Chapters 24 & 25

I’ve heard rumors that clergy are human beings.  Could it be true?

In chapters 24 and 25, Martin Copenhaver and Lillian Daniel offer the reader entre into two different instances of clerical humanity.  There could hardly be more stressful moments than the unexpected death of a parent, and the diagnosis of a serious disease in one’s 8 year old child.

Important questions get begged at such moments – questions about professional boundaries and priority of purpose.  After all, it’s clear to me, at least, that clergy exist for churches and not vice versa.  It’s a prescription for trouble when a pastor begins to treat the congregation as if it existed mainly to care for (or stroke the ego of, or satisfy the financial aspirations of, or – God forbid – meet the sexual needs of) the pastor. 

The church is foundational – the office of pastor was invented for the welfare of the church – churches weren’t invented to meet the needs of clergy. 

But clergy have needs.  We are human beings who struggle with loss and sickness and relationship trials and death just like all other people do.  Should the pastor, in his or her ministerial role, function as if immune to the ordinary and troubling challenges faced by every other member of the congregation?

Of course not.  Any pastor who is so emotionally shielded from the congregation will inevitably fail to connect with them in the deep and profound way that is necessary for truly effective pastoral work to occur. 

Martin Copenhaver implies some ambivalence about his undisclosing behavior on the occasion of his father’s death.  I do not fault him for what he actually did, but I think his hindsight assessment is right.  The people we serve need to know that we are also fallible human beings who struggle with all the same human challenges as do our people.  We must allow them to offer care and support – but we must do so carefully.  It is one thing to be appropriately transparent with the people we serve – it is quite another to persistently depend on them in ways that fundamentally turn the table of ministry.  Ordinarily and appropriately the pastor exists to care for the congregation – occasionally the tables can and should be turned – but ONLY occasionally. 

If it is true that clergy will face as many life challenges as anyone else, there is an important implication in this observation – that the pastor MUST have other sources of support and care beyond the congregation.  Do I?  Do you?  I believe we can only be faithful and effective if we do.

Rich Pleva
Conference Minister