Power and Pastoral Ministry Part ye Seconde

The nature of power in pastoral relationships

Chapter 1  

The roots of power in pastoral relationships

 

The Fear of  ‘Power’

In many Christian groups the idea of ‘power’ is considered to be dangerous, John Harris (1977: 55) writes that, as Christians, “…we have been afraid of power and have tried to hide its overt exercise from ourselves.” This has led to concealing power or pretending that in the church there are no holders of power, that we live in a situation of mutuality, free from the undue influence of power.  Harris continues “Against this background, many pastors have sought to wield influence while appearing as neutral and benevolent parties, as disinterested in power.”

But power is a very real part of pastoral ministry, especially within the structures of the Church.  As we attempt to deconstruct the bases of that power and of the authority that gives ministers certain power in pastoral encounter we must consider how power might be acknowledged and used appropriately in pastoral encounters.

Initial Structural Considerations

T Howland Sanks (1987: 74) writes:

“Like any other human sociological group, the Christian community requires some authority to maintain its identity, its unity, and to resolve internal conflicts.”

That authority within the church has come to be concentrated in the hands of ministers of the church, both lay and ordained - though in the majority of cases with those in a recognised position of authority such as clergy.   This role has extended into the world beyond the Church, especially in western societies, where the minister often holds a status within the community at large as well as within the community of faith.  It is worth mentioning here that it is being recognised by many contemporary Ecclesiologists that this role and status in the community at large is, in many cases breaking down, with ministers finding themselves unsure of the position they hold both within the Church and in society as a whole. 

Michael Riddell (1998: 6) talks of the ‘…loss of status of the Church’ and says

“There was a time when not only the Church was held in high regard, but also the profession of ministry.  To be ordained was to be somebody; to have a certain degree of standing and respect by virtue of one’s vocation.  This is no longer true.”

This in itself has created for pastoral ministers, not only ordained but laity also, issues of insecurity and loss of identity, which can lead to both positive and negative results. 

One response to such insecurity is to consider new models of ministry, looking at issues such as lay involvement, non hierarchical structures and empowering both sides of the pastoral encounter. There is more commitment among many ministers to exploring new ways of working, examining issues such as motivation, accountability, sharing power and the relationship between lay and ordained ministry.   As a cautionary note, Riddell (1998) comments that, especially in Protestant Evangelical structures, much of the adoption of new models can involve the inappropriate taking on of commercial managerial methods without considering their impact on a pastoral role

A more negative approach  to such insecurity may (often unconsciously) seek to reinforce often, literally and metaphorically, crumbling structures and hold on to the vestiges and/or illusion of power.  This approach might involve maintaining strong boundaries and refuse to change structures, methods, ideas or doctrine - becoming reactionary and containing a ‘siege mentality’ that finds it impossible to be open or flexible. 

This subject is too large to be examined any further in this paper and is one being explored by many present-day church thinkers and writers, including Riddell (1998), Newbigin (1996) and Bosch (1995).  It does, however, highlight the need to examine the issues of power and authority in pastoral ministry, especially in the church, as times of change such as the current era can often create such insecurities that positions of power are even more open to abuse than in a more settled society.

Power-brokers

Leaders who have pastoral power and authority, whilst ultimately answerable to the people they serve, are still usually the holders of power in most pastoral encounters.  This is not to deny the power that the client holds in a pastoral relationship, as those who often initiate the pastoral relationship.   From the start, therefore, we will work from the assumption that the pastor is the ‘power broker’ in the pastoral encounter and that the power within the relationship is mainly in their hands.

 The minister (often, though not always, ordained) is the one to whom both members of their church fellowships and, sometimes, the general public turn at times of deepest joy and of deepest need, looking for answers which make sense of the world around them from a perspective of faith.   The pastor is a leader of a community and much of his or her authority comes from the community’s recognition of their position.  As Bishop Penny Jamieson (1997: 12 ) writes, “It is natural then for individuals seeking leadership for their community to seek an individual in whom to locate the power enabling that leadership to function.”

Traditionally in both ‘sacred and secular’ situations, especially in small communities, the minister of the local ‘faith-community’ has taken on some kind of public leadership role, and this carries on still to a greater or lesser extent depending on the makeup of a community.

