Sharing Ministry – Looking to the Past While Looking to the Future

               Even though I served three multi-staff churches as a lead pastor, it was as an area conference minister in a primarily rural area of Pennsylvania where I gained a deep appreciation for smaller membership churches and their foundation of intimate relationships.   I also understood their struggles to keep highly gifted ordained clergy.  They became short-term stepping stones for gifted and recently ordained clergy or often, I say with all frankness, a landing place for clergy who lacked many of the essential pastoral skills.  Their inability to offer adequate compensation led to decreased membership and eventually part-time pastors.  I learned a new reality of many churches – yoked parishes – a concept from the past – the circuit rider preacher – now served by clergy through a new form of horsepower.

               As an increasing number of mainline churches fight for their survival because of decreasing membership, it is time to take a look at shared ministry….a parish concept of ministry.  Initially because of miles to be traveled, rivers to be forded, church fights that could not be resolved churches of the same denomination or theological similarity sprung up everywhere.  For several years I have been involved in either discussing with or being a direct participant in churches considering or establishing shared ministries.  In one situation there were five churches within an approximately five-mile or less radius.  Three were being served by half-time or less ordained leadership.

               For mainline churches the time is NOW to make shared ministry a valid option for ministry.  Here’s why!

·        It allows for gifted leadership to consider a shared ministry parish setting because of adequate compensation.

·        It increases the chances of longer termed ministries which can lead to more effective and dynamic programming.

·        It provides for more opportunities for shared programming.  This programming can be more consequential as well as being cost saving.

·        It allows for team staffing patterns that can decrease the number of part-time clergy.  (e.g. two-full-time pastors serving three or more churches.)

·        It provides the opportunity for at- risk churches to have stability for a period of time while they consider their long-term future.  It can also lead to less painful decisions to close a church building because a broader community understanding and feeling has been established.

·        As accommodations are made on scheduling and shared programing are established, the costs of other professional and support staff can be reduced.

·        It encourages greater possibilities for creativity and innovation and access to more resources because a broader cadre of lay leadership are involved in the planning and implementing of ministry.

·        It increases participation in often under attended events – e.g. Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Bible studies, etc.

·        It can open the churches to a rich tradition from the multiple histories.

·        It enhances the witness to the community because of the power of “numbers.”

·        It heightens the capability of “hands on” outreach ministry.

·        It lives out the prayer of Christ that “they may be one.”

There will be far from insurmountable challenges that come with making the shared ministry-parish concept possible.

The Individual Churches:

·        A willingness to live an exciting new future rather than participate in the painful dying process.

·        A flexibility in sharing leadership and scheduling ministry programs.

·        An honesty in looking at the present and the future.

Judicatories:

·        A responsibility to introduce the concept of shared ministry to churches while they still have vitality rather than as a “last” option. 

·        A need to train judicatory leaders in the rudimentary processes for building shared ministry parishes.

·        A training component in areas of lay preaching, pastoral care, and spiritual development for participating in staffing patterns of shared ministry.

Seminaries:

·        A plan to provide an educational component into their curriculum on ministry in such settings.  Shared ministry team leadership and participation require skills that are different from a single pastor – single parish ministry.

Creative Souls:

·        The development of resources to train or to be used by clergy and laity in a shared ministry setting.

·        The further development of technological resources that would enhance the ministry and support ordained and professional leadership.

As a parishioner of a newly shared ministry church emoted “I thought we had no future.  We were just waiting for our death.  Maybe our church’s resurrection is possible!”  With the current church growth demographics in mind, it might be the time to look innovatively at models from the past for being the church.