This is an introduction to a series on the Team Ministry collaboration between Messiah, Chester and St. Mary’s, Sparta.
The advent of the 1979 prayerbook brought into focus the truth that ministry is not solely the work of the ordained: all baptized people are ministers of the gospel. In the 45+ years since then the demographics of many communities have changed, as has the size and makeup of the available pool of clergy. Similarly, the range of expertise that is needed for effective ministry and to simply keep a congregation functioning has broadened. The church has changed and needs to continue to adapt and change as the world changes.
This means that while the practices of a thriving congregation may be the same, the resources needed, the ways ministry is carried out, and how a congregation is configured will likely be much more varied than in the past. The model of one priest/one parish is no longer always functional, or even desirable – particularly for parishes that are very similar, sometimes even located near one another.
How we support vibrant and vital congregations, and how they can be configured, has been an ongoing topic of conversation between the Bishop, the two canons and other leaders around the diocese. While we had some ideas about exciting things that could work, it requires a fit with parish situations, and the will of parish leadership and others to experiment. We have also been aware that some things tried in the past don’t, or no longer, work.
When the leadership of St. Mary’s and Messiah notified me within a very short span of time that they did not feel they could responsibly call full-time clergy, I was initially worried. Part-time clergy are in very short supply, and those available aren’t always a good fit for a particular parish. In addition, simply “fixing” things by having part-time clergy can sometimes forestall difficult questions to keep things as they are.
After some thought and prayer, it came to me that St. Mary’s and Messiah might be well suited to try a Team Ministry approach that we had been excited about trying for some time. This notion that there could be a “match” was based on several similarities I saw, such as parish personality, depth of lay leadership, stability (both financial and otherwise), and their openness and commitment to trying new things and expanding ministry.
I understood that my excitement was less important than whether the congregations themselves wanted to explore this idea. I also knew that the parishes are located further apart than might be thought suitable for a collaborative ministry.
I spoke first to the wardens from each parish, and then met with each vestry to lay out the idea and ask if they would be open to exploring it. After some in-depth conversation, both decided yes, they would be open, and the two parishes began conversations together. Their conversations and joint social activities went so well that I didn’t need to do a lot until they were ready to finalize the arrangement.
Towards the end of this initial process, Bishop Hughes and I met with both Vestries together, to hear about their hopes, dreams, and fears, and to talk more about the vision for how this could work. The Bishop explained that she would assign a deacon to serve alongside a priest-in-charge, and challenged the leadership to put forth candidates for lay pastoral leader training – at least one in each parish – along with trained and licensed worship leaders and preachers. The last step was to create a memorandum of understanding between the parishes and letters of agreement for the priest and deacon.
It has been a joy and a blessing to see this continue to unfold. It also has been wonderful to see how seeking to collaborate on ministry – not to simply fix a practical resource problem – has been enlivening and exciting for those involved. I am excited to see what other kinds of collaborations emerge around the diocese.
Next in series: Parish collaboration: A warden’s experience.
