Ministerial Integrity PDF

 0LQLVWHULDO,QWHJULW\ Someone once asked former Methodist bishop, and former dean of Duke University Chapel, William Willimon, “What is the proof of Easter?” He responded by saying: The proof of Easter is that this Sunday, in a little crossroads in North Dakota, a preacher I know will stand...

 0LQLVWHULDO,QWHJULW\ Someone once asked former Methodist bishop, and former dean of Duke University Chapel, William Willimon, “What is the proof of Easter?” He responded by saying: The proof of Easter is that this Sunday, in a little crossroads in North Dakota, a preacher I know will stand in the pulpit and proclaim the grace of God in Christ even though in four years at this church none of her fifty parishioners has complimented her work or told her how much her ministry means to them.1 This chapter on integrity seeks to highlight the qualities of character that enliven, encourage, and sustain pastoral ministry, particularly in difficult times and challenging circumstances. Focusing on the personal integrity of the pastoral leader we will explore issues of wholeness, balance, the setting of boundaries, and the establishment of holy and life-giving habits. All of which point to the integral connection between who the pastor is? (the question of being), and what the pastor does? (the question of doing). It is our contention that the opposite is also true, that doing can and does shape being, that action can and does form character, and that practice can and does affect personal identity. For this exploration we rely primarily on two excellent resources. The first, from which we have already quoted, is William Willimon's work, Calling and Character: Virtues of the Ordained Life. Devoted to clergy ethics, this book expands upon the fundamental notion that pastoral leaders are held to higher moral standards, and it stresses that pastors must find appropriate ways to address this reality for themselves and for the sake of those whom they are called to serve. The second resource is titled Resilient Ministry: What Pastors Told Us about Surviving and Thriving, compiled and written by Bob Burns, Tasha D. Chapman, and Donald C. Guthrie. Based on a 5-year study funded by the Lilly Foundation, this in-depth and extended conversation with working pastors provides practical advice for building healthy, sustainable, and long-lasting pastoral ministry in the context of the contemporary mainline Church. Utilizing these resources we will first consider the peculiarities of clergy ethics (as opposed to general Christian ethics), we will then examine what is meant by “ministerial integrity,” and, lastly, we will look at the phenomenon of “clergy burnout.” The chapter concludes with suggestions about how to build and maintain priestly integrity while at the same time attending to one's own ongoing spiritual formation. :K\&OHUJ\(WKLFV" All baptized Christians are called to witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus. All are to represent Christ and the Church in all that they are and in all that they do. All are to use the gifts they have been given to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world. If baptism is the fountainhead from which all ministry flows, and if ordination is a subset within the broader ministry of the baptized, then why is there a separate branch of clergy ethics and not one overarching and comprehensive field of Christian ethics? After all, are not all disciples, lay and ordained, faced with the same ethical challenges and moral quandaries? While this is true in general, there are, in fact, peculiar moral and ethical dilemmas that are specific to clergy. From among the baptized, the Church has found it valuable to call some to lead the Church. More specifically, ordained leaders are called to preach and teach the Word of God, to administer the sacraments faithfully, to pastor to congregations, and to equip and encourage the ministry of all those committed to their care. Ordained pastors have the dual responsibility of serving as role models for those within the community, as well as serving as leaders who visibly represent a way of life that stands in stark contrast to the world outside the Church. It is thus the demands of the pastoral role and the requisite personal integrity that constitute the higher standard by which clergy are judged, and point to the need for a specific ethic of pastoral leadership.2 This is not a new idea. Willimon, drawing heavily on the work of the fourth-century Bishop of Constantinople, John Chrysostom: believes that the “peculiar nature of the pastorate, caring for the community, makes the priesthood a particularly demanding vocation.” It is the politics of it all that makes the pastoral ministry so difficult … “dignified yet modest, awe-inspiring yet kindly, masterful yet accessible, impartial yet courteous, humble yet not servile, vehement yet gentle.” … The pastoral overseer must hold all of these conflicting qualities together in his person yet will only one thing, “the edification of the Church.” Politically, a good priest must have “a thousand eyes in every direction.”3 The rite of ordination stands in the shadow of the great sacrament of baptism. However, the peculiar demands of this specific baptismal vocation require a unique embodiment of Christian character and personal integrity. :KDWLV0LQLVWHULDO,QWHJULW\" To live with ministerial, pastoral, or priestly integrity is to live an undivided life. More specifically, the pastoral leader practices what is preached, holds the same values and behaviors in public as in private, draws no distinction between major and minor moments. Rather, all of life