The basis of pastoral power

Often the issues brought to these individuals in leadership by members of their congregation and by others who come to them as pastors are of a personal, even intimate nature.  This can engender a relationship in which the minister is privy to quite sensitive, painful and confidential nature.  This, alongside the power inherent in their position of authority, can be a combination that leaves both pastor and client open to abuse within the pastoral relationship.

Much of the pastoral contact which a minister has is based upon trust. The individual comes to her or him in an attitude of humility - to a greater or lesser degree - and this opens up a relationship in which the minister, the pastor, has a certain amount of power and the potential to control, or at least have a strong influence on, the client.  In the light of the fact that this approach to the pastor has occurred voluntarily, and that the church is a body consisting of those who have made a choice to be there, there is the possibility that the pastor has a great deal of influence over those she or he is responsible for.  People place themselves in the hands of their pastors, and allow the pastors great sway in personal decisions.  People also look to the church for guidance, and expect the minister, as the representative of the church to speak on behalf of the church, and even on behalf of God, as pastors and prophets.

This power springs from the very beginning of the Church and is part of the foundational principles of the Christian community. T Howland Sanks (1987 :74) states that  “Authority in the early church was understood to be more than a mere sociological necessity; it was a spiritual authority.” This type of authority is related to the understanding that we examine more in Chapters Two and Four and of this study, that, originating in the person and work of Christ, power and authority are a part of the nature of Christian ministry.  As such, any authority held by a Christian in pastoral office is an offshoot of the power that Jesus held and administered in his ministry and comes also from the understanding of power held by the first Christian communities and passed on through the ages of the Church.   Sanks (1987: 74) elaborates, explaining that

“Authority in this community is based on the authority of Jesus himself and his commission to his disciples ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.’ (Mt 28: 18-29)”

Those who are leaders of the Church are given their position by those they minister to, and in many traditions, by others who are already in leadership.  In Churches those engaged in pastoral ministry are usually ordained there is normally a process of examination of candidates by both laity and clergy and, after a period of training and teaching, authority is conferred by someone of higher office in the Church through a recognised symbol such as the laying on of hands.  This activity is a visible sign of the power and authority conferred upon ministers who serve those Churches. 

Authority and power are therefore two of the keys to effective pastoral ministry, not only in the Church but in any pastoral situation.  Those who act pastorally, whether Priests, Social Workers, Psychotherapists or any others with similar roles operate effectively because of the personal or institutional authority that it is perceived that they have.  This power and authority may come through qualifications and training, position, professional standing, or even from trust built up in previous relationships.  It is this sense of ‘speaking from/with authority’, that opens up the potential for both meaningful and effective pastoral contact and for the abuse of those who seek aid from a pastor - either intentionally or unconsciously on the part of the pastor.

There is inherent in Christian ministry, indeed in any pastoral contact, many opportunities to offer help to those in deepest need, but alongside this there are always possibilities of misusing power by controlling those at their most vulnerable who come seeking assistance from a pastor.  This control may be conscious or subconscious - it is often related to the dynamic that exists in the relationship between client and pastor.  We will examine this in more detail in Chapter Four and consider further implications in Chapter Five, but in brief, Dr Brice Avery (1996: 40) explains:

“… the pastoral encounter requires a partial and mutual emotional immersions of the pastor and the client: how else is the pastor to know what it is to be like the client?  But, and this is crucial,…the pastor has to know his or her own responses to as wide a range of emotional contacts as possible to be able to tell the difference between their own feelings and that of the client.”

So the pastor is in a position where she or he is vulnerable to abusing their position by the very nature of their openness to the client.  As the dynamics of pastoral relationships unfold it is often difficult to distinguish between the needs of the client and the needs that the pastor is seeking to fulfil - this is a dangerous situation and leads very easily into misuse of the power invested in the minister as they, often unconsciously, project unhelpful and destructive ideas upon the client.  The implications of this and possible means of guarding against the situation are examined more fully in later chapters (as mentioned above.)  But it is important at this point to note that no pastor is infallible, and that the power they have to heal or to harm is constantly open to misuse.  With power must come responsibility and the pastor has to be aware at all times of the fragility of the people they hold power over.

