THE SQUARE PASTOR IN A ROUND CHURCH
How much do you change to fit a peculiar people?
Dave Wilkinson
January 1, 1990
The Reverend Doctor R. Thomas Martin knew he was out of place as soon as he arrived as pastor of California's Corona Del Sol Community Church. The large cross crafted from the shattered surfboards of hapless former pastors gave him his first clue. The liturgical break-dance group practicing in the sanctuary confirmed his dark suspicion. The pastor nominating committee had not told him the whole truth. Corona Del Sol and R. Thomas Martin are mythical, but pastors out of their element are very real. The life of a square peg in a round hole can be painful-for the peg as well as the hole. I've been in that situation to a degree, and over the years I've talked with other pastors who find their distinctive corners jammed against the church's contours. The Square-peg Experience
"Square pegness" can take a variety of forms. One of the most common is a difference in life experience. Susan Baker, a Presbyterian pastor, grew up in a large church in suburban California. She attended college in California and then seminary. Then she accepted a call to serve a circuit of three small churches in the rural Midwest. For Susan, square pegness is almost total. She is a woman, pastoring in churches and a region accustomed to male pastors. She entered this conservative habitat fresh out of a seminary noted for theological diversity and controversial positions on social issues. She is single in a world of married couples. Her background and education effectively set her apart from the people she serves. Square pegness also can mean a difference in orientation. Growth-oriented pastors may introduce their sharp angles into contentedly static round holes. They come to lead a charge only to find the congregation wants a chaplain for the wounded. Plans for ...
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