I’m teaching a new course titled “How to Thrive and Succeed as a Congregational Ministry Associate.†The course features a narrative component that consists of visits from “practitioners.†These are ministry associates, “second chair†leaders, currently in congregations. The visitors were at several stages in the trajectory of professional ministry. Some were just starting their first or second years in ministry and some were seasoned veterans with many years of experience. Each was asked to share about their calling and to tell the story of their professional ministry experience.
Last week we offered “equal time†to a “first chair†leader. A former pastor, who only recently changed his ministry context, I asked him to share as part of his presentation a list of the “Five Things Pastors Want Staff to Understand.†Here is his list:
1. It’s not about you. It’s about the congregation, the Church, and the call to ministry.
2. Numbers matter. Numbers are not the measure of everything, but they are important to know. For example, numbers can reveal the “reach†of your congregation.
3. Clergy are called to embody the Gospel. This pastor cited tithing as an example, stressing why it is important for pastors and staff to practice tithing. His challenge: “Stop your whining and pay your tithe.â€
4. Fifty hours of work a week is the standard in ministry. Ministry is complex and demanding and it’s not a nine to five job.
5. Be ye doers of the word. It is not enough to organize others to do ministry, this pastor said. “You have to do it yourself.†Ministry is about doing something for Jesus, not just getting others to do it, he said.
This is a great list for the ideal situation. However, what if the “first chair” does not model all of these? Should they model all of these? Did the former pastor give suggestions on what the associate should do if the “first chair” does not model the entire list? Do the “second chairs” do as the “first chairs”? I would like feedback on that. It can be a challenge to do as this list says, if the one we answer to does not.
Great question, Linda. Two short responses:
(1) my own personal value is to “set your own standards.” I’m less interested with how poorly others do their work than I am with whether or not I’m living up to and into my own standards of excellence. (However, if another person’s poor work affects mine, then I need to deal with it).
(2) Another insight from the course has been that the success of the second chair is often tied to the maturity, professionalism, and health (mental and spiritual) of the first chair. Therefore, choose your first chair wisely. If you discern that your first chair is going be a difficult person (insecure, unhealthy, immature, micromanager, etc.), then just don’t go to that church. The church has chosen that first chair pastor, for better or worse. If you get clear that it’s not a healthy or workable situation for you, then it’s their loss.
That being said, what happens if you are the second chair working happily and functionally with the first chair. Then the first chair decides to move on. You are left for a period of time without a first chair. The church then calls a first chair who is like the difficult person you mentioned in your second response. You do the best you can to stay focused and stick to your call. You also get clear about options. The waiting can be difficult. The disappointment with leaving a great church can be heartbreaking.