financial support as they engage in ministerial education? Will the sisters and brothers of our denomination respect and support those whom they have called and "set apart" for ministerial leadership? Will Church of the Brethren congregations offer women and people of color equal opportunities for ministerial leadership? We trust the word is encouraging!
This guide, created to provide background and stimulate discussion on calling ministerial leadership, is designed for use in a variety of ways. We will detail those uses shortly. First, however, we turn to how this study guide came into being.
Between 1987 and 1989 the General Board and Bethany Theological Seminary, in a joint project supported by funds from the Lilly Foundation, focused on "Calling and Forming Quality Leadership." The 1990 Annual Conference accepted the recommendation of that project to form a five-year Committee on Ministerial Leadership whose members would be named by the three sponsoring partners: Annual Conference, General Board, and Bethany Theological Seminary. The recommendation asked the General Board and the Council of District Executives to "help the church form new initiatives to call gifted individuals; assess current polity and structures for overseeing the church's set-apart ministry; and promote consistency among the districts' understanding and practices related to calling and ordination."
The Annual Conference appointed a five-year ministerial study committee, instructing it to report to the 1995 Annual Conference. The committee brought a preliminary report in 1995 requesting an additional year to complete its work. The committee's comprehensive report in 1996 made 19 recommendations to the denomination, dealing with such matters as
Several of the recommendations were directed to the General Board. When the General Board created a new Office of Ministry in the fall of 1997, work on the above recommendations began almost immediately. In 1998 and early 1999, the Office of Ministry, working cooperatively with the ministry commissions of the 23 districts and the Council of District Executives, prepared a paper on Ministerial Leadership for the 1999 Annual Conference. The new ministry paper, the foundation for this study guide, was written in response to the recommendations offered by the 1996 ministerial study committee. The delegate body adopted the paper, incorporating two amendments.
In October 1999, the General Board adopted a resolution on Women in Ministry and asked the Office of Ministry to prepare a study guide not only on the resolution, but also on the 1999 Ministerial Leadership paper. The General Board's resolution is included in session two of this study guide.
USING THE STUDY GUIDE
This study guide, along with the 1999 Ministerial Leadership paper, may be used by individuals or groups as a unit of study in its entirety, or each session may be lifted out and treated on its own. This is an excellent resource for individuals interested in learning more about ministry in the Church of the Brethren. Possibilities for group use include:
The 10 writers contributing to this study guide are experienced ministerial leaders and teachers who are much appreciated in the Church of the Brethren. You are encouraged to contact them individually for additional information on a particular topic.
Each session includes brief narratives by the guest writers, suggested biblical passages for study, key issues for discussion, and a list of resources for additional reading or viewing.
Theology of Leadership
BY CAROL MASON PAGE
To lead as a servant is to lead from within, directed by an inner sense of purpose, accountable to the community in which one serves, with an openness to the sister or brother, recognizing God as ultimate authority.
Recently I stood before 80 singers to direct a massed choir performing Randall Thompson's Alleluia. This is an incredibly moving, polyphonic piece in which the director's task is to have the four separate voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) understand their organic relationship to one another, and convey to the audience such a unity that no individual voice can be picked out. At best it sounds and feels like bliss; one is moved to tears or pure laughing joy. At worst it is cacophony and the audience is left squirming in their seats and, for some unnamed reason, cross with each other.
I was pouring sweat as we finished the final pianissimo, because I felt, as director, that I had barely kept it together enough to produce a kind of truce or peacefulness, far short of bliss, but safe, clearly safe from chaos.
In our final practice, only minutes before we went on, I had had such an odd experience I nearly lost my confidence to direct at all. For some reason, perhaps to show me that they had indeed learned their parts, all four voices (SATB) were "shouting directions at me" with their singing, demanding to be heard. Four tempos (five if we include the fact that the basses were spread out so far that those at the far end couldn't hear the ones at the near end) beat at me, four assurances that their part was the right one. Each outsang the other, 80 throats swelling in sound at once. I was reminded of Annual Conference when there is a controversial query on the floor. Oh, how we want our leaders to direct us, but, oh, how we want our voices to be heard. And what a task it is for our leaders to have to remind us of our unity, our organic relationship to one another, the living water of Christ Jesus our Lord that flows through all 142,000 members of 1,100 congregations in 23 districts and in the overseas churches as well.
Loren Bowman, in his Brethren Press book, Power and Polity Among the Brethren, describes four styles of leadership in the General Board administrations between 1946 and 1986: Consolidator/Negotiator (that's how I directed the Alleluia!), Developer/Administrator, Planner/ Integrator, and Stimulator/Director. He names factors such as personality, personnel, and "expectations of society" that would prompt some of these differences, but also notes that "the ambivalence of the Board about the role of leadership seems quite evident."1
When Judy Mills Reimer was asked as moderator why she didn't pull rank and simply "restrict" groups bringing controversial material to Annual Conference, she commented in an article on "Shaping a Brethren Vision for the 21st Century" that the questioner "does not understand that in our denomination, the moderator is in the role of the servant, who works as a team member. . . "2
Shared authority has been a distinctive style of leadership ever since Alexander Macks refusal to be named as founder of the Brethren. That is why we are called Brethren—fraternal workers on the mission field, sisters in Christ, the priesthood of all believers—ministering to one another, the children of God, one church family with Christ as our head. To me, the most distinctive characteristic of the role of servant is being aware of the community in which one serves, acting from an interior response to that awareness, and moving with the Spirit's prompting, "directed by an inner sense of purpose, not determined by expected outcomes."3 It is to lead from within, accountable to the community, with an openness to the sister or brother, recognizing God as ultimate authority.
Servant is a difficult leadership style. How many of us have said, "I might as well do it myself, it's so much easier." It is necessarily more ambivalent, as it is more ideal. Community needs are always changing. Holy Spirit promptings are always pushing and pulling us toward divine perfection; perhaps it is our humanly dragging feet that keep us from flying freely in the Lord. But it is Christ's style, it recognizes the truth of life as change (and no amount of rigidity is going to help that fact become constant), and I believe it witnesses to our faith, our complete trust in God, to say as leaders, "I don't know, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, I believe we can discern the answer together."
Discernment within the community is another distinction of the Brethren style—within the congregation, in pastors' retreats and district conferences, at Annual Conference. Communing together with one another, communing with the blood of Christ in the elements of the eucharist, and communing with the Word have been our style since the beginning.
I am reminded of the expression Gene Roop, president of Bethany Theological Seminary, used at a recent gathering of Oregon/Washington pastors and their spouses. After reading a portion of Scripture, he would ask, "How do you experience that passage?" This led to a lively discussion in which respondents replied not only from the immediate experience of the verses being read, but also from past experience, how it spoke to a related time in their lives. Voices that disagreed completely would say, "Oh, I didn't experience it like that at all. For me it was. . ." and a counterpoint ensued, surprisingly harmonious even in its dissonance.
The early church was committed to discerning to the point of consensus. Presently, this process often gets shortened to majority vote, but we still cherish the ideal that by listening to all the representative voices, searching the Scriptures, and praying without ceasing, consensus is achievable as Truth is revealed.
Shared authentic authority, informed community, and considerate consensus have been the hallmarks of Brethren leadership throughout our church history.
The original Schwarzenau eight evolved a leadership style in the first decade of the 18th century that approximated the New Testament church to the best of their understanding. They were disillusioned with the way authorities in the established church had used and abused power, and felt that Christians should "stand openly in the presence of Christ" following one's conscience (indwelling Spirit), and serve as Christ would (a mediatory agent between humankind and God, or a "priest") to one another (Matt. 18). The church was this faith community, a spiritual family, considered as a movement—the faith journey is a daily walk with Christ—rather than a hierarchical institution. Church is a collective noun, not a place, not a structure, but the people.