is united in a relationship with God and making that relationship the foundation for everything else. Our current English word for integrity holds within it the sense of two Latin words: integer and integritas. The first integer means whole, or complete; and the second integritas means sound, right, or unimpaired. Our modern usage of the term conveys both meanings, and this is particularly true when used in reference to priestly integrity. Rather than pastoral ethics being defined as a set of fixed norms, prescribed moral behaviors, or a list of principles that can be crossed off when achieved, the core of integrity is grounded in a relationship to the living God whose wisdom, justice, and love shall forever exceed our own. … The life of integrity holds God at the very center. It bends the heart, soul, and strength of life  itself toward loving God. It grounds all deeds, all thoughts, all comings and goings in the divine-human bond.4 While this is true of all Christians, it is especially true for ordained Christian leaders. This expanded definition serves as a reminder that ordained ministry is also a profession, in the truest sense of the word. In fact the term “profession” was first applied to clergy. A professional is a person who has something to profess: a specific body of knowledge, an allegiance to a higher good, or a vow or commitment to something greater than one's self. Most modern professions see their primary goal as serving customers, while for clergy this is a secondary concern. Clergy profess God, serve God, and are ultimately accountable to God alone, and this is the standard by which ministry is judged.5 When this is forgotten, trouble is not far behind. In a culture of omnivorous need, all-consuming narcissism, clergy who have no more compelling motive for their ministry than “meeting people's needs” are dangerous to themselves and to a church that lacks a clear sense of who it is. … We must be called, recalled to the joy of being grasped by something greater than ourselves, namely our vocation to speak and to enact the Word of God among God's people … morality comes as a gracious by- product of being attached to something greater than ourselves, of being owned, claimed, commandeered for larger purposes.6 Again, drawing on the life and extraordinary witness of John Chrysostom, Willimon points to the paradoxical nature of priestly integrity. According to Chrysostom, the preacher must toil long and hard in sermon preparation and at the same time be utterly indifferent to the praise or scorn of those who would receive it.7 [A] preacher must “despise praise.” At the conclusion of one of his sermons in Constantinople, when the congregation broke into enthusiastic applause, Chrysostom turned on the congregation and mocked them for applauding what they had no intention of taking to heart, derided them as scoundrels unworthy of the gospel, and announced all applause would hereafter be forbidden in the  church. … This announcement brought down the house with applause.8 The priestly profession may be accountable to God alone, but it is lived out amid people with differing expectations, amid a Church with rapidly changing demands, and amid a culture with increasing indifference. The next section looks at the toll that differing expectations, changing demands, and increasing indifference can take on those called to this profession. &OHUJ\%XUQRXW Willimon believes that the problem that has been termed “clergy burnout” is more a problem of morale than of morals. There is much evidence to support his thesis. A summary of a recent survey of clergy found that: 80% of clergy believe the demands of pastoral leadership affect them negatively. 33% believe that pastoral ministry is a hazard to their families. 75% have had a crisis due to stress at least once in their ministry. 50% felt that they are unable to meet all the demands of their ministry. 90% felt that they were not adequately trained to meet the demands placed on them. 40% reported at least one serious conflict with at least one parishioner at least once a month. 70% do not have someone they consider a close friend. 37% admitted having been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in their congregation.9 This is only a sampling. In addition, there are disturbing numbers of clergy who are chronically depressed and who are either overweight or obese. All are signs of burnout, which can be defined as the “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.”10 In his book Clergy Burnout, Fred Lehr goes so far as to say that these outward signs of burnout are only symptoms of the real disease, which is codependence. He does not equate the terms, nor does he contend that all burnout comes from codependence. However, he does believe that codependence does play a key role. He defines codependence as “a set of maladaptive behaviors that a person learns to survive in an experience of great emotional pain and stress and that are passed from generation to generation. These behaviors and their accompanying attitudes are self-defeating and result in diminished capacity.”11 The tell-tale sign of codependent behavior in pastoral ministry is the inability to discern and maintain proper professional boundaries. This usually becomes evident in one of three ways: (i) putting an inappropriately high emphasis on caring for others at the expense of caring for self; (ii) lacking a sense of one's own self-worth, which can be inappropriately expressed by being a relationship “junkie or addict,” being driven by the desire to please, and losing the ability to know where one's self ends and another begins; (iii) developing “frozen feelings” as a result of losing touch with self and having the inability to know one's own feelings apart from those of others.12 The sad corollary is that as stress and frustration increase, so does the level of codependent behavior. In some ways the Church is both the problem and the solution. