Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Last month I shared with you a little of the theological E-Mail conversations going on between Dan Benedict and myself. E-Mail blesses us with almost instantaneous communication without the hassle of printing, folding, stamping, and mailing letters in the conventional fashion (snail mail). It also allows us to copy and paste significant parts of E-Mail letters into other documents, like this one. Dan is presently doing some thinking on what congregations and leaders should be focusing on. He used two terms to describe the alternatives we seemed to be faced with: "Organizational Managers" or "Spiritual Leader."

My sense is that Key Leaders and Pastors in churches today find themselves spending inordinate amounts of time as "Organizational Managers." We find ourselves constantly fretting over the goals and purposes of the institution, pushing its papers around and making sure its bylaws are followed, attending its meetings and supporting it's programs. Naturally, there is a certain amount of this which must be done in a modern world. we must, for example, follow the laws of municipalities and states, never mind the Federal Government in conducting our temporal affairs as a nonprofit organization. As a connectional church, we have responsibilities to the district and conference (usually monetary). Then, of course, there is the upkeep and maintenance of the buildings and grounds.

The problem is, all the requirements of the organization can expand to take up most or even all available leadership resources and time, subverting the true purpose of all this vaunted organization in the first place. And what is this purpose? To perpetuate an institution, however noble? That wasn't what I signed up for when God called me to function within the body of Christ as a minister of Word, Sacrament, and Order! Out of curiosity, I peeked into the Book of Worship and had a look at what the church says its Elders (ordained ministers) are in fact called and admonished to do. It was revealing:

"All baptized Christians are called to share in Christ's ministry of love and service in the world, to the glory of God and for the redemption of the human family and the whole of creation.

"As an elder in the Church, you are called to share in the ministry of Christ and of the whole Church: by preaching and teaching the Word of God and faithfully administering the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion; by leading the people of God in worship and prayer; by leading persons to faith in Jesus Christ; by exercising pastoral supervision of the people committed to your care, ordering the life of the congregation, counseling the troubled in spirit, and declaring the forgiveness of sin; by leading the people of God in obedience to mission in the world, to seek justice, peace, and freedom for all people; by taking a responsible place in the government of the Church and in service to the community; and by being conformed to the life of Christ, who took the form of a servant for our sake.

"As an elder in the Church, you are to be in covenant with the elders in this Annual Conference, and a coworker with the bishop, other elders, deacons, and diaconal ministers.

"It is your task to proclaim by word and deed the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to fashion your life in accordance with its precepts.

"You are to love, serve, and pray for all the people among whom you work, caring alike for young and old, strong and weak, rich and poor.

"Remember that you are called to serve rather than to be served, to proclaim the faith of the Church and no other, to look after the concerns of Christ above all."

(The United Methodist Book of Worship" Pg. 674-675 "The Examination" from The Ordination of Elders."

As the 20th Century grinds down, I can think of no better way for us to greet the new century and millennium as Christians in the Methodist tradition than to return to the center that empowered us to an Evangelical zeal with a Sacramental grounding. Wesley in his day saw the primary purpose of the Methodists, so-called, was to spread scriptural holiness throughout the land.

Being faithful to such a task requires that we move toward becoming Spiritual Leaders, rather than Organizational Managers. Says Dan, "Spiritual leaders, in contrast to organizational managers, will focus on the patterning and practices of Christian disciples. Patterning and practice, using the prudential means of grace (Christian conferencing (conferring) /small group accountability, extemporaneous prayer, fasting and abstinence, contemplation), enable us to stay open to God's presence and avoid the other dissipating force that undoes Christian discipleship -- formalism." Spiritual leaders more than organizational managers! I find the concept and prospect invigorating!

Just when the thought of another decade of filling out reports and pushing around organizational paperwork makes early retirement look inviting, God goes and changes all the ground rules! (Then follows a bunch of stuff about ways we are trying to be Faithful to what we discern God is calling St. Mark to do and be.) I hope this is of help to you. I am not systematic in doing these columns, but try to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I never know what I'm going to say until I sit down to say it.

Grace and Peace, Lee