Min. Yolanda Chambers

 Overview  Church Leaders  Church Staff  Other Ministers  Other Churches  Other Professionals  Conclusion  Questions

 In this Chapter we will see the importance of the ministers relationships within the church  We will explore the concept of cooperating colleague versus competitor  We will discuss ministerial accountability to one another, to the ministerial profession and to God.

 In a church, members are not only clients or customers, but they are also colleagues.  Good relationships among ministers and church leaders are crucial ◦ Trust is essential for these relationships to survive

 Areas of Trust ◦ To be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leadership ◦ To be concerned about their spiritual welfare rather than his/hers ministerial reputation ◦ To be a person of integrity ◦ Example: Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1:16)  People believe in a minister’s program, project or preaching, because they first believe in him/her.

 Statistics 1984 ◦ 88 ministers were fired a month across the nation ◦ Two primary causes  Disunity of the congregation  Interpersonal skills of the minister  Statistics 1988 ◦ 88 to 116 average ministers were fired a month across the nation ◦ Two primary causes  Lack of communication between the ministers and church leaders  Immorality of the minister

 Ministerial competence involves developing the pastoral skills necessary to minister effectively.  No one ever arrives at total perfection in every area.  Ministers are ethically obligated to continue to develop their skills as long as they minister to others in God’s name.  Ministerial Competence also involves developing personal skills.

 In churches, communication occurs on two levels: ◦ Formal Level ◦ Informal Level  Clear communication is essential

 Healthy wholeness as a person and a parson is a goal for all ministers to avoid pitfalls of being terminated, “sat-down” or removed from leadership.  Faulkner indicates that being a healthy minister is essential to: ◦ Self-preservation ◦ Effectiveness ◦ Personal Growth  Both Physical and Spiritual Health are necessary

 From Titus 3:1-5, Faulkner derives the characteristics of a healthy minister. Healthy ministers: ◦ Respect authority ◦ Are ready for every good deed ◦ Malign no one ◦ Are not contentious ◦ Are gentle ◦ Are kind

 Faulkner also summarizes the evidence shown from a healthy minister’s is: ◦ Grow ◦ Have a place for retreat ◦ Have a sense of humor ◦ Can live without knowing ◦ Are not preoccupied with suspicion and resentment ◦ Have learned the art of forgiveness

 The practice of ministry is intrinsically involved in one’s understanding of theological truth.  Relationships with staff members become theological action.  Relationships with staff members also become ethical actions.  Staff relationship Example: Moses and the selection of the judges found in Exodus 18:13-23.

 Concepts to glean from Moses experience ◦ Called - The people who served with Moses were called from among the congregation. All ministers are called from God. ◦ Collegiality – Ministers serve God together. They serve as colleagues in the Lord’s service.  Team approach to ministry  Responsibility, however, may not always be totally equal  Fits with Jesus’ teachings about servanthood (Mark 10:42-45)

 Additional Concepts ◦ Characteristics – Shown in Exodus 18: The people chosen to assist Moses had some basic characteristics:  Capability – The person who serves in any ministering task must be capable of doing the job. Capability comes through in:  God-given spiritual gifts  The natural gifts the person possesses  The acquires skills the individual gains through education and experience

◦ Additional Characteristics  Commitment – Christian commitment is expected.  Competence – Trustworthy leaders. Competence is an ethical imperative for each person ministering with a church staff.  Character – An essential characteristic of a minister.  People are more impressed by a preacher’s life than by sermons.

 Consequences of ethical staff relationships ◦ Relates to the staff  You will be able to stand the strain (Exodus 18:23)  Ethical and fulfilling relationships on a church staff enable the staff to work more effectively ◦ Relates to the church  All these people will go home satisfied (v.23)  Ethical relationships help staff members:  Perform the ministry  Meet the needs of the people  Exemplify the servant model of ministry  Satisfy the congregation

 Ethical staff relationships ◦ Rules of the Road  Respect one another as persons and ministers.  Give one another the gift of attention.  Recognize that every staff has problems and see these as opportunities for growth and not division.  Handle conflict fairly  Spend some time away from the pressures of the church and get to know one another as persons.  Remember that the stuff models relationships for the rest of the church.

 Ministers all have predecessors and successors.  Ministers all serve in areas with ministers of their own, as well as other denominations.  Ministers should honor and respect those who preceded them.  Above all, no effort should be made to discredit or dishonor the other minister.

 A ministers colleagues also include ministers in churches of other denominations.  Ministers within a community should know one another personally.  Life is enriched and ministry is expanded when a minister knows, respects and appreciates ministers of other faith groups.

 Ministers should be professionals without becoming mere professionals.  Professional ministers should always be: ◦ Competent in practicing their ministry ◦ Exemplary in their personal conduct ◦ Capable of meeting the demands placed on them ◦ Responsive to calls for ministry  Professional should never mean a cold, calculating, uncaring person.

 If ministers act in a manner that is unbecoming to a minister, they are said to have behaved unprofessionally.  The spiritual ministry is an integral part of the healing process.  A minister is a part of a healing team and helps people of the church and community find and experience wholeness.

 For ministers to relate properly to their professional colleagues, they must be emotionally mature. An emotionally mature minister must have: ◦ The capacity for healthy self-acceptance ◦ The capacity to maintain durable relationships ◦ The ability to work with people who hold different value orientations ◦ The capacity to delay present gratification for future and more permanent satisfactions ◦ The ability to cope with indecision or mental paralysis

 Emotionally mature continued ◦ The ability to achieve a large measure of objectivity ◦ The ability to get along with other people, to tolerate their views and values without becoming dogmatic and defensive about one’s own ◦ A sense of humor ◦ Love ◦ The capacity to care

 The minister must learn to work together with other ministers in a non-competitive manner as members of a team.  Communication is key to the relationships between ministers, church members and other leaders.  Ministers must be professional at all times when interacting with church members, staff and others within the community.