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about his mission strategy of “being all things to all people” (1 Corinthians 9:22). While this idea is ingenious as a way of meeting people where they are, and as a means of interpreting and proclaiming the gospel to the Gentile world, it can also be deadly to well-intentioned church leaders who wear themselves out by striving to meet every demand of every parishioner every minute of every day. While called to sacrifice for the sake of the Church, it is also important to remember that clergy are not the Savior, but serve the Savior. Setting boundaries and limits is crucial.13 John Calvin was greatly concerned about the sin of idolatry, the tendency of human beings to worship idols instead of God. He neglected however to see that work itself could be such an idol.  When a friend asked Calvin if he would slow down and stop working so hard, Calvin responded, “What! Would you have the Lord find me idle when he comes?” Given his concerns about both idolatry and idleness, it is ironic that Calvin married a woman named Idelette. John Calvin and Idelette de Bure Stroder had no surviving children and their home life was marked by Calvin's very long working hours.14 The Church is not immune from the life–work imbalance that infects the larger culture. Somewhere between idleness and the idolatry of work there is a balance. Learning to say yes to some things and no to others is a matter of discernment. The medieval theologian Meister Eckhart (1260–1328) once wrote “God is found in the soul not by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction.”15 In a more contemporary context, pastor Rick Warren learned about setting limits from his mentor, Peter Drucker, who would always insist, “Don't tell me what new things you are doing; tell me what you have stopped doing.”16 Warren concludes with two leadership lessons: (i) you can't do everything; and (ii) the mark of leadership is often knowing what not to do.17 Returning to the idea of character shaping action, and action shaping character, Willimon reiterates that “what pastors do is a function of who pastors are.”18 He warns that the real ethical danger for clergy is not “burning out” but rather “blacking out.” The danger is not losing the energy required to fulfill our ministries, but rather losing consciousness and forgetting our vocation (why we are here) and forgetting our identity (who we are called to be for Christ and for the Church).19 Losing sight of this vision can be deadly for both morale and for morals. 5HVLOLHQFHLQ0LQLVWU\ How then can clergy forge and maintain priestly integrity in a way that builds character, affects action, honors self, strengthens relationships with spouse, family, and community, and leads to health and resilience? While there may be no foolproof recipe for success, there are, however, definite patterns and themes that point in that direction. For help with understanding these patterns and themes, and in an attempt to offer the most useful and practical pastoral survival skills, we turn now to the findings of the Resilient Ministry project. While the authors are quick to confess that they do not believe that they have discovered the “holy grail” of clergy wellness, they nevertheless “do strongly believe that an understanding of these themes, and an intentional evaluation of life and ministry through them, will greatly affect the health and resilience of pastor.”20 These themes follow the premise of this chapter by focusing on who the pastor is and how personal identity and character influence what a pastor does. While seminary training typically concentrates on the mastering of specific content and developing the right skills to accomplish ministry tasks, these are not the reasons that clergy burn out, black out, or leave ministry altogether. As important as these proficiencies are to pastoral work, the “real ministry killers are matters of life skills, behavior patterns, and character.”21 The “Five Themes for Resilient Ministry” that emerged from this extensive study address each of these issues. The five themes are: (i) spiritual formation; (ii) self-care; (iii) emotional and cultural intelligence; (iv) marriage and family; and (v) leadership and management. Spiritual formation. This theme refers to the ongoing and life-long process of maturing as a Christian. Ideally this follows a daily pattern. It is far too easy for clergy to get so caught up in the busyness of church work that they neglect the actual work of the Church. “Long-term faithfulness in ministry comes from the overflow of one's walk with God.”22 It is important that clergy make the time to cultivate this first love. While pursuing this theme it is crucial to remember that the pressures of ministry do not miraculously evaporate, but ideally are placed in proper perspective. It is Dwight D. Eisenhower who is credited with saying “Important things are seldom urgent, urgent things are seldom important.”23 Spiritual formation is important. Self-care. This theme begins with the acknowledgment that we are finite human beings with real limits and with the acceptance that we are whole creatures with real needs. “Our responsibility as creatures of God is to nurture and steward our capacities to the glory of God.”24 Part of the acknowledgement of limits and the acceptance of our humanity is helping congregations