Return

Relationships: Clergy and Congregation

by Tim Shapiro

The vitality of the relationship between clergy and the congregation is almost always an indicator of the degree to which a congregation is flourishing.

In the best situations, the relationship between clergy and lay leaders is characterized by a particular kind of affection that is unique from other relationships.

It includes respect, but it is more than respect. It is more than the honoring of office and roles. This affection includes friendship, but it is a particular kind of friendship. This kind of friendship is professional. It does not typically include spending a lot of time together socially. It is not shaped by the sharing of intimacies, that is, the sharing of deep secrets and wounds.

I have observed that the healthiest relationships between clergy and congregation is characterized by closeness that comes, not so much sharing vulnerabilities, as it is from sharing a common purpose.

This noticeable affection in successful congregations is exemplified by the clergy person’s competence and character in the pursuit of common God focused goals.  This dynamic is what brings a lay leader to tell her friend, “We just love our pastor.”   This affection is what leads the clergy person to look out upon the congregation and think, “I love these people.”  And it is one of the primary conditions that helps a congregation to learn how to accomplish new things.

Check out these two resources that can help clergy and lay leaders attend to their relationships: the book Boundaries for Leaders and the book Healthy Churches, Faithful Pastors.

About the Contributor

Contributor
Tim Shapiro

Tim Shapiro is the Indianapolis Center’s president. He began serving the Center in 2003 after 18 years in pastoral ministry. For 14 years, Tim served Westminster Presbyterian Church in Xenia, Ohio. Prior to his pastorate at Westminster, he was pastor of Bethlehem Presbyterian Church in Logansport, Indiana. He holds degrees from Purdue University and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Tim’s interest in how congregations learn to do new things is represented in his book How Your Congregation LearnsAfter his extensive work on the Center’s Sacred Space initiative, Tim co-authored the book Holy Places: Matching Sacred Space with Mission and MessageHe has also authored several articles, including Applying Positive Deviance and The Congregation of Theological Coherence.

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.