Decision-making by consensus was the mark of this group, and they took the necessary time to do it. "Their goal seemed to be to talk, to pray, and to search—repeating the process as many times as necessary—until they arrived at a common mind. This formula applied to biblical insights as well as operational procedures. It was congregational polity in its simplest and purest form."4
Alexander Macks charismatic leadership, which literally brought the church to Pennsylvania, devolved to elders (the highest office of the ordained ministry from the colonial era to 1967) chosen by each congregation The annual council for discerning direction was open to the whole body of believers. As the body grew, however, decision-making at the Big Council shifted to a Committee of (appointed) Elders (Acts 15). "If a question arose regarding responsibility for a particular area/issue, the Yearly Meeting provided the answer."5
For the first time "a central body assumed responsibility for the general character of the church."6 During much of the 19th century the decisions of the Annual Meeting "were considered binding upon all members . . . the voice of authority" and the Committees of Elders "disciplined leaders or congregations that failed to conform."7
Districts emerged after 1850, and boards appeared near the end of the 19th century. "The traditional (1920s) plural, non-salaried ministry (elders) gradually gave way to a professionally trained, salaried pastor"8 (as well as church boards, district executives, and so forth). Vigorous publishing, higher education programs, moving west, rapid growth of foreign missions, the Sunday School movement, and an increased Brethren awareness of other churches gave the church family a share in Christian witness to the world. "Acculturation brought changes in dress, architecture and worship. Plain dress, typical meeting houses, worship, with an air of spontaneity and informality"9 gave way.
Authority was divided into prescribed areas of responsibility at the congregational, district, and denominational (Annual Conference) levels. After rapid growth of boards and programs, administration was consolidated into one General Brotherhood Board (1946) with three program commissions (by 1968): World Ministries, Parish Ministries, and General Services. In 1997, a restructuring of the General Board replaced the three commissions with a Leadership Team.
"There is a presbyterial polity in operation in the shared decision-making of the district and Annual Conferences, with the Standing Committee serving as the final court of appeal."10 There is, however, always a flowing, give and take, interconnected "rhythm between local initiative and brotherhood accountability."11
As the Church of the Brethren continues to change, explore diversity, accept challenges (whether societal, political, ecological or ecumenical), as well as continues to build community, the denomination needs leaders who will connect vision to implementation, the ideal to the real. I like the way James Forbes phrases it—we need leaders with "The Fire (of the Spirit) and the Focus (on the liberating activity to which God calls us)."12 But the Church of the Brethren also needs members with the fire (a personal experience of the living Christ) and the focus (a commitment to living a spiritual life, thoroughly knowing the New Testament, practicing intentional discipleship, and being accountable to each other). Without this, our "set-apart ministry" becomes the representatives of the church, not the leaders as we understand it in a Brethren sense: a "creative, evolving blend of administrator/facilitator, leader/searcher, declarer/listener, and dreamer/stabilizer."13
While the denomination has long recognized the need for set-apart ministries, it has highly valued lay leadership. For example, the 1953 Manual of Worship and Polity identified seven important opportunities for laity to serve the congregation: ministry team, gifts discernment team, congregational forum, pastoral relations team, short-term projects team, delegates to district and Annual Conference, and deacons.14 (The 2000 Annual Conference will consider a query on congregational restructure, a proposal that resembles the 1953 manual in several important ways, especially the roles cited for the laity.)
Lay leadership teams are the hallmark of leadership in the denomination; responsibility lies with each individual as it does in a choir. The combined voices make the soprano part, not a soloist, but if one of the sopranos does not know the part, the voice is weakened. Threaded through the committed members, the congregational teams, the district and denominational leaders, there must be a basic trust that we are all working toward one goal: God's realm on earth. Just as the choir must believe the piece of music is designed to come together as a whole, we must believe that Christ calls his church to be whole also. In trust, this transcendent whole can become the sacred living body of Christ against which nothing can prevail (Matt. 16:18).
1 Bowman, Polity and Power Among the Brethren, p. 107.
2 Reimer, Brethren Life and Thought, Vol. XL, Summer/Fall 1995, p. 256.
3 Young, Brethren Life and Thought, Vol. XLIII, Winter/Spring 1998, p. 37.
4 Ibid., p. 20.
5 Ibid., p. 21.
6 Ibid., p. 22.
7 Ibid., p. 23.
8 Ibid., p. 80.
9 Durnbaugh, Meet the Brethren, p. 76.
10 Groff, The Church of the Brethren Past and Present, "Polity," Durnbaugh, ed.
11 Ibid.
12 Forbes, Brethren Life and Thought, Vol. XXVII, Spring 1992, p. 87.
13 Bowman, Polity and Power Among the Brethren, p. 107.
14 Manual of Worship and Polity, Church of the Brethren Publishing House, 1953.
BIBLICAL TEXTS TO EXPLORE
Matthew 18
Acts 15
Matthew 16:15-19
John 13:16, 15:20 (Christ's example)
1 Corinthians 9:18-27 (Paul's discourse on leadership)
Matthew 20:25, Luke 22:27, Philippians 2:7 (Christ the Servant)
Mark 9:33-37 (Christ instructions on leadership)
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Compare and contrast Bowman's four leadership styles. What would be the distinguishing feature of each one? How do the dual titles tie together?
2. What are some of the "societal expectations" that might have affected leadership in the Church of the Brethren between 1946 and l986? How much credence should Brethren give to the world's expectations?
3. Why is the servant style of leadership necessarily more "ambivalent" and "ideal"?
4. For our set-apart ministry, how does a profession differ from a calling? Does this affect members' discipleship, organizational structures, authority, etc., within the church?
5. What are the seven teams of leadership within congregational life? What do they do? How? Why?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yoder, John Howard, The Fullness of Christ: Paul's Vision of Universal Ministry, Brethren Press, Elgin, III., 1987.
Greenleaf, Robert K., essays edited by Larry C. Spears, The Power of Servant Leadership, Berrett-Koehler, 1998.
Palmer, Parker, Leading From Within, The Servant Leadership School Press, 1995.
Sims, Bennett J., Servanthood: Leadership for the Third Millennium, Boston, Mass., Cowley Pub., 1997.
ARTICLES
Bantz, Floyd E., "Old Roles, But New Routines: A Biblical/Theological Rationale for Executive Leadership," Brethren Life and Thought, Vol. XXVII, Summer 1982.
Bowman, S. Loren, Power and Polity Among the Brethren. Brethren Press, Elgin, III., 1987, leadership chapter.
McFadden, Ralph G., "The Church of the Brethren, Leadership, and the Future," Brethren Life and Thought, Vol. XXVII, Autumn 1982.
Miller, DeWitt L., "Reflections on a Changing Ministry," Brethren Life and Thought, Vol. XXXIV, Winter 1989, No. 1, Richmond, Ind.
Ramsey, Duane, "Our Call to Set-Apart Ministry," Brethren Life and Thought, Vol. XXVII, Spring 1982.
Reimer, Judy Mills, "Shaping a Brethren Vision for the 21st Century," Brethren Life and Thought, Vol. XL, Summer/Fall 1995, Nos. 3 and 4, Richmond, Ind.
Snyder, Graydon F., "Symposium: Ministry for the Church of Tomorrow," Brethren Life and Thought, Vol. XV, Winter 1970.
Theology of Leadership
BY JEFF NEUMAN-LEE
Community is always going through the cycle of life and death, and Christian leadership is always, in cooperation with the Lord, an act of building community anew.
The foundation of leadership in the Church of the Brethren is that God in Christ is our leader. From the beginning, when lots were drawn to determine who would baptize Alexander Mack, to the choosing of the name "Brethren," which refers not simply to a community but to the community that has been gathered by God and that responds to God's word in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, leadership is understood as coming from God. The Brethren use of Scripture—scrupulously turning to the Bible on every question concerning faith and practice, and responding in faith to their best interpretation—was centered in the belief that this was what God wanted them to do. Because we have faith that Jesus is Lord, the Word, the Son of God, God of God, we Brethren feel the urgency to follow in what we best perceive to be the leading of Christ, to settle our matters in him.
This is to say that any and all human leadership in the Church of the Brethren derives its power and authority from the living God through Jesus Christ.
All this being said, the Church of the Brethren "who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited) but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave... He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross" (Phil. 2: 6-8 NRSV). This "Lord," who has the power to create universes and the authority to determine the meaning of a sparrow's death, came to serve creatures of his creation. This Lord was the Good Shepherd who would lay down his life for his flock. This Lord, in his grace, gave the power of the Holy Spirit, which gives gifts to empower the people even now.
Obedience to Christ's teachings means not that we simply follow a set of rules, but rather that we live our lives responding to the living God. Brethren hear God's voice, as measured by Scripture, through the gathered community as well as through the individual conscience. True openness to God recognizes that both the community and the individual are prone to error in discerning the will of God.