understand this reality as well. Being part of an active clergy colleague group, developing healthy friendships, and cultivating a trusted mentor and confidant are all part of living into this theme of self-care.25 This is in addition to tending to one's own physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual needs. Emotional and cultural intelligence. Emotional intelligence is defined as “the ability to manage one's own emotions proactively and to respond appropriately to the emotions of others. Cultural intelligence involves an awareness of regional, ethnic, and general differences and the implications of these differences personally and interpersonally.”26 Most of us assume that our personal perspective and perception is the appropriate, correct, and, sometimes, the only way to look at things. Part of developing emotional and cultural intelligence is acknowledging that our particular understandings of reality, and the corresponding emotions, are limited and are perhaps more narrow in scope than we might imagine. Developing these intelligences allows us to “put ourselves in a position of learning in order to respect the experiences, views and feelings of others.”27 Marriage and family. This theme underscores the fundamental importance of nurturing and maintaining the primary locus of relationship, that of spouse and children. “We made covenant vows to God regarding our spouse and children that will, at times, conflict with our work responsibilities and vice versa. These promises require great discernment about time and commitments. We need to balance a commitment that honors those we love and serve in our families with a commitment to those we love and serve in our churches. Our congregations need to honor and respect these vows, and we need to expend the physical and emotional energy to fulfill them.”28 The question is whether or not clergy will surrender to the pressure. “Even when consciously and intentionally working to create new healthier habits, there is systemic pressure to conform to old and known patterns of behavior. Will pastors stand firm in their resolve to change?”29 In  order to stand firm, it may well be important to enlist key church leaders so that they can support and encourage this change and see the long-term benefits to clergy, their family, and the entire congregation. Leadership and management. “Leadership is the ‘poetry’ of gathering others together to seek adaptive and constructive change, while management is the ‘plumbing’ that provides order and consistency to organizations. In ministry they blend together.”30 While it is true that a variety of gifts are given to support the mission of the Church, not all of them reside in the pastor. It is important to enlist help, but at the same time not to abdicate responsibility. Again, it is a matter of finding the right balance. Part of the work of leadership is building alliances and partnerships, recruiting others into a united vision.31 Understanding these five themes is relatively easy; implementing them is not. Incorporating new practices and the development of holy habits takes intentional and consistent effort, it takes other people, and it takes constancy. We close this book with this final clerical virtue. Constancy is a “virtue based on the theological conviction that God really is present in the church, in word and sacrament, even though that presence may not always be vivid in the experience of the moment, even though God may not operate on our timetable.”32 This brings us back to the proof of Easter, the North Dakota preacher, and the priestly integrity required to sustain pastoral ministry in difficult times and challenging circumstances. Theologian and ethicist, Stanley Hauerwas, gets the last word: I can think of no virtue more necessary to the ministry today than constancy. Without steadfastness to self and to one's task ministry cannot be sustained. Without constancy the minister is tempted to abandon the church to the ever-present temptation to unbelief and unbelief's most powerful ally, sentimentality. A minister must live and act believing that God is present in the church creating, through word and sacrament, a new people capable of witnessing to God's kingdom. The minister must be filled with hope that God will act through word and sacrament to renew the church, but he or she must be patient, knowing that how God works is God's business. From the crucible of patience and hope comes the fidelity to task that makes the ministry not a burden but a joy.33 5HWUHDWVDQG6DEEDWLFDOV As many clergy leaders face the daunting challenge of a potential 24-7 ministry expectation, the challenge to seek spiritual, physical, and mental re-energizing is great. Many in mainline ministry find that a structured and ordered space in which to “retreat” is in order. In many churches, clergy have “sabbaticals” written into their contracts – periods of anywhere from weeks to many months, in some cases, in which he or she may spend time on devotion and solitary work for the betterment of his or her long-term ministerial goals. Often sabbaticals are time for quiet reflection, rest, and retreat, that may require travel away from the demands of a church or parish, and generally something more spiritually substantive than a mere vacation. When sabbatical time is not available, many also find that shorter retreats, such as to monasteries or retreat centers specially designed for these recuperative purposes, are a better use of one's limited time. One example of a retreat center is The Society of St. John the Evangelist in Boston, Massachusetts (pictured below), a monastic community of the Episcopal Church.