The ‘Suspicion of Power’

There are dangers in the use of power that means that some are always highly suspicious of any institution or figure who claims holds authority or power over any other person.  The presence of power in any relationship suggests to such people a fundamental inequality.  Many ‘Post-modern’ thinkers work from the basis of a ‘suspicion of power’ and the imposition of any opinion upon another human being is seen to be threat to their individuality and self-hood.  Middleton & Walsh (1995: 40) describe this understanding thus:

“…not only is reality a human construct, it is more particularly a social construct.  It is always someone’s or some group’s construction of reality that ends up being the dominant construction that guides social life…‘why is it your construction of reality, your collective hunch, that rules?’ Why is any one construction of reality given privileged status, thereby marginalizing all others?”

In many ways this critical viewpoint has caused those holding power to feel vulnerable to attack and many have felt the influence they have held over certain events, groups and individuals slipping away.  This added to various identity and role crises can cause great strain for any pastoral minister.  However, the positive aspect of this ‘sea-change’ in popular perception has been an increase in structures of accountability and in the checks and balances that need to exist to prevent power being exercised inappropriately.  Many organisations have had to step back and examine the methods and processes by which power is exercised by those within the organisation - the Church is no exception to this. 

In order to further inform this debate we will move on to examine the life and teaching of Jesus and the Church of the Apostolic and Post-Apostolic eras, as the foundations upon which modern day pastoral ministry is built.  We will examine the implications brought about by the development of structures of authority in the church of the first two generations of Christians and examine the tensions between  ‘institutional and ‘charismatic’ power and authority.

Power and Authority in Pastoral Ministry

I've just managed to get my MA Thesis transferred from an old disc onto more contemporary readable Media.  It's taken 18 years, but on reading it back I realise just how much what I read at that time, and the thesis I ended up with, influences my approach to ministry today.  So I thought I would share it.  I'll do a chapter at a time over the next few days...

Here's the introduction:

The nature of power in pastoral relationships

Introduction

Power exists as both a personal and structural ingredient of pastoral ministry.  It is present in any relationship of trust where one person seeks advice, aid or guidance from another.  Bishop Penny Jamieson (1997: 23) writes:

“There has always been fascination with power - who has it, how they came about it, how it can be used or misused, how it can change the course of history and how it can be challenged.  Part of that fascination, I believe, derives from the potential that power has to hurt.”

Power is a difficult word to define, and its relationship to authority makes it more difficult to offer a definition that can separate the two words from one another, particularly in a pastoral setting.  In simple terms we can start from the basis offered by John Harris (1977: 55), quoting Rollo May,  who says power is, “…the ability to affect, influence and change other persons.”   This is what pastoral encounters seek to do, to stimulate growth and movement, to heal hurts and to offer aid to people seeking assistance, both in times of trouble, and times of searching.

There is a dynamic relationship for those in pastoral positions between the power one has to make a difference in a person’s life and the authority that allows one to do that.  In the Church there are various sources of authority - local, structural, global.   Authority, in the church is founded in the pastor’s office, title and/or function, and rooted in the community.  These foundations give the minister the ability to speak on behalf of the church, to offer an opinion that is somehow ‘bigger’, more meaningful than just the pronouncement of an individual person.  These three aspects of ‘office, title and function’ are also in a dynamic relationship with one another which will be discussed further in Chapter 3 as we consider the development of the structures of the church.

Within the structures of the church there is an authority given to those who have particular pastoral roles that allows them to make pronouncement, to offer the view of ‘the Church’ to those who seek their aid.  The message the New Testament gives seems to be that this a necessary and proper part of the work of those who seek to ‘minister the Gospel’, but alongside this power is a great responsibility, to act in the best way for those who seek such aid, to remain within the Christian constants of love, care and concern, and to seek to make the Gospel real to those who ask for help, meaning that the ‘good news’ of healing, liberation, joy, peace and hope are to be both the methods and the aims of pastoral contact.

This authority, and the power it bestows. enables those in emotional, spiritual or sometimes physical need seek assistance from a pastor with the expectation that she or he will be able to assist them in their need.  This authority may come from a number of sources but without it the pastor is unable to connect with the client in such a way that change can be made and the client’s needs may be met. 