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (1 Corinthians 12)
At one level, leadership is simply doing what God has asked you to do. No one else is to do exactly what you do; each contribution is unique. Your response of leadership will add a measure of guidance from God to the community. Since every Christian is called to respond, then every Christian has a leadership role.
One way of understanding this is through the idea of "gifts of the Spirit" as detailed in 1 Corinthians 12. Therefore, one who is called to "pastor" is called not only to gather people for worship, but rather to lead with other leaders, each with his or her own tasks or gifts. The call to a "pastor" or a "set-apart minister" is for a particular role among other leaders. The recognition of God's Spirit using the gifts of each person is imperative. The Spirit recognizes the equal value of each gift before God and one another. Each person is respected for the leadership that each brings.
SERVANTS (John 13; Matthew 20:26, 23:11. See also 1 Peter 2:9.)
Jesus calls us to a servant stance before others. Every Christian is to be a leader and to give leadership as a servant. As Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, he calls every brother or sister to wash each other's feet and the feet of anyone else in need. Servants look to the needs of others and see how those needs might be addressed.
Usually solutions to needs are ambiguous; always they take the work of considered, heart-felt, self-giving love. The love is more important than the solution, although the lover correctly feels the great importance of the solution. Love chooses among potential resources. It strives to gain in knowledge and power for its purposes. Love is measured through the cross and the fruits of the resurrection.
Every gifted leader in the church is to be a servant loving as he or she is able and gifted. Christ's service extends beyond the confines of the church to the entire world. When we speak of the "priesthood of all believers," we understand the context of such a priest hood as being mutual servanthood. Every Christian is to be and give leadership as a priest for others. However, the notion of being a priest extends beyond the acts of kindness that we normally think of as being given by a servant. The servant, in love, washes the dirt off anothers foot; the priest, in love, washes off the sin.
SHEPHERDS (John 21, I Corinthians 9, Ephesians 4, and I Peter 5)
Jesus calls some to be "shepherds." He calls some to this task not because of their own resources, but so they come to depend utterly upon God in order to preach the Good News. As shepherds, their task is to see the whole church and to guide and protect the whole. At one point we can say that these are leaders of leaders, yet at the same time they are also simply leaders among leaders. In any case, we should not fail to lead as called and we should see that any good we do comes from God. The gifts as listed by Paul in Ephesians include "apostle," "prophecy," "pastor," and "teacher." These are valuable gifts for a pastor of any congregation.
The "apostle" may be one who sees a vision of God's kingdom in a specific place and helps others to see that vision and build that church. This gift also has the sense of linking congregations. In this mobile age, with churches ever changing, this is a gift needed in every congregation.
"Prophecy" is the ability to communicate God's realities and inspire others to live in them. It takes people who place communication in God's hands, who know both God in Christ and the people of the congregation and the larger territory.
The term "pastor" alludes to the role of the shepherd who views the whole of the church. The whole church is moving in God's time. The pastor leads the whole, recognizing God's gifts of the people, the pastor's own servant and priestly roles, and the servant and priestly roles of the people.
In a new or mobile community setting we assume that there will be people who need to be taught our best understanding of the truth. The "teacher" role is essential in building a core that will guide that church. To translate from one language to another the teacher must know enough of the other's language to communicate biblical principles and truth in their terms.
The shepherd should well represent Christ, who is at the center of the Scriptures, by being a Christlike person&38212;dependent upon God in prayer, in study of Scripture, in accountability to the community through both structured relationships and the life of the community, and in the course of daily life as well as in visions of the future. The shepherd loves others; is honest with self, others, and God; is nonviolent; and sees the priority of God's work over politics (coercion by the state), the market (coercion through social intimidation and material necessity), and other human institutions elevated beyond their intended status.
Leadership in the Church of the Brethren is integral to our understanding of basic human relationships, including Christian community and the relationship of God's people to the world. The topic for the leader of leaders is the continual creation and re-creation of the new community of God's kingdom. Community is always going through the cycle of life and death, and Christian leadership is always in cooperation with the Lord, an act of building community anew.
BIBLICAL TEXTS TO EXPLORE
1 Corinthians 12
John 13
Matthew 20:26,23:11
1 Peter 2:9
John 21
1 Corinthians 9
Ephesians 4
1 Peter 5
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Check a dictionary for the definition of "paradox." In what way is it a paradox that Jesus our "Lord" is also Jesus our "servant"?
2. What are some activities of a servant? How does a servant help others with their spiritual needs?
3. Why might some people reject the use of their gifts? From fear of loneliness? fear of responsibility? Do you believe that every Christian has leadership responsibilities? If so, would you share what you believe yours to be?
4. Consider the needs of your church. Are some responsibilities carried by folks who do so out of duty rather than out of their gifts? How does your congregation draw out the leadership given to you by God?
5. How can a pastor look to the needs of the whole church without overlooking the needs of certain individuals? How can the pastor do the opposite?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Durnbaugh, Donald, Fruit of the Vine, Brethren Press, Elgin, IL, 1997, pp. 216 - 217.
The Brethren Encyclopedia, 1983, articles on ministry) salaried ministry, elder, etc.
Durnbaugh, Donald, editor, The Church of the Brethren Past and Present, Brethren Press, Elgin, III., 1971, p. 70.
Open Equally to Men and Women
BY GALEN R. HACKMAN
In my open searching of Scripture, God showed me the importance of discerning the local from the universal, the time-bound from the eternal aspects of his Word.
Open equally to men and women. That's the polity for ministerial leadership in the Church of the Brethren. Why then does it frequently fail to happen in many places? For many Brethren, I believe the reluctance to grant women equal access to ministerial roles is due to their understanding of Scripture.
Brethren have been known historically as a people of the Book. This designation pointed to a loyalty to Scripture as the authority for faith and practice, as well as to a commitment to obey the teachings of Scripture, even if such obedience was unpopular or uncomfortable.
Such commitment cannot nor should not be discredited or abandoned. However, one must remain open to deeper understandings of the Word, always seeking the heart of God and discerning the true meaning of Scripture.
I am one who has walked the journey of growing in my understanding of the Scripture on this matter. Having once found myself in opposition to the church's movement toward women in ministry, I now find myself fully supportive. What has changed? Have I left behind my commitment to the infallibility of Scripture? Have I abandoned my desire to obey Gods Word, even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular? No! Actually my commitment to obeying God has become more acute, my view of Scripture more conservative. What, then, has brought about this change? Let me share my journey with you in a nutshell.
THE ENCOUNTERS OF JESUS
First, as I studied the ministry of Jesus and Paul (and the other leaders of the New Testament church), I saw a sensitivity and openness to women that outdistanced the cultural norms of the societies in which the church began and took root.
Contrary to the dictates of his world, Jesus readily spoke with women he met (John 4:1-26) and quickly forgave women of the sins society held against them (Luke 7:36-30, John 8:1-12). He often gave attention to women (Matt. 20:20), cared about their sorrows (Matt. 8:14-15), and ministered to them in a variety of ways (Luke 7:11-15). Jesus had several women among his closest followers (Mark 15:41 and Luke 8:1-3) and received financial support from them (Luke 8:3). He was a very close friend of Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus (see John 11:1-5), apparently having spent significant time in their home (Luke 10:38-42, John 12:1-8). Following his resurrection, Jesus first appeared to a woman (Mark 16:9, John 20:11-18), even before appearing to his disciples.
PAUL'S OPENNESS TO WOMEN
Paul too showed an unbelievable openness to women, lifting up their leadership in a variety of ministry endeavors. It is Paul who clearly lays down one of the guiding principles of the church regarding racism and sexism in Galatians 3:28. He shows by example that many women carried out significant ministry in the churches he founded. In Romans 16 alone, Paul mentions no fewer than 10 women who were important to the ministry. Among them were Priscilla (Rom. 16:3) who clarified doctrine to Apollos (Acts 18:1-4); Phoebe who served the church in Cenchreae in an official leadership capacity (Rom. 16:1, especially in the NRSV, which translates the verse most accurately); and Junia who is ranked with the other apostles (Rom. 16:7).
