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At the Table
by Major JoAnn Shade
With a strong
sense of a calling to serve the poor in the name of Christ, I
enrolled in the Salvation Army’s training program for its
officers at age twenty-one.
We studied theology, church history, homiletics and
Bible in preparation for our roles as pastors.
But those who designed the training curriculum knew
that we needed hard skills along with those theological
underpinnings, as our roles would also involve administering
this hybrid of church and social service agency.
So we also had crash courses in bookkeeping, social
services, management and Christian education, as well as
classes that taught the men to fix a boiler, and showed the
women how to set an attractive table, with the admonition to
never put the ketchup bottle on the table – use a pretty dish
instead.
While I
strongly protested against “The Woman Officer as Hostess”
class because of its arbitrary assignment of gender roles (and
cheered when that class was finally eliminated), the issue it
raised remains pertinent within theological education:
those preparing for Christian leadership, whether in
the pastorate, the academy, or the counseling center, must be
able to perform the tasks that are needed within their areas
of responsibility.
Those in charge of that training curriculum felt that
female Salvation Army officers would need to serve as a
gracious hostess, so those skills were taught in that
framework. In
that sense, seminary education must do more than develop
character, encourage the uncovering of a core identity, and
confirm a spiritual calling.
It must also equip its students for the work they will
do in the ministry.
If employed at
the local Burger King, the skill set is defined: learn the
register, master the drive-through microphone, and don’t
over-salt the fries.
Do those tasks well, and you’ll be successful on the
front-lines of the fast food industry.
But for those of us who find employment as a local
pastor, the skill set is more complicated than flipping
burgers, as the pastor is expected to perform the following
five actions:
•
worship and preaching
•
pastoral care, counseling, and rites of passage
•
teaching
•
prophetic witness, including community and
denominational service
•
congregational administration
While these
actions may vary in form and in priority from one pastorate to
another, they serve as a starting point to explore the work of
a pastor.
The Salvation
Army (my denomination) attempted to articulate the
competencies needed by its officers (pastors) through a task
force in 2001, considering the subject through three broad
lenses: those of
being, knowing and doing.
The Salvation Army officer’s being (character) is to be
Christlike, self-disciplined, committed to his work, and
people-oriented.
Her knowledge must be biblically sound, with a solid
understanding of homiletics, the church, culture and society,
as well as the intricacies (their term) and idiosyncrasies (my
addition) of the Salvation Army.
An officer
should also be skilled at evangelism, discipling, shepherding,
pastoring and counseling, all in the context of servant
leadership. They
are also expected to communicate clearly, manage resources
well, and respond to community needs through service and
advocacy. By the
time I finished this seven page report, I realized that the
competent Salvation officer would need the fire of Billy
Graham, the compassion of Mother Teresa, the intellect of
Albert Einstein, and the energy of the ever-ready bunny.
So, I wondered,
how does my work day fit in with these descriptions? This
week, I wrestled with Excel as I worked on the annual budget,
attended a job meeting for the construction of our new
facility, and participated in a community focus group on
strategic planning for our schools.
I had a staff meeting, ironed out a conflict between
two people, counseled with a woman who recently gifted her
newborn to an adoptive family, and met with our advisory
board. I preached
a sermon (God is able to keep us from falling), played the
piano for worship, prepared a session on Hagar for a women’s
retreat, and spoke on behalf of the poor at a community forum
on predatory lending.
And yes, I also oversaw four meals this week (soup
kitchen twice, family night and board meeting), and did put
the ketchup bottle on the table – with no guilt!
There they
were: worship, pastoral care, teaching, prophetic witness, and
congregational administration – but what I realized is that
they are much more intermingled than I would have suspected,
woven through a life that is lived from a core identity of
faith, a healthy and holy calling to service (most days), and
my desire for a Christlike character.
I could see the being, knowing and doing, as they truly
did flow together as I walked through my week of ministry.
Indeed, in him I live and move and have my being (Acts.
17:28).
A disclaimer: I
may sound like a Renaissance woman, but I also I depend on
those I work with, including my clergy husband, to fill in the
gaps of competencies where I’m lacking, and on my willingness
to tackle new tasks with an open mind.
It is quite apparent that the Holy Spirit provides a
sense of competence when I’ve done the work of preparation of
heart and mind.
I’ve also discovered over the years that sometimes, you just
have to do what you have to do, competent or not.
A book on my shelf
asks, “But Can She Type?”
If that’s a question women have faced as they’ve
entered the corporate workplace, I wonder what the pastoral
question might be, male or female.
“But can she preach?
But can he lead?
But can she grow the congregation?”
We can improve our skills at three points and a poem,
become a master storyteller, and pick up management tips from
time to time, but the ultimate competency question remains the
same one that Jesus asked Peter: “But can you love?”
Can the pastor love God and those in his or her care?
That, for me, is the ultimate question of competency.
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