 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | PRACTICAL WISDOM FOR LEADING CONGREGATIONS |
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Pastoral leadership is not about having all the answers and always being right. It's about knowing deeply and authentically who you are, with all your flaws and brokenness, says the Rt. Rev. Scott Benhase. "And that comes out of self-knowledge and self-reflection about your own things 'done and left undone,' your own fragility," said Benhase, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. "It's not 'Do these things and you'll be fine' but instead 'Take on the authentic self that you have and be willing to share that with other people.' Create a context in which the leader is one who stands in the midst of the people, constantly proclaiming the great narrative of redemption in Jesus Christ," he said. Benhase called pastoral ministry "the hardest job in the world" but said it can be done well without losing one's soul and mind. "But to do that, you have to be clear about who you are, and where you stand, and who you're standing next to, and who you're kneeling before, and what your word is to yourself and to the world around you," he said. Benhase was elected bishop of Georgia in September 2009. Before that, he served for 25 years in pastoral ministry, most recently at churches in Washington, D.C., Durham, North Carolina, and Charlottesville, Virginia. He spoke recently with our colleagues at Faith & Leadership about his new book.
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| | CAN THESE BONES PODCAST: AMY BUTLER |
At first, the Rev. Dr. Amy Butler chafed at being identified as the first woman to lead The Riverside Church in the City of New York. But she has come to believe that her role as a pioneer is something to embrace. In her conversation with "Can These Bones" co-host Bill Lamar, she talks frankly about the sexism she has faced, the effect growing up in Hawaii has had on her leadership, and the memoir she is writing about taking on a new role while at the same time facing her younger brother's death. She also reflects on the power of community to help find life in the "valley of dry bones."
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| | IDEAS THAT IMPACT: PASTORAL LEADERSHIP |
The formational stages of pastoral ministry are filled with turbulent, fast-moving waters that unfold quickly for pastors who are doing the paddling. Here's some tips on navigating the rapids.
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A pastor re-envisions his primary vocation not as a preacher, teacher, healer or administrator but as a host, a "convener." It wasn't what seminary prepared him for, but it's a high and holy calling.
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| by Bruce Epperly
Starting with Spirit is a spiritual and professional resource for new pastors, their family members, and congregations, as well as ministers in every season of ministry who seek to grow in vitality and skill in the ongoing adventure of ministry. For more than thirty years, Bruce Epperly has followed the call of the spirit, moving through his vocations as a congregational pastor, university chaplain, seminary and university professor, and seminary administrator. Drawing on these experiences, he addresses the new pastor's transition from seminary student to congregational leader; pastoral authority; the 'honeymoon;' boundaries; death; the pastor's spiritual life, health, and relationships; the role of the associate pastor; and continuing education.
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