| She said pastors and educators working together as partners and servant leaders can be important assets to their congregations and the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Such "team ministries" can be built through clear communication, accountability and shared power, she said, adding that "shared power" must be more than an empty phrase - must be realized in benefits, salary structures and visibility and exercised in a way that "empowers staff people and gives them authority in the eyes" of the congregation.
"I believe that when educators have visibility, voice and clear authority invested in them for leadership," she said, "the education program is more vital and more effective."
Building a fruitful relationship between pastor, educator and staff takes time, she said - time to talk, to dream, to pray, and to evaluate.
"Post-it notes don't do it," she said. "Voice mail messages don't do it. Email messages don't do it either. The only way it works is to sit down face-to-face for long periods of time."
As time-consuming and tiring as that process may be, she said, "it really bears fruit in terms of quality worship, in terms of quality programming," and in terms of congregational health.
She said accountability is also crucial: "Accountability to what we say we're going to do, in small things and big things, simply must happen if there's going to be a fruitful relationship between pastor, educator and the rest of the staff and an effective team ministry." |
