Welcome to the third article in a series designed to enhance the use of the Small Membership Church Guideline. Ideally, this Guideline will be shared among your church leaders, read, discussed together, and utilized to strengthen ministry.
Here is some added material on pastoral leadership to supplement this resource and help you get the most out of the material for your small membership church.
The relationship between a pastor and a congregation is a sacred one based on trust and respect. In The United Methodist Church this relationship often begins and ends with an appointment or assignment made by the bishop or district superintendent. This means that clarity around the role of pastor is essential.
Understanding the Role of Pastor
Use the questions to clarify your understanding of the pastor and his or her role in the church.
- How do you define "pastor?"
- What words describe for you what a pastor does (and how would you define each of those roles)? Add or subtract to the following word association list to make it correct for you. (If you do this exercise with others, compare your lists.)
| Shepherd |
Preacher |
| Caregiver |
Administrator |
| Spiritual Leader |
Counselor |
| Theologian |
Bible Teacher |
| Minister |
Servant |
| Visitor |
Other |
- A healthy church will help the pastor to work out of his or her strengths, will encourage the pastor to improve in areas of modest strength, and will find ways to share among the laity the tasks for which the pastor is not well equipped. Where do the tasks and roles mentioned above fit in that scale of strength? Which ones should the leaders of your church concentrate on?
Understanding the Various Types of Pastoral Leadership
There are many forms of pastoral leadership available to serve in The United Methodist Church today. Appropriate choices can be made based on the leadership needs of the church in consultation with the district superintendent. Look over the list below and check as many forms as you recognize.
Clergy (ordained pastoral leader)
___ Ordained Elder (seminary-trained)
___ Licensed Local Pastor (Course of Study-trained)
___ Retired Pastor
___ Student Pastor (usually in seminary)
___ Deacon (permanent/ordained)
___ Bi-Vocational Pastor (clergy who makes living from second occupation)
___ Pastor of Another Denomination (may be used in Federated Parishes)
Qualified Layperson (assigned by District Superintendent)
___ Certified Lay Minister (Book of Discipline ¶ 272)
___ Advanced Lay Speaker
___ Class Leader (Wesleyan Small Group Leader)
___ Lay Missioner (National Hispanic Plan)
___ Other ___________________________
Ministry Team (Clergy and/or Lay)
___ Cooperative Ministry Staff
___ Circuit or Regional Ministry Leaders
___ Local Shared Ministry Teams (Lay)
___ Other _____________________________
Active Partners
Leaders in smaller churches must be active participants with the district superintendent in selecting the pastoral leadership needs of your congregation. Knowing the pastoral options and being realistic about your situation is important. Use the following checklist to gather information:
- Available funding support
- Time requirements (full, part-time, quarter-time)
- Prefer our own pastor ___ or
Desire to share pastor with another church ___
- What data supports choices?
- Membership
- Demographics
- Financial records
- Ministry plans
- Other: ___________________________
Questions for Discussion
- How realistic are your expectations of pastoral leadership?
- How do you strengthen positive relationships between pastor and people? Are there ways you can improve?
Thank you for visiting our website and for giving us the opportunity to serve you.
Julia K. Wallace is former Director of Small Membership Church and Shared Ministries at the General Board of Discipleship.
Diana L. Hynson, editor of this series of articles, is Director of Learning and Teaching Ministries at the General Board of Discipleship.
Copyright © 2004 The General Board of Discipleship. Permission is granted for use in local church training or study groups. No portion of this article may be reprinted or republished in any form for any other reason without written consent.
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