Paul also taught that women would carry out important functions in the church. Women would be praying and offering prophetic words in the gathered assembly (I Cor. 11:2-16 and Acts 21:8-9), counseling and training others (Titus 2:3-4 and Acts 18:24-26) and serving as deacons (Rom. 16:1 and 1 Tim. 3:11). Additionally, in his teaching about spiritual giftedness in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12-14, and Ephesians 4, Paul never implied that the gifts of leadership--pastor, teacher, apostle, and so forth--would be given to men only.
When I began to see the openness to women in the Bible and the increasing frequency of their leadership as the pages of the New Testament unfold, and as I began to see God giving gifts to competent and godly women in the church, I was driven back to the Word for direction.
I realized then that most all my inhibitions about women leaders came from only two passages of Scripture (and from a culture and tradition that did not have much room for women leaders). In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and in 1 Timothy 2:15, Paul makes statements that we have read to mean that women are not welcome in leadership roles. As I began to ponder these verses, I realized how inconsistent I have been in obeying the teaching of the Bible. I realized that while I wanted to enforce these restrictions from these passages, I was not equally interested in obeying some of Paul's other commands which he gives throughout his epistles. For example, I was not planning to travel to Ephesus and stay there (1 Tim. 1:3), nor at that time in my life did I feel comfortable lifting up my hands in worship or encouraging others to do so (1 Tim. 2:8), nor did I encourage my church to develop a widows list (1 Tim. 5:9), nor did I feel comfortable encouraging people to begin drinking wine as a health benefit (1 Tim. 5:23).
These commands occur in 1 Timothy, the same letter as one of Paul's prohibitions against women in leadership. Why do we not obey these? Because we recognize that they were local and specific in nature, relating primarily to the situation facing Timothy in the church of Ephesus. (The one exception is that of lifting up hands in worship, which I did not do then out of cultural inhibition, but do now out of obedience to God's Word.) I began asking myself, "Could Pauls restriction on women also be local and specific? How do I find out?"
Doing a full-length exegesis of 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2 lies outside the scope of this paper. However, let me share with you two guidelines that helped me. When the Bible, especially the epistles, contains a rather obscure reference to something that does not seem to be taken up elsewhere, then we should beware of seeing that as a binding rule for all times. Also, when specific commands seem to go against what is the overall tenor of Scripture on a topic, the chances are that the specific command is of local, temporary significance.
UNIVERSAL VS. LOCAL
In this case, both these guidelines come into play. On the one hand, these specific guidelines run counter to the overall teaching about women in the church as well as the example of our Lord in his dealings with women. And on the other hand, the only times Paul places restrictions on women in leadership are in Corinth and in Ephesus. In Corinth he even encouraged women praying and prophesying, but then for the sake of order and clarity) gave some guidance to the local situation in which the exercise of spiritual gifts had gotten out of hand. In Ephesus, the elders had bought into false teaching and had found a following particularly among the women of the congregation (see 1 Tim. 3:6-9, 2:9-15, 5:3-16). In this situation, he advises controls on the participation of women in the leadership (as well as other safeguards for the elders).
Seeing this, I realized that the congregation I was serving did not have either of these problems--disorder in worship was never a problem and women being led astray by false teaching was not a problem. Neither was the quality of water (thus no wine as suggested by 1 Tim. 5:23). In the midst of this study and my open searching of Scripture, God showed me the importance of discerning the local from the universal) the time-bound from the eternal aspects of his Word. This is never easy. It must be discerned in the presence of Gods Holy Spirit. Our attitude must never be that of trying to get out of something God calls us to do, or to condone something he clearly forbids. However, such discernment must be made, for too often we allow our own cultures and traditions to define truth for us, instead of seeking the heart of God.
Why are some Brethren reluctant to grant women full rights of leadership? Well, for some it is only a matter of tradition, culture, or, worse, prejudice. But for many others, it is the result of a sincere, though ill-informed, desire to obey God's Word. May God open our eyes to his truth, and then give us the conviction to obey and proclaim that truth.
BIBLICAL TEXTS TO EXPLORE
Galatians 3:26-29
Acts 18
Romans 16 (noting each of the women mentioned)
1 Corinthians 11 and 14
Romans 12
Ephesians 4
1 Timothy 2
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. In what way does the attitude of Jesus and Paul run counter to the norms of their cultures?
2. How can Paul allow women to pray and prophesy in 1 Corinthians 11 and then forbid them to speak in 1 Corinthians 14:34-33?
3. Should Galatians 3:28 guide (as in restrict) how we read passages such as 1 Timothy 2:11, or should 1 Timothy 2:11 guide (as in limit) how we read Galatians 3:28?
4. By reading all of 1 Timothy, can you discern what the problems were at Ephesus? How do Paul's commands and advice fit the specific situation in the church? How does 1 Timothy 2:11 fit this situation?
5. God gives his spiritual gifts to everyone. After reading Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4, discuss how God has distributed his gifts among your class or church. Has he excluded women from these gifts?
6. How do you feel about women in leadership? From where do your feelings come? From tradition? From Scripture? From personal experiences?
7. Are you committed to obeying God's Word, even if new understanding of it shatters old beliefs? Explain? Give examples of times this has happened in your life.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Tucker, Ruth A., Women in the Maze: Questions and Answers on Biblical Equality, InterVarsity Press, 1992.
Spencer, Aida Besancon, Beyond the Curse: Women Called to Ministry, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Fee, Gorden, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, New International Bible Commentary, Hendrickson Publishers, 1984,1988.
Open Equally to Men and Women
BY CHRISTY WALTERSDORFF
As we live into a new century and move ever closer to the 300th birthday of our denomination, it is vital that we in the Church of the Brethren celebrate the gifts of all of God's children.
"Women were with Jesus from the cradle to the cross. On Easter Sunday morning, who was the first to see and recognize the risen Christ? A woman! Knowing all of this, why in the world would human beings think that God would not want women to preach the gospel?"
These words were spoken to me, with great emotion, by an elderly Brethren woman I visited many years ago. She was in her 90s and wore the traditional Brethren garb, prayer covering, plain black dress, and plain black shoes. This dear woman was a lifelong member of the Church of the Brethren and a committed follower of Jesus Christ. On our visits she would often quote scripture and share her memories of the church in years past. She was overjoyed to meet me because I was the first ordained woman ever to enter her home. She thought it was quite sad that she had to wait until she was 93 years old to meet a woman pastor.
Even though three women were among the original eight people baptized in the Eder River, thus giving birth to the church called "Brethren," women have had to struggle to find acceptance and to claim their God-given role in leadership in the church.
In 1892, Annual Conference granted women "all the privileges which brethren claim for themselves." In the late 1800s and early 1900s women were ordained and served as pastors and preachers. That blessing came to an end in the 1920s and 1930s when the church reversed its decision and women lost the right to be ordained. That privilege was not reinstated until 1958.
In the year 2000 we find that 15 percent of all licensed and ordained persons in the Church of the Brethren are women. Only 13 percent of our pastors are female. At a time when the denomination cries out about a "leadership shortage," competent and committed women are not being called to serve. At a time when the church is celebrating the gifts of women in major leadership roles, congregations and districts are overlooking the necessity of gender equality on committees and commissions. At a time when some women find great freedom in their calling, others find themselves bound by stereotypes, fear, false assumptions, and outdated (and decidedly un-christian) patriarchal structures.
Those who believe that God created male and female in God's own image; those who seek to follow in the footsteps of Jesus who welcomed all people; those who believe that the Holy Spirit is poured out on all flesh, have a responsibility to nurture and to call forth the gifts of all of God's children. Like my wise old friend asked, "Why would God not want that?"
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to live by his example. Over and over again in the Gospels we see Jesus reaching out to all people--male and female, young and old, rich and poor, insiders and outsiders, Jews and foreigners, the broken and the whole. How can we believe ourselves to be the Church of Jesus Christ while refusing to accept and honor the gifts of those he has called in his name? How can we recite scripture, worship together, and pray as one body while refusing the leadership of women and men who have truly experienced the call of God in their lives? How can we celebrate the priesthood of all believers when only some believers are considered worthy of ordination?
As a child it never occurred to me that women could be ministers, yet I often wondered why all of my Sunday school teachers were women but I never saw them in the pulpit. I didn't meet a woman pastor until I was in my early 20s. What a delight it is for me to be able to encourage both girls and boys in my congregation to consider ministry as their life's work.
