High-Stakes Gamble
Leith Anderson
Before making a change, confronting a member, or launching a new program, the pastor needs to figure out if there are enough chips to lose and live.
—Leith Anderson Pastoring a church is like playing a game of poker (although I must admit I've never known a real poker-playing parson). Like poker, pastoring is an exercise that combines skill and providence to sort out winners and losers, often with frighteningly high stakes. Your initial stake
Just a desire to play and win never got anyone a seat at a poker table. A poker player needs chips to enter the game—a stake. When a new pastor is called to a church, a pile of chips is normally stacked up for use as the pastor chooses. They represent the good favor and support of the church people. They may be saved for a rainy day or risked in the first hand of play. Many complex factors contribute to the number of invisible chips provided the new pastor. If the vote to call was 99 percent affirmative, it's usually good for ninety-nine chips. However, a squeaker vote of exactly 66 2/3 percent is seldom worth more than twenty-five chips. There is already a built-in doubt about the new pastor's ability to lead the congregation. Even here lie some subtleties only the most experienced players recognize: The reason is more important than the number. Suppose the call is only 75 percent affirmative because 25 percent felt the selection was hurried after the accidental death of the previous pastor. In other words, 100 percent of the members liked the candidate, but some voted no for procedural reasons. In this case, the new pastor will probably still receive a full pile of one hundred chips. On the other hand, even a unanimous vote can mean trouble. After being turned down by three consecutive candidates, ...
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