The First Year
Robert Kemper
Beginning a new pastorate means first establishing a relationship in which trust can grow. Doing so will benefit each partner for more than the first months, but for years to come.
—Robert Kemper
Protestant clergy follow what John Wesley called "an itinerant tradition." We change pastorates often. Clergy and parishes come to many endings and consequently many beginnings. But just because the process of changing leaders is commonplace, it doesn't mean it's uniform or easy.
I've made this transition three times during my ministry. I've discovered that old opinion—that the first year is critical—is correct. How I handle that first year makes a huge difference in the rest of my stay at a church. Having been through three first years, I've learned a few things.
The Goal: Building Mutual Trust
I've found that the essential factor in enduring, mutually satisfying pastor-parish relationships is trust. More particularly, the congregation and pastor need to allow each other to fulfill specialized roles, to respect each other's status, responsibilities, and privileges.
To use Paul's imagery, there are different parts in the body. An eye does not do what a kidney does. Healthy bodies of Christ are those in which the various parts function both autonomously and symbiotically, where people respect the gifts of others and contribute themselves to the good of the whole.
One minister arrived in his new parish well-qualified and well-meaning, but his previous ministry had been that of a military chaplain. So by instinct, the new minister "took command" of the new parish. From his office came directives on everything from finance to faith. However, the congregation was not a battalion, and quickly came hostile to him. He did not trust them; they ...
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