As we live into a new century and move ever closer to the 300th birthday of our denomination, it is vital that we celebrate the gifts of all of God's children. The church can truly be the church only when it calls forth the best in each of us. If we expect the Church of the Brethren to continue to be faithful to God in the years to come, now is the time to strip away all of the barriers that separate us from God and from one another. Now is the time to nurture the gifts for ministry in our boys and our girls, in our young women and young men, in our old women and old men, in all of God's people. If we do this, we shall truly be the community of faith called together in the name of Christ. Why in the world would God not want that?
BIBLICAL TEXTS TO EXPLORE
Genesis 1:26-31 (God creates male and female in God's own image)
Numbers 27:1-11 (the daughters of Zeiophehad receive their inheritance according to God's command)
Joel 2:28 (your sons and your daughters shall prophesy)
Esther
Ruth
Luke 1:26-56 (Mary is called to be the mother of Jesus)
Luke 8:1-3 (women were among the followers of Jesus)
Luke 10:38-42 (Mary, Martha, and Jesus)
Acts 1:14 (women were among those awaiting the arrival of the Holy Spirit)
Romans 16:1 (Paul commends Phoebe)
Romans 16:7 (Paul salutes a woman named Junia)
Galatians 3:28 (no distinctions in Christ)
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What was Jesus' attitude toward men and women?
2. Who are the people who have influenced you the most in your faith journey? Are they male or female? Does gender make a difference in issues of faith?
3. How might the life of the church be strengthened if we celebrated the call to ministry of both women and men?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mollenkott, Virginia Ramey, Women, Men, and the Bible, Crossroad, 1988.
Kay, James F., and Jane Dempsey Douglass, editors, Women, Gender, and the Christian
Community, Westminster John Knox Press, 1992.
Noren, Carol, The Woman in the Pulpit, Abingdon Press, 1992.
Larson, Rebecca, Daughters of Light: Quaker Women Preaching and Prophesying in the Colonies and Abroad, 1700-1775, Alfred Knopf, 1999.
Tisdale, Leonora Tubbs, editor, Abingdon Women's Preaching Annual, Series I (A,B, C), Series
2 (A,B), Abingdon Press, 1999. (Includes two sermons by Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm.)
Calling the Called
BY JANICE GLASS KENSINGER
If we are serious about calling and training 500 pastors within five years, we also will be serious about offering spiritual, emotional, and financial support with our eyes wide open.
Times have changed in the approaches we need to take for calling ministerial leadership, in the ways that we will offer training, and in the role itself of pastor or church leader. The 1900 classic The Wizard of Oz offers a timeless truth. As Dorothy stepped out of Auntie Em's safe home into the Land of Oz, she realized that life in this place was going to be different: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore...." And indeed they were not in Kansas anymore. Just as Dorothy was surprised at the realization that here is no longer familiar territory, I suspect those of us in the church feel like we too have left the comfort of what used to be and have stepped out into the Land of Oz—a land that offers new opportunities and few clear-cut answers.
Both Old and New Testament accounts share stories of persons called by God and by God's people to be in ministry. Both women and men were called in special ways to do specific tasks as leaders with and for God. In that sense, women and men today are still being called to offer gifts and talents for ministerial leadership.
Often we want to be able to discern a clear call from God to affirm our own move forward into ministry. Yet the biblical stories weave for us a discovery that still challenges most of us today: that the persons called were ordinary people who became extraordinary leaders. Paul wrote that "ordinary people show forth the power of God" (2 Cor. 4:7-12). There is nothing wrong with being ordinary. In times past as well as times present, God and the church qualify the called to do the most extraordinary things. Often the clear call that many of us yearn to hear comes to us only as we trust the Spirit's movement in our lives over a long period of time.
BEGINNING WITH THE YOUNG
Child psychologists have confirmed through many studies that our basic values and character development are well set by the age of six. Should we not then begin talking about ministry and God's call frequently and openly with the young children in our congregations? Should the church not lead from a position of strength and knowledge, from a pro-active position of introducing our children to the possibilities of God's call on their lives as vocation and leaders within the church? If children are being shaped and formed during the very early years of their development, should the church not sit up and take notice of opportunities to share the joy, the delight, the challenges that come with serving God and the church in leadership positions?
Congregations can begin as early as the preschool years to introduce young children to biblical stories of God's call on the lives of individuals. Has your pastor used the children's message to share his or her personal call? Explaining to children and youth how the call "feels" and what it has meant in making lifestyle choices are easy ways to begin talking about "call." Other church leaders might be invited throughout the church year to share a part of their personal call during children's time or in a specially designated portion of worship you may choose to call "Moment for Ministry."
I've been amazed, distressed (and frankly impressed) with the relentless strategies of "call" that military recruiters utilize in enticing our young men and women to seriously consider "a career in the military." If I had a dollar for each personal telephone contact that has been made, along with the personalized mailings and invitations for free lunches and other offers for face-to-face meetings with our two teenaged sons over the last four years, I would be able to put a nice dent in their college bookstore tab. The reality is that nothing replaces the personal interest shown in a young person's career development. And nothing should prevent our congregations from engaging our children and youth in lively conversations about God's call in their lives.
As a third grade student, I remember being invited on several occasions to assist as worship leader or as children's storyteller during the worship service. Despite feeling unqualified and anxious, I continued to risk my personal fear of failure by accepting invitations for leadership responsibilities. Some events went better than others; some things came more naturally to me than others. When I think back to that year and the years following, I recognize now that God's call came to me through other people's invitations and expectations.
In fact, the real reason I continued offering my gifts in public forums within the church is be cause of Miss Hoover. She was my third grade teacher and an active leader in my home congregation. No matter what I did or how "unwell" it went, Miss Hoover would catch me between classes and affirm my leadership. I could always, and I mean always, count on her to send me a personally handwritten card of thanks. But what I recall most profoundly is that even when I wasn't participating actively in worship or in the life of the church. Miss Hoover still sent me beautifully scripted cards of encouragement, even suggesting that at some point in my life I might want to pursue "seminary training." Personal contact! Personal encouragement! Personal interest! God's spirit can and does call many of us through relationships with others.
In an article about a survey of Mennonite youth and young adults, Nelson Kraybill) president of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind., observed, "Our denomination does not have enough of a culture of encouragement for the vocation of pastoral ministry." The article asserts that there is an overall lack of encouragement by church leaders for in-depth exposure of young people to pastoral ministry. In other words, if the church does not continually nurture the possibility of a "call" to ministry and talk openly and frequently with children and youth about God's call and how that might play out in their personal lives, chances are that the concerns over a shortage of pastors and church leaders will increase rather than decrease. We somehow need to reverse our complacency and false assumptions about producing what I label "magical ministerial leadership" and begin developing exciting, cutting edge, well-planned processes within congregations for helping persons discern their call and consider a vocation in ministry.
CONTINUING SUPPORT
Clearly the home congregation and those who have nurtured and known the candidate need to support that person through the process of discernment, call, and appropriate training for ministry. We do not have the luxury of abandoning our ministerial prospects and candidates once a person is engaged in the process. If we believe that God does call the ordinary to do the extraordinary) we also must believe that the process of training, shaping, and encouraging hands-on opportunities must be supported by the core body of believers; that is, those who helped the candidate discern the call in the first place.
Early on in the college selection process for our two sons, our family came to recognize that the colleges most serious about recruiting one of them to their campus also talked with us, from the start, about the financial packages, scholarships and loans. There was no game-playing when it came to the bottom line. The colleges told us what they could do and what they couldn't do. They told us how to get further assistance. They didn't sugarcoat the obvious expense that would be at stake. Any college serious enough about recruiting good students does not diminish or dismiss the financial realities.
If we are serious about calling and training 500 pastors within five years (1999-2003), we also will be serious about offering spiritual, emotional, and financial support with our eyes wide open. Calling and training persons for ministry is a costly process, for both the candidate and the congregation. Putting a fresh face on nurturing, calling, and training congregational leaders is going to take careful, prayerful planning. Are you ready to leave the magical ministerial leadership theory behind and embrace, in its place, momentous ministerial leadership? Momentous ministerial leadership would qualify as significant ministry decisions with consequential choices. Each congregation has the potential to move into the future, given its willingness to make momentous choices that will lead to new lands. Isn't it worth the cost?
