Two Clergy Privileges And Responsibilities

by Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader

No one is going to do this for you. And, you really don’t want anyone to do so. This is uniquely yours to do, part of the privilege and responsibility of being clergy.

What I’m talking about is the ordering of your vocational life. After coaching clergy and church staff since 2003, after serving as a pastor myself, it’s clear that we are largely responsible for ourselves when it comes to these two key areas of clergy-life.

• Effectively managing ourselves in the context of ministry

• Effectively managing our weekly vocational rhythms

Let’s explore each of these, considering how we might relate to them.

First, it’s satisfying to see the emphasis on clergy self-care gain so much attention in seminaries and clergy circles, correcting some of the workaholism of my father’s generation. This is a needed shift. Now Personnel Committees, SPRCs, and Mutual Ministry Committees in churches are proactively looking in on the well-being of their clergy and church staff. This was a rarity thirty years ago; so encouraging now.

Yet, I’ve noticed, that as much as these church teams want their clergy and church staff to practice healthy rhythms and to be well, they are unable to do that for their clergy and church staff persons. They are not in charge of us, as it should be. The most well-intentioned church teams typically trust their clergy and staffs to manage themselves well in their ministry contexts.

Practically speaking, this means that managing ourselves well in our ministry contexts is part of what it means to be a pastor or church staff person. This is part of being a professional person, managing ourselves so we minimize the likelihood of burn-out and vocational crashing.

But, but, but…..

Yes, I know, church systems demand more of us than we can reasonably give. Though people in churches want us to be well, they also expect us to fulfill the role. This means that if we wait around for the pace of church life to slow, or the demands to decrease, before we take charge of our well-being, we will wait forever. Instead it is up to us to take time off, to honor our days off, to walk away when we need to, to lay down the To Do List.

I can remember countless coaching conversations wherein clergy and church staff feel victimized by church schedules, eventually leading to resentment. I can also remember the significant unwillingness of many clergy and staff persons to address what needs attention in order to create an environment where sustained ministry can happen.

This can be done. It is done. And we can do this. Effectively managing ourselves in the context of ministry is our privilege and responsibility, and it can be done.

The second key clergy competency that opens to door to effective ministry and a sustainable lifestyle is managing our weekly rhythms.

We all know about the relentless march of Sundays. I like that old analogy that preaching is like delivering a baby on Sunday and waking up pregnant again on Monday. Surely we are birthing new worship experiences and sermons each week, along with a long list of other activities.

Yesterday I was with a high-functioning church staff team. They are committed and hard-working, constantly giving of themselves toward mission implementation. They, like many church staffs, struggle with being available for drop-in visits to the church office while also working to prepare worship, plan meetings, and get other work done. We discussed what professionals in other settings are trained in… discerning how much response versus self-directed proactive time is needed in their roles.

This is another part of church life that the disciples in our churches can’t do for us. This is ours to manage. When it’s not working well, our work is to address what’s happening, talking with those we need to talk with, developing a system that works. I can tell you from experience with clergy and church staff that it’s very easy to blame the church system, but those who make progress here are those who move beyond blame into proactive action.

This can be done. This is done. We can manage our work rhythms effectively as clergy and church staff. Not perfectly… no one is there. But effectively, yes.

As I write this, I’m aware that some will roll their eyes, believing I surely don’t understand what it’s really like in their context. This means managing ourselves effectively in these two ways is very difficult. The systems in which we inhabit are not structured for this. Yet, this still can be done. Not easy, yet possible. Right now I’m visualizing the faces of so many clergy and church staff whose lives are so much better and sustainable because of their effective self and rhythm management.

Ready to give it a go? Let us know if you want help. Through God’s grace, power, and guidance, we can do this… effectively managing ourselves and our weekly rhythms in ministry.