The bases for that authority and the power that is concomitant with it are many and varied, and exist within a complex web of personal, communal and structural  networks.  This study is an attempt to look at the nature of that power, the basis for such authority and at some aspects of the use and abuse of this power in pastoral ministry.   We will attempt to unravel some of the strands of the web that makes it possible for a minister to function in the pastoral encounter, we will examine the grounding of power in pastoral relationships, and critique the power structures and the exercise of power by those in pastoral ministry.  

This study is primarily concerned with the Church as a particular community within which pastoral power is manifested on an everyday level.  We will therefore look at the sources of the authority that is given to pastors in the Christian Church and how those who are responsible for pastoral ministry as part of the Church might be aware of their own power and authority.  We will consider the appropriate and inappropriate uses of power and authority and how those who have this power might bring about meaningful and helpful change in the lives of those who seek their help.

The aim of this study is threefold: to explore the foundation of pastoral power and authority in the Christian setting.  To consider the nature of pastoral power and how it may be used appropriately or abused.  To think about issues of accountability, transparency and other ways in which power might be guarded and made safer in its use and how this might be a part of the life of the Christian community in a constructive way.   This work is partly a reflection upon this growing need to understand power relationships in pastoral matters and partly an attempt to bring out into the open the need to constantly examine issues of power in modern society.

The material used in this dissertation  is primarily concerned with being a Christian critique of power and the authority that makes the use of that power possible.  It would, in many places, I hope be applicable for anyone in a caring position, but it intentionally focuses on Christian pastoral practice and the strengths and weaknesses of the church’s pastoral work.  As Stephen Pattison (1993: 7) tells us “…it should be noted that the historic pastoral care tradition very much revolved around the activities of recognized church leaders.” 

Pattison (1993: 7) goes on to say that the many care agencies that now exist to promote well being all offer forms of pastoral care.  Of these agencies the church is a distinctive one in offering pastoral care from a certain perspective, tied up with ‘elements of healing, sustaining, reconciling and guiding’ within a Christian understanding of wholeness in the light of God’s love for humanity.

It must be said that this study, by its very brevity and nature, cannot examine all aspects of the issues it raises and in some ways this is a very inadequate document in relation to the task facing pastoral agencies.  This dissertation does, however, seek to make clear the issues involved regarding power and pastoral ministry - even if unable to go into the detail of many of them.

Another area that lies beyond the scope of this work concerns the correction of abuses of power.  Many of the ideas discussed here consider how power might be used effectively and appropriately, and looks at ways in which those in positions of power might be encouraged to work and act appropriately and responsibly.  To that end we will consider ideas such as transparency, accountability and openness in the exercise of power.  We do not, however, deal with issues concerning the aftermath of abuse - physical, sexual, psychological or otherwise.  This would be the concern of another, much greater, study.  

Because this has not been the intention of the work, therefore, some of what is said might not apply to those situations.  Ideas such as ‘appropriate dependence’ and the very issue of the use of power for empowerment might in themselves further the damage an abused individual might suffer, especially in the case of child abuse victims - the considerations of this study are therefore limited to the everyday life of the church as a pastoral institution in a very general sense, recognising that in certain cases the issues are of such depth that only professional counselling and assistance can hope to take the abused individual through their experience to a place of stability and safety.

It is also important to mention that at no time do we examine in depth the types of abuse that are possible in pastoral relationships.  There may be spiritual, emotional or physical abuse which may be obvious.  There are also more subtle forms of abuse, such as using a client to fulfil the needs of the pastor in such a way as is detrimental to the client.  There are, in fact, so many shades of abuse that this would constitute a study in its own right.  In this work we will concentrate on how abuse may come about, with some examples of the results of abuse, and consider how abusive relationships might be avoided and planned against.