IDEAS ON CALLING BY THE CONGREGATION
1. The pastor and other church leaders may extend personal invitations to specific persons to "shadow" the pastor for a particular event or time period. These times could include sharing specific hospital visits together, working at worship planning as a ream, sharing a day or two "on the road" with the pastor. Deacons and other church leaders might also offer a specific shadowing experience, such as assistance with an anointing service.
2. Children's messages during worship hour could be developed around the concept of listening for God's call and responding to it. What does God's voice sound like? How does one "know" when God really calls? Using biblical stories and personal testimonies of Gods call could be incorporated in this special time with the children.
3. Build curriculum for junior and senior highs so that discerning Gods call and looking seriously at ministry as vocation is offered several times during the teenage years. Teens could interview other community pastors and bring together stories of how people have experienced Gods call in their lives.
4. Congregational storytelling is an effective means of maintaining attention and sharing personal stories at designated times and places. Persons could be invited to share their personal "call" in their lives and their response. There are also wonderful stories of times when we think, in retrospect, that God was inviting us, and we "missed" the opportunity. Being honest about the listening and discerning is a very important piece of the story.
5. Quarterly sermons designed to challenge the preparation for calling, the discernment process, testing the call and affirming the call could be built into a rhythmic process for keeping the issues before the congregation in a spiritually uplifting way.
6. Matching an adult church leader mentor with a youth interested in learning more about the work of the church is a good way for a young person to experience hands-on opportunities in local church ministry.
7. Design guidelines and processes for the congregation to call and support ministerial candidates. For example, if a young adult indicated interest in pursuing the call to ministry, what is the process that your congregation will follow in helping with that discernment? How will your congregation offer support to the candidate?
8. Offer one youth a summer student staff position with the church. The position could be designed to include a variety of experiences that would help the young person gather a wide range of opportunities and share and build on gifts for ministry. All options could be considered here: full-time paid, part-time paid, part-time volunteer, The idea would be for the congregation to call out and offer the opportunity of training and experience to one youth each year.
9. Invite those with gifts and abilities to serve as worship leader) suggesting that worship resources be created especially for that service. The pastor may offer an hour during the week to help the worship leader write original pieces for worship. Church leaders and the pastor should always share personal reflections and appropriate thanks for contributing to the worship event.
10. Your ideas: How can your congregation work at calling and training persons of all ages to ministry? How would the process change if your congregation began the process of introducing "call and response" from the young children on up? What would that plan look like? How would it be carried out?
BIBLICAL TEXTS TO EXPLORE
Old Testament
Genesis 12 (Abram)
Exodus 3 (Moses)
Judges 4:1-5:31 (Deborah)
Ruth (Naomi and Ruth)
Esther (Esther)
Jeremiah 1:4-19 (Jeremiah)
Isaiah 6 (Isaiah)
New Testament
Matthew and Luke (Elizabeth and Mary)
Matthew 3:1-12 (John the Baptist)
Matthew 10, Mark 6, Luke 19 (the Disciples)
Acts 9:1-22 (Paul)
Acts 19 and 1 Timothy 4:14 (Timothy)
Romans 12:4-5
Romans l6:3-5a, Acts 18:1-4 (Priscilla and Aquila)
1 Corinthians 12:27-30
Ephesians 4:1-16
Calling the Called
BY DAVID K. SHUMATE AND EMMA JEAN WOODARD
One of the greatest shifts in our society is the dawning realization that the pattern of ministry normative during the 20th century is increasingly becoming the exception rather than the rule.
"Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest"' (Matt. 9:37-38 NRSV).
A sobering statistic was shared with the 1998 Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren. Allen Hansell, Ministry staff for the General Board, stated that over 500 ministers would need to be called, trained, and placed from 1999 through 2003. This challenge did not contemplate an expanded program of mission and ministry for the years ahead. Five hundred men and women are needed merely to address the normal attrition. Even more alarming is the knowledge that the Brethren have not called such a number in so short a time during our history. Have we forgotten the role of the congregation in the calling process?
PATTERNS OF CALLING
From the beginning, the Brethren have understood that every disciple of Jesus is called to ministry. Likewise, from our inception, we have understood that the congregation and the wider church must have persons set apart to undertake particular responsibilities and provide leadership to the people of God.
Congregations have historically been understood as the forum where these individuals are called and sent forth. Brethren believed from the beginning that the Holy Spirit speaks through the discernment of the gathered Body of Christ. Individuals did not volunteer to serve in leadership; they were called. For over 150 years ministerial leaders were chosen by the congregations gathered in council under the direction of an "adjoining" elder. These were installed as one minister among others within the same congregation. They gave of their time, experience, and giftedness to the mission of Christ's people. This system is sometimes described as the "plural, free ministry."
Very few urban congregations of the Church of the Brethren existed before the latter years of the 19th century. The Brethren were, for the most part, found in rural, isolated areas of the United States. An agricultural lifestyle meshed well with the plural, free ministry. By 1890 the rise of industrialization, changes in the speed of transportation, the diminishing frontier with its cheap land, and an awakening mission awareness were affecting the Brethren. Brethren were moving to cities and towns. The concept of several ministers serving without remuneration was unworkable in city situations where industrial employment prior to the 40-hour week required long hours. Little time was left free for ministry. As a result, urban congregations began to employ pastors. Most came from outside the congregation. Many had or received training and education to better cope with the rapidly changing conditions and culture.
Rural congregations were increasingly affected by these sociological forces. By the 1940s, a steadily shrinking number of congregations called members from within to the set-apart ministry. Calling came to be defined as employing a pastor with assistance from the institutions of the church. Few Brethren now understood calling as a process of discernment by the congregation, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to challenge and encourage persons for works of mission and ministry. As a result, discerning and answering the call to ministry has increasingly been understood as a subjective, individual process.
The ability to call out, train, and place ministerial leaders is among the most vital challenges faced by the church in our age. Our society is again undergoing rapid change. This is often described as a "paradigm shift." Since Christians live and work in society, these changes affect us all. One of the greatest shifts is the dawning realization that the pattern of ministry that we came to see as normative during the 20th century is increasingly becoming the exception rather than the rule. Congregations that have previously been able to employ trained, professional pastors on a full-time basis are finding it difficult to continue to do so. Factors as diverse as rising health care costs, declining stewardship, an aging church, changes in social mores, worship preferences, ethnic composition, mobility) and technology are forcing congregations to re-evaluate and change the type and methods of ministerial forms once taken for granted. Congregations that cannot or will not be transformed will wither and die. But other congregations will survive and thrive as they adapt to a changed context.
How can men and women be called into the set-apart ministry? What process is helpful? What is the role of congregations and districts in the calling process?
God calls forth the church and sends it into society as a prophetic and pastoral witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ultimately God calls forth leadership for the Body of Christ. Jesus calls upon us to "pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest" (Matt. 9:38 NRSV). Congregations that practice prayerful discernment as a regular discipline not only develop a strong fellowship and an effective, exciting ministry, they also call forth leadership. The congregational role in the calling of God is one of discernment, confirmation, training, and support. That role must always begin with prayer.
A PROCESS FOR CALLING
A helpful process for congregations is Calling the Called (Meanonite Publishing House, 1990) by John R. Martin. Stating that one measure of vitality for a congregation is the number of leaders it produces, Martin outlines a process that includes preparation, discernment, testing, and affirmation. The following outline from Calling the Called has been adapted for use by the Church of the Brethren.
Preparation involves engaging congregational leadership in a study of the biblical mandate for calling, embracing the calling method, and sharing it with the congregation at large. Among the foundational texts that pertain to calling and discernment are Acts 6:1-7, Acts 13:1-3, Acts 14:23, and 2 Timothy 2:2. This includes making members aware of the needs of the congregation and the wider church.
Discernment as a process happens in numerous ways. Pastors sometimes encourage likely persons to consider the ministry. Congregational leaders can identify and approach particular individuals. Most congenial with our Anabaptist roots is the suggestion that the congregation intentionally work at a self-sustaining, ongoing process of discernment. This model includes a series of sermons on characteristics and competencies needed for ministry, a season of prayerful consideration and listening to God's leading, and an open ballot process. An open ballot is a piece of paper upon which individual members indicate candidates of their preference. In our history, those receiving a majority were considered the best candidates for a call. Such a plan of election was outlined by the 1917 Annual Conference (Minister's Manual, 1940, pp. 68-69). At this point a congregation will begin to involve the district ministry commission.
