THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 19, 1994 TAG: 9411190058
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E8 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
SOURCE: Betsy Mathews Wright
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
A FEW WEEKS AGO, my husband Bernie attended a weeklong training session in another town. In his absence, I decided to change a few things around the home we moved into in August. Two buddies and I moved furniture, switched rooms around, painted, hung pictures and put finishing touches on the place.
Bernie hates surprises, and he wasn't real thrilled about this one.
``All week long,'' he said, as he tried to figure out which room I'd hidden his underwear in, ``I've led discussions about participatory management. This is something I've always tried to implement here at home. And now I come home to this?''
Oooops. He's right. Since the day we met, Bernie and I have been a team, always talking things through, always involving our kids in the decision-making process. Even though we had talked abstractly about ``doing things'' to the house, I never really sat down with him or the kids to outline what those ``things'' would be.
Luckily we have the kind of relationship that allowed us to talk it through, kiss and then laugh about it. Luckily, he and the kids like all the changes.
A lot of congregations aren't so lucky. A lot of clergy haven't heard about or don't believe in participatory management. A lot of clergy believe they - and only they - know for certain what their congregation needs.
``I, and only I, possess God's vision for our church and the laity will have to just buy it,'' they think to themselves . . . or even have the audacity to express out loud.
In their excellent book, ``Leading the Congregation,'' Norman Shawchuck and Roger Heuser say that while it is essential for a clergy person to possess and express God's vision for his or her ministry, ``vision is not in the leader's private domain.
``In a healthy congregation,'' Shawchuck and Heuser write, ``vision will reside in the hearts of many, as the leaders set the people free to discern God's vision for their life and ministry. A congregation is at its best when vision is breaking out everywhere.''
The two authors go on to say that vision belongs to God and that God ``dreams it in the life of the congregation.'' They say that vision cannot become a reality if it is not shared.
They also write about a favorite theme of mine: empowering the laity.
Last Monday morning, I touched on this theme in a speech to 25 ministers from the Portsmouth District of the United Methodist Church. The minister who asked me to speak wanted to know what condition Christianity is in today, judging from my wide contacts in the community.
Never ask me my opinion if you don't really want it.
``People want authority,'' I told them, ``but they don't entirely trust traditional authority figures. I hate to tell you, but you - the clergy - are those traditional authority figures. The laity strongly suspects that you are a big part of the problem. They don't entirely trust you.''
This, I told the group, leaves clergy with the problem of building, then constantly reinforcing, trust among the people.
One of the most effective ways to do this, I said, is to empower the laity. Be honest with them. Let them know the power structure of your house of worship. Make them aware of their rights. Let them know when important issues are coming up and how they can give input into the decision-making process. Don't play the ``knowledge is power'' game, sharing with your congregation only those things you arrogantly believe it needs to know.
Participatory management means more than just selling a vision. It means getting everybody involved in the vision, including defining just what that vision is.
``If you truly want relief from an overwhelming schedule,'' I told the ministers, ``and if you truly want the people in the pews to get off their butts and volunteer, and if most importantly you truly want them to get off their wallets and give, then you darn well better let them have a say in what's going on. The absolute best way to do that is to educate them of their rights. Empower the laity.''
While I'm sure other leaders of other faiths have expressed this same message, I find that the words of Jesus Christ (Christian Testament Gospel of Matthew 20:25-28, Living Bible Version) best captures the idea.
``Among the heathen, kings are tyrants and each minor official lords it over those beneath him. But among you (disciples) it is quite different. Anyone wanting to be a leader among you must be your servant. And if you want to be right at the top, you must serve like a slave. Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.''
Servant mentality. Empowered laity. Participatory management. They're all part of the same parcel. They're all part of a good idea.
And by the way, Bernie, can we talk about the yard next? MEMO: Every other week, Betsy Mathews Wright publishes responses to her
opinion column. Send responses to Issues of Faith, The Virginian-Pilot,
150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510; call (804) 446-2273; FAX
(804) 436-2798; or send computer message via bmw(AT)infi.net. Deadline
is Tuesday prior to publication. Must include name, city and phone
number. by CNB