This study offers us the opportunity to consider a model of pastoral power that works with the idea of ‘appropriate dependence’ and to look at how the structures of community might facilitate and encourage this.  With this basis we go on to look at the existence of power in pastoral relationships, the authority held by leaders in the church and the roots of this power and authority in pastoral encounters. We will continue by looking at the Biblical roots of issues of power in a Christian setting, namely in the life of Jesus and the experience of the Apostolic and Post-Apostolic Church, before moving on to look at how the concerns brought to us there might lead us on to a modern critique, and indeed an apologetic, for the appropriate use of pastoral power

 

A sermon on healing and wholeness

Tuesday in Holy Week 2014 - Eucharist with prayers for healing

The kingdom of healing

What would you say is the key message of Jesus?

Some might say it is about loving neighbour, loving God and loving ourselves.  That’s a good foundation.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?  OK, helpful life advice.

God so loved the world.  Yep. I like that too, and the verse that follows!

Well, if we were to go by the number of times a word or phrase is mentioned then the ‘kingdom of heaven’ or ‘the kingdom of God’ or ‘the kingdom’ must come pretty high up the list – mentioned a wopping 105 times in the stories and teaching of Jesus in the Gospels.  Money is mentioned 25 times, the poor 11 times, hell (or rather gehenna  or sheol, outer darkness, fiery furnaces etc) 12 times – each in a story I might add and sexuality, well, um, not at all.

But this kingdom, this is the heart of the Gospel.

It’s important to remember that when Jesus talks in terms of Kingdom he doesn’t mean a physical place located in this world or the next.  Nor does the word ‘heaven’ mean somewhere beyond this life.  The kingdom is perhaps better described as a way of being – and more accurately described not using the word king (which has lots of other often unhelpful connotations) but talking of the reign of God.  The reign of God is when we allow God to live within and through us, when we seek to align our hearts and minds with God’s values, when we open ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit and when we become Christ-like.

So though we use the words ‘kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven’  There is much more to it than that.  It is a concept much more in line with the Hebrew concept of ‘shalom’ – another multi-faceted, multi-layered word variously translated as ‘peace’, ‘wholeness’ and ‘healing’.  The idea of the kingdom of shalom is a place – not physically located, but based in the hearts of human beings – where there is harmony and the broken things of this world, of our lives, of all creation, are put back together again.

It’s not a destination, but a calling, not a one off but a lifetime journey. It’s a state of being to which we relate, and one into which we are growing.  It is a place of resurrection and renewal, integrity and wholeness and the deepest healing – where we find ourselves in loving relationship with our true self, with God and with others.

It’s a kingdom of healing.

Everytime we gather to celebrate the Eucharist we are proclaiming and celebrating this kingdom.  Every time we pray ‘your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ we are commiting ourselves and expressing our yearning for this kingdom. 

And here this evening we are again opening ourselves, intentionally, carefully, prayerfully to this hope, this desire for healing.  Not just for ourselves – that our past hurts may be healed, that our bodies and minds might be made whole, that our spirits receive the balm of Christ-life.  But for the whole world, that all might know their part within the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of healing.

When we talk about salvation we often think about being ‘saved from eternal perdition’ or ‘rescued’ from something.  The very root of that word is, though, a kingdom word – coming from the same root as salve, in the same way that we place a salve upon our wounds.  Salvation is the ultimate healing – and salvation comes through God’s reaching out to us in Christ and offering us his own salve for our troubled souls, and for the world which he embraces.

Here this evening, as a symbol of our hope for healing – both for ourselves and for our loved ones, for the church and for the world – we are invited to receive, just for a moment, the laying on of hands at the altar rail, an anointing with holy oil as an echo of the oil of healing and forgiveness talked of in scripture.  It’s a symbolic act – and if there are other issues you would like to talk about and seek prayer for I would encourage you to make use of the gift of our healing ministry team and seek one of them, or indeed one of the clergy should you so wish, for specific prayers for healing.

More than anything what we celebrate here today is a hope, and a longing, for healing.  For ourselves, for friends and neighbours, for our society and for all creation.  We seek the deepest healing –and I would encourage each one of us to receive this act of laying on of hands anointing.

May we continue to enter more fully into the reign of God in our hearts and minds, and know the wholeness, integrity and life of the kingdom of shalom. Peace be with us all.  Amen.