Testing begins with clarifying the individual's call. Does the person called out by congregation sense an inner call? Does the individual's spiritual life support such candidacy? Is her or his spouse, if any, supportive? What area of ministry is attractive or meaningful? As these issues and others are clarified, opportunity is provided for the individual to experience various aspects of ministry. Potential ministers are given the opportunity to preach, to teach, to visit, to listen, to serve. Pastors and other accountability persons within congregations and the district provide guidance and counsel. Training and educational opportunities are required as a part of testing. These provide for sharing of knowledge, fellowship with other candidates, and formation as a minister. In this way the church is able to confirm that the person being called out has the aptitude, characteristics, and gifts necessary to serve.
Ordination is the affirmation of the congregation and district that an individual is tested, trained, and called. Prerequisites of ordination are completion of a training program and placement in one of several varieties of ministry. A two-thirds vote by the congregation and a positive action by the district board on recommendation of the ministry commission are required. Services of ordination often inspire persons to consider church vocation.
THE ROLE OF DISTRICTS
Districts can play a key role in helping congregations and individuals in the calling process. Some districts, such as Atlantic Northeast, Shenandoah, and Virlina, have sponsored intensive "Calling and Discernment" workshops where persons considering set-apart ministry in various forms receive information and inspiration. Participants in these workshops have been nominated by their pastors or congregations. One district had an increase of up to 400 percent in the number of persons actively seeking to hear God's voice. Other avenues by which districts provide assistance include interviews and testing during the licensing process, opportunities for pastoral and other ministry service, and financial aid to college and seminary students.
God may call people of any age to church leadership. Often those who are called have had previous vocations. Nevertheless, we must remember that the youth and young adult years are when vocational patterns are normally determined. Special attention must be given to inviting young people with appropriate characteristics and ministry gifts to consider the ministry. This must not stop with simple words of encouragement, but must include efforts to make worship, study, and service attractive and meaningful elements of young lives. Perhaps we must learn how to worship and work in such a way that the needs and tastes of the coming generation are valued. Individuals who are taken seriously are likely to take seriously the call of God and the church to ministerial service.
It is time for the Brethren to adopt an "apostolic" approach to ministry! Not one based on apostolic succession, but one based upon an excitement about the gospel that compels us to send forth men and women with a life-saving, world-changing truth.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Is set-apart ministry a worthwhile and valid vocation?
2. Would you encourage your son, daughter or best friend to become a minister? Why or why not?
3. Who from your congregation has been called to the ministry? What was the congregational involvement in that process?
4. What is the role of the congregation in calling individuals to the ministry?
5. What are your opinions on the "open ballot process" presented as a part of the discernment process?
6. How has or will the shortage of ministerial leadership affect your congregation?
7. Who is responsible to make sure there are enough ministers to serve us?
8. In the pastoral search process, who are you willing to call as pastor (i.e., age, gender, race, education, experience)?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Set of six videotapes, "Discerning the Call," Atlantic Northeast District, produced by David Sollenberger, 1994.
Martin, John R., Calling the Called, Scottdale, Pa.) Mennonite Publishing House, 1990.
Video, "Calling Ministerial Leadership," produced by David Sollenberger, 2000. This video is specifically designed to assist district ministry commissions with their roles and responsibilities.
Ministerial Leadership Manual, Brethren Press, 2000.
Ministerial Education
BY WARREN M. ESHBACH AND HARRIET AND RON FINNEY
From early biblical times leaders have been called and trained through mentoring, teaching, and discipline. The format and technology may change, but the need for leadership training continues.
In August before Dave was to start his junior year in high school, he attended the Church of the Brethren National Youth Conference. During that week, he responded to an invitation to commit his life more fully to Jesus Christ, and began to wonder: "Is this a call to serve the church in ministry?"
Rachel had always been an active volunteer in her local church and community during her years working as a "stay-at-home" mom. Now her children were growing up and leaving home. When the long-time pastor of their small, rural church announced his retirement, the church board chair came to Rachel and asked her to consider serving as their pastor. But she had never received training in ministry. How could she serve in that way?
Sandy was teaching school when Bethany Seminary moved to Richmond, Ind. Since it was only a 45-minute drive from her home, she decided to take a New Testament course to help her in teaching an adult Sunday school class. As she continued to take additional courses, she began to think about ministry as a "second career" when she retired from teaching in a few years. What next steps would she need to take to prepare herself for such a move?
John, who had worked for 10 years as a factory supervisor, was called by his church to be the facilitator for a ministry team of volunteers during an interim period between pastors. When the interim time extended longer than anticipated, he and the other team members wondered how they could prepare themselves to serve their congregation more effectively.
Ministry students fit many descriptions these days: men and women) young and older, semi-retired, bivocational, interim, part-time and full-time pastors) long-time Brethren and new Christians who have only recently come into the church. As God calls, and as congregations call these persons with a rich diversity of gifts and skills and experiences, education for ministry is essential to strengthen those gifts and to help persons grow in wisdom and knowledge.
APPROACHES TO TRAINING
Recognizing this diversity, and also affirming the importance of education for ministry for all persons called to be ministerial leaders, the 1999 Annual Conference paper cited four different ways a person may train for the ordained ministry within the Church of the Brethren. These include four years of study in an accredited college and three years in an accredited seminary leading to a master of divinity degree, TRIM (TRaining in Ministry), EFSM (Education for a Shared Ministry), and programs administered by districts and certified by the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. Bethany Theological Seminary) the General Board, and districts are partners in providing these ministry training options through the graduate school of the seminary, and through the various programs offered through the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. In addition, the Brethren Academy works cooperatively with the Susquehanna Valley Satellite, which provides academy-level and graduate-level programs for districts in Area I of the Church of the Brethren.
The components of ministry training essential to developing knowledge, skills, and reflection necessary for serving are similar regardless of the training option chosen by the student. These components include biblical and theological studies, ministry formation, developing ministry skills (theory and practice), and supervised ministry (working with an experienced and trained minister to actually "do ministry").
Whether planning to graduate with a master of divinity degree from an accredited seminary, or to receive a certificate of completion through TRIM, EFSM, or a district-sponsored program, all students are expected to learn how to reflect about themselves and their faith, to study so that they grow in knowledge of the faith, and to practice the skills needed for the ministry to which they are called. For some ministry students, training will need also to include specialized skills and knowledge relevant for their specific calling. This includes those who may be called to bivocational, interim, chaplaincy, teaching, camping, or youth ministries.
THEOLOGICAL GROUNDING
Some people may ask, "If someone has sensed clearly the call of God in their lives to serve in ministry, why isn't that enough? Why does the church insist that they must be trained, especially since we have a shortage of committed leaders? Won't God train those whom God has called?"
Those are good questions, and certainly God will teach those who have been called to serve the church. However, the Scriptures offer us some guidance in determining whether those called to lead need training in addition to divine guidance, and we are aware that there are pitfalls for those who have not received training for ministry. Some of the benefits of theological training include:
1. Learning the basic skills and knowledge necessary to teach, preach, and provide spiritual leadership for others. As we read in 2 Timothy 2:15, those who are called to teach others are to be "workers who have no need to be ashamed, rightly proclaiming the word of truth."
2. Learning the importance of continuing to study and mature in one's thinking.
3. Learning where to go when we don't have the answer. One of the values of an education is learning that we cant learn it all, but becoming aware of resources that are available when we have questions or need assistance.
4. Learning that we don't "know it all." Sometimes we develop a type of false humility that convinces us that we have been given "the answer," so we don't need to check our insight with the body of the church.
5. Learning that faith is a continuing journey in which we grow in body, mind, and spirit into "the fullness of the stature of Christ" (Eph. 4:15-16).
