COMMENTARY: Lessons for the new flock from a veteran new pastor

c. 2007 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Other than common-sense civility _ be nice, be patient, be fair _ what advice would I give a congregation that’s welcoming a new pastor? First, realize that this moment of newness matters. Take it seriously. Revolving-door clergy happen, in large part, because new pastorates start poorly. A succession of […]

c. 2007 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Other than common-sense civility _ be nice, be patient, be fair _ what advice would I give a congregation that’s welcoming a new pastor?

First, realize that this moment of newness matters. Take it seriously. Revolving-door clergy happen, in large part, because new pastorates start poorly. A succession of short-term pastorates squanders time and resources.


Second, be honest. Clergy-calling committees rarely tell enough truth to prospective pastors. They’re selling, after all, not confessing. Sales brochures aren’t a basis for serious work. The “best foot” that you put forward, like the pastor’s best foot, now needs to be joined by “the rest of the story.”

This means more than bad news. It means being honest about your roles in the bad news. It takes an entire village to drive members away, to perpetuate old arguments, to undermine budgets and to allow infrastructure to deteriorate.

Third, let go. Let go of old wounds and frustrated expectations. Why burden the new pastor with unresolved issues from a former pastorate? If you didn’t deal with them when the former pastor was here, or during the immediate aftermath, that’s your burden to bear, not the new pastor’s.

Let go of control. No community _ church, family, marriage, workplace _ can thrive if some are addicted to control. Forcing a new pastor into a box might satisfy your desire for safety, comfort, privilege or power. But it undermines trust and endangers tomorrow. Daily bread comes from God, not from your firm hand on the wheel.

Fourth, listen and learn. You want your new pastor to feel capable, wise and empowered to dream, think and act. To draw the best out of your pastor, be a listener. Ask questions like, “What is your vision?” “What are you learning?” “What matters to you?”

This is more than stroking a clerical ego. It also is the best way for you to learn. Fresh eyes see things differently. Fresh ears hear what you have stopped hearing. Fresh imaginations dare to dream. You should encourage that freshness, not feel threatened by it or try to bury it in your words.

Fifth, refrain from the satisfaction of pouncing. You can assume that your new pastor will make mistakes _ not recognizing people, not knowing local customs, not managing staff effectively, not making good decisions. It takes time for any leader to be effective. If you catalog mistakes and pounce on them, you only delay the onset of effectiveness and, quite likely, undercut confidence.


I know it feels good to catch your new pastor in error. But that is a child’s form of feeling good. Be a partner in making progress, not a predator pouncing on weakness.

Finally, see the new pastorate for what it is: a fresh start. You might have wanted continuity, not a fresh start. You might be weary of the young-colt gawkiness of a new pastor: the amazed discoveries that aren’t really discovery to you; the bright ideas that sound uninformed; the changes, intended or unintended, that strike you as unnecessary. But future vitality doesn’t lie in your avoiding weariness, it lies in the freshness of a new leader.

In our journeys with God, both as individuals and as communities, each day is a new day. Each step must be forward to Canaan, not backward to bondage. Each valley must be filled with the grace of God, not with accumulated resentments, fears, stale bread and stale ideas.

(Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest based in New York. He is the author of “Just Wondering, Jesus,” and the founder of the Church Wellness Project, http://www.churchwellness.com. His Web site is http://www.morningwalkmedia.com.)

A photo of Tom Ehrich is available via https://religionnews.com.

KRE DS END EHRICH

Donate to Support Independent Journalism!

Donate Now!