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[sophiescat]

One of my classes this semester is basically a series of case studies where we as groups think of what theological, biblical texts and practical/pastoral concerns would come into play in a situation and then formulate some sort of response.  So we have had a case study who felt the church abandoned her in a time of crisis, this week we talked about

Comments

[madmyndi]

The biggest issue within the chruch I belong to has been the coming of a new pastor. I've observed it before, how a new pastor comes in and some of the congreation are glad and how some don't like it. And if the new pastor isn't careful, comes in and makes big changes right away, they can split the entire congreation. It happened in my old church and it's happening in my current one. I think pastors need to learn some basic management skills, like "don't spring huge changes all at once." Having a new spiritual leader is enough for a couple of years! Actually, you recall the discussion over "inclusive language"? That was a new pastor, determined to "shake things up"! Which sure, change can be good, but tons of changes and major changes, especially without explanation or taking the time to understand your congreation, are alienating. Hope that was coherent.

[sophiescat]

Thats a good one. There is also a perhaps related tendency of new pastors to feel the need to preach huge weighty sermons (new in the sense of just out of seminary) rather then the sort of sermons more useful to actual congregations.

[madmyndi]

Yes, there's that too. And that can be very uncomfortable.

[madmyndi]

Actually, I want to expand on that. The weighty sermons are uncomfortable for two reasons: First, they're huge, weighty sermons! Second, new pastors just out of seminary often are sent to a new (to them) congregation. So here's the congregation, hoping for a good leader who will take care of them and love them, listening to this huge, weighty sermon from a stranger, and thinking the new person might be judging them, for all we can tell from the pews and oh dear oh dear oh dear, we wanted someone to understand and trust and love. Mm. I was wrong. I think there's a third reason. If the new pastor is young, it's even harder to take, because it's not as apparent they might have faced some of the hard life things that older members of the congregation have, and they're preaching on the abstract sometimes to people who have experienced the reality. That comes across as arogance, even if it's probably just nerves.

[sophiescat]

Nerves or a sort of naive idealism (which may or may not have a dark side of elitism).

The issues facing new pastors and the conflicts that can arise when congregation and pastor have different understanding/expectations of the role of the pastor made the first round of brainstorming we shall see.