My [Harriet's] great-grandfather was a presiding elder in a congregation in Lebanon County, Pa. He did not have a college degree, but he had trained to be a teacher, and was respected as a minister who could be trusted to provide fair and clear leadership when others seemed confused or in conflict. He did not attend seminary, but was trained for ministry in the manner common among Brethren in those days--through the mentoring of more experienced ministers, and by faithfully studying the Scriptures. Evidently he also had learned some of the skills in what we today would call "conflict resolution," perhaps through observing others, through prayer and study of the Word, and through his own experiences in the life of the church. We can receive training in many ways. However, in today's hectic world it is especially important that we set time aside for the training of those whom we call into ministry.
'SPIRITUAL HARDINESS'
Another important aspect of training for ministerial leadership is finding the strength to persevere and to stay healthy despite the expectations placed upon leaders in our society, expectations that are sometimes unrealistic. In other words, how can leaders learn "spiritual hardiness" to withstand the stresses that are a part of ministry? And how can the church be more effective in supporting and encouraging those whom we call into leadership?
While training cannot automatically make ministry students spiritually hardy, it can help to provide greater self-awareness of one's own needs and how to care for oneself so as to be more effective in ministry. Continuing education, spiritual direction, personal prayer and devotion, family time, and sabbaticals are just a few of the ways in which we can care for ourselves, and encourage those serving in ministry on our behalf to take care of themselves as well. For a biblical example of how to encourage one's leaders, read about Barnabas (the Son of Encouragement) in the book of Acts. By his encouragement the newly converted Saul was accepted by the Jerusalem followers. Later his support extended to John Mark, a leader who had evidently had a time of uncertainty about his faith and ministry, but now was responding once again to God's call.
From early biblical times leaders have been called and trained through mentoring) teaching, and discipling, as was Samuel by Eli, Elisha by Elijah, Moses by Jethro, Timothy by Paul, Mary by Elizabeth, and Ruth by Naomi. As we read throughout the Gospels (e.g.: Matthew 5:1-12, 10:1-23), Jesus trained his disciples. The format and the technology may change, but the need for leadership training continues.
As we enter into a new century, computer technology enables us to provide some classes on-line, with class discussions occurring over the miles and responses of class members appearing on a computer screen. More and more students are entering ministry after having years of training and experience in other vocations. More and more churches are seeking part-time pastoral leadership, making it difficult for students to leave jobs and family for training. Therefore, we are challenged to explore creative options such as intensive classes) satellite classes, and distance learning courses using current technology with a variety of modifications to ensure quality teaching and education.
The vows of ordination, found in For All Who Minister: A Worship Manual for the Church of the Brethren (p. 298ff), include this question: "Will you continue your search for the ways of God through prayer and meditation, through serious study of the scripture, and through openness to the witness and testimony of other voices of the faith?" Quality ministerial education encourages us to acknowledge our own need to continue to grow in faith, knowledge, and understanding of the Good News we have been called to proclaim.
BIBLICAL TEXTS TO EXPLORE
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (Shema)
1 Kings 19:19-21
2 Chronicles 12:14
Ezra 7:10
Psalm 119:9-11,105
Matthew, chapters 5-7
Matthew 10:1-23
Luke 6:17-49
Acts 9:26-28, 11:22-30, 12:25, 15:36-41
2 Timothy 1:1-7,2:15
Titus 1:7-9
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Invite persons in the Church of the Brethren who have served in ministry, or who are currently in ministry training, to tell about their ministerial education. What is similar about the various training experiences they describe? What are the differences?
2. How does your congregation support your leaders? Be specific, giving examples of how you support and encourage persons in ministry, including licensed ministers, your pastor(s), and others who serve.
3. What roles do Bethany Seminary, Susquehanna Valley Satellite, the Brethren Academy, and the districts (especially the ministry commissions) have in ministerial education? Invite persons from each of these agencies or groups to describe how they participate in ministry training.
4. What are the four training opportunities available to ministry students in the Church of the Brethren? How does one begin the process of ministerial education?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Annual Conference statements:"Ministerial Leadership," 1999 and "Polity for Free Ministry," 1998.
Weems, Lovett H., Jr., Church Leadership, Nashville, Abingdon Press, 1993.
Viewbook, "Considering Leadership: Calling and Educating Leaders in the Church of the Brethren," 2000. Available from Bethany Theological Seminary or the Office of Ministry of the Church of the Brethren General Board.
Zimmerman, Angela; Ron Finney and Steve Clapp, Preaching, Planning, & Plumbing,
Christian Community Resources, 1999. Available from the Brethren Academy and Brethren Press.
Warren M. Eshbach is the dean of graduate studies of the Susquehanna Valley Satellite, Elizabethtown, Pa. He is also adjunct faculty at Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, Pa. An ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren and former executive of the Southern Pennsylvania District, he is a graduate of Gettysburg College (B.S.), Lutheran Theological Seminary (M. Div.), and McCormick Theological Seminary (D. Min.).
Harriet and Ron Finney, both ordained ministers in the Church of the Brethren, are co-coordinators of the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership and district ministers for the South Central Indiana District. Harriet has an M. Div. degree from Bethany Theological Seminary, and Ron has an M.A. degree in school administration from Colorado State University. Both have served in educational and ministry positions.
Galen R. Hackman, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, is pastor of the Conewago Church of the Brethren near Hershey, Pa. He holds the MAR degree from Evangelical School of Theology, Myerstown, Pa. With over 25 years of experience in the preaching and teaching ministry, Galen has served with a plural team of ministers, as a full-time pastor, and as a missionary in Nigeria.
Allen T. Hansell, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, is the General Board's director of Ministry. A graduate of Bridgewater College (B.A. '64) and Bethany Theological Seminary (M. Div. '67, D. Min. '83), Allen served 23 years as a pastor and 8 years as the executive of Atlantic Northeast District.
Janice Glass Kensinger, a licensed minister in the Church of the Brethren, is the coordinator of Congregational Life Team, Area 1. Prior ministry included 14 years of specialized ministry with youth in Atlantic Northeast District and one year as chaplain/pastor at The Brethren Home Community, New Oxford, Pa.
Nancy Knepper, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, is coordinator of District Ministries for the General Board. Nancy served as the director of Outdoor Ministries for the General Board for eight years, and before that as director of Camp Eder in the Southern Pennsylvania District and Camp Ithiel in the Atlantic Southeast District.
Carol Mason Page, a licensed minister in the Church of the Brethren, has done seminary work with the Institute for Ecumenical Studies in Seattle, Wash., as well as with TRIM (TRaining in Ministry). Living in Centralia, Wash., Carol is currently teaching and directing choirs and is a writer for Lafiya, an Association of Brethren Caregivers program for healthy congregations.
Jeff Neuman-Lee, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, is pastor of Panther Creek Church of the Brethren near Des Moines, Iowa. A graduate of Bethany Theological Seminary (M. Div. '79), Jeff is currently the chair of the Northern Plains District Ministry Commission.
David Shumate, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, is district executive in Virlina District. He has served as a pastor in Virginia and Illinois and is a graduate of Concord College (B.S. '80) and Bethany Theological Seminary (M, Div. '85).
Christy Waltersdorff, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, is pastor of the York Center Church of the Brethren, Lombard, Ill. A 1990 graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Christy is currently a member of the Church of the Brethren General Board and its Executive Committee.
Emma Jean Woodard, interim associate district executive, Virlina District, is a graduate of Bluefield College (A.A. '70) and Bowie State University (B.A. '89). Emma Jean has served three interim pastorates in Virginia.
Addresses of agencies related to this study
| Church of the Brethren Annual Conference 1451 Dundee Ave. Elgin, IL 60120-1694 Phone: 800-323-8039, ext. 296 www.brethren.org/AC |
Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership 615 National Road West Richmond, IN 47374 Phone: 800-287-8222, ext. 1822 |
| Church of the Brethren General Board Office of Ministry 1451 Dundee Ave. Elgin, IL 60120-1694 Phone: 800-323-8039, ext. 208 www.brethren.org/genbd/ministry |
Susquehanna Valley Satellite One Alpha Drive Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2298 Phone: 717-361-1195 |
| Bethany Theological Seminary 615 National Road West Richmond, IN 47374 Phone: 800-287-8822 www.brethren.org/bethany |
District Offices, Ministry Web Page www.brethren.org/genbd/ministry (See congregational vacancies section) |
Back to General Board Home Page | Back to Church of the Brethren Home Page
© 2001 Church of the Brethren. All rights reserved.