A Short Sermon on Death...and Resurrection

Tuesday in Holy Week 2014 – 12 Step Eucharist

Ps 71:1–14

Jn 12:20–36

Death and resurrection

We don’t like talking about death.  At least as a society we steer clear of talking about death.  It’s a strange reversal on the Victorian era where they took almost a delight in all the things that surrounded death, they observed mourning very visibly and even took pictures of deceased loved ones – known as momento mori – to keep.  But they were very uptight indeed about sex and (the urban legend goes) even covered up the legs of tables in order that the menfolk not get aroused.

We, on the other hand, talk about sex a lot.  We have highly sexualised advertising, magazines proclaim the latest way to excite your lover and we get hung up about issues of sexuality particularly in the church – as if God really cares what happens in our bedrooms.  But we don’t talk about death.

Jesus wasn’t quite so uncomfortable talking about death. Of course in the world he lived in death was much more visible and the death of younger people much more common so it would not be a subject anyone could really avoid.  But still, he talks of his own death (often to the horror of his disciples) and about death generally.  Today’s long reading from the Gospel of John is a case in point… verse 24 of John 12 says  “unless a grain of wheat is planted in the ground and dies, it remains a solitary seed. But when it is planted, it produces in death a great harvest.”

Now for those of you who remember your high school science you’ll probably realise the inaccuracy of that statement – seed’s don’t die when they are planted, they germinate and grow – but the image is still a striking one.  It’s an echo of Jesus’ own death – which is also mentioned in the reading – but also a statement about the way God works.

For us who follow Christ we don’t  follow a dead saviour, but a resurrected one. One who has passed through death to a new kind of life.  Scholars differ on what exactly that means, but it is the key belief and understanding of the Church – Christ died and was raised to life again by the power and the love of God.

We’re quick to divide things in two, in the Church, and indeed as human beings – death one side, life the other, darkness one side, light another; hope one side despair another etc.  But there is more to what Jesus says than simply one thing or another.  Without the darkness we don’t see the shape or depth of things as pure light leaves no shadows.  Without despair some of us never get to the point where we need to recognise that we need help – from God or from others – to bring us hope and set us free.  Without death, says Jesus, there is no resurrection.

But of course he isn’t just talking about physical death, but of those things which have to die in order that new life may come.   We see it in nature, every year the leaves fall, the trees seem dead, but are renewed in this wonderful spring season as the world burst with colour.  We see it in childbirth where the pain and the struggle of labour have to be borne in order that a child may come into the world.

Perhaps it would help if we didn’t think in such black and white terms as death and resurrection – but of renewal and new life.  The Church at its best takes things which are old and makes them new, bringing them to life with the light of Christ.  So the pagan festival of light, saturnalia, is taken and made into a celebration of the light of Christ and called Christmas.  The festival of springtime alonngside the powerful images of Passover from our Jewish heritage are taken and renewed in the story of Easter Day. 

We are called to renewal.  To new life. To resurrection.

But in order to do that, perhaps there are things that must die in us or around us.  Perhaps our pride and reliance on ourself – so that we learn to trust in God and  in others again.  Perhaps our desire to achieve and always be ahead of the crowd in order that we find community.  Perhaps those things, activities, substances, people or events which bind us and stifle us and drain the life from us – in order that we might be renewed again.

Are there things that we need to let go of, things that we need to allow to fall into the ground and die in order that our Christian Faith may truly live?  Perhaps there are distractions, things we take us away from truly giving all to God. Perhaps we are afraid to what might happen if we truly gave up everything to God.  Perhaps we are not sure what it means to hand over the whole of our lives to God.  Perhaps we struggle to let go of these things – for it is true that we can do none of this without a power and a strength that is beyond ourselves – the power of God in the Holy Spirit as those of us who are Christians would say.

When we are alive in our faith, when we have allowed our distractions, fears, misunderstandings and apathy to fall into the ground and die, it is then that we can bear the fruit of renewed lives, resurrected lives – life – as Jesus himself says in this Gospel of John chapter 10 verse 10 – life in all its fullness, or life abundant.. 

And we pray that the seed of this old world may pass away and God may bring resurrection life to all of creation.  That the fullness of life in Christ can come.   May we be given the strength to let go, to let die those things which distract us from and destroy our well-being.  That we may know resurrection life.