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Looking to rent a book? Rent Changing Face of the Church : Emerging Models of Parish Leadership [ISBN: 9780829426472] for the semester, quarter, and short term or search our site for other textbooks by Jewell, Marti R.. Renting a textbook can save you up to 90% from the cost of buying.
| Introduction | p. vii |
| Spiritually Alive and Healthy Parishes | |
| The Context for Parish Ministry | p. 3 |
| A Glimpse of the Future: Challenges and Opportunities | p. 19 |
| Emerging Parish Structures | p. 35 |
| Visible Commitment to Building the Life of the Parish | |
| Ministries of Word, Worship, and Service | p. 53 |
| Spirituality of Parish Life | p. 63 |
| Total Ministering Communities | |
| The Leadership Factor | p. 77 |
| Marks of Excellence: Personal and Professional | p. 101 |
| Emerging Practices | |
| Best Practices for Parish Excellence | p. 113 |
| Recommendations for Pastoral Planning | p. 131 |
| Appendix: Symposia Participant Profile | p. 149 |
| Endnotes | p. 153 |
| About the Project | p. 155 |
| About the Authors | p. 157 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
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Introduction
A paradigm shift is taking place in Catholic parishes. Structures are changing, leadership roles are evolving, and pastoral practices are being adapted. Faced with unanticipated challenges in the midst of changing demographics and worldviews, parishes are becoming “total ministering communities” in which the faithful, lay and ordained, share in the sacramental, pastoral, and catechetical care of the community. Parishioners are offering their talents to the service of the church. Pastors are taking on more and more parishes, and parish staffs are growing. New ministries are flourishing. At the same time, the church is experiencing demographic changes that mirror the current immigration trends in the United States, especially as they relate to Spanish-speaking communities. While there are those who long for the certainty of earlier eras, the changes continue, generating new opportunities for growth and creativity, as well as new organizational forms. The emergent pastoral leaders are redefining themselves within a new mind-set, finding creative and adaptive responses to the needs of the parish community.
In order to identify and share these emerging patterns, the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project hosted more than five hundred people in a series of eight regional leadership gatherings throughout the United States between November 2004 and November 2006.1 The intention of the symposia process was to identify typical pastoral leadership structures and experiences that might provide a benchmark for leadership in parishes throughout the United States.
Participants, identified by their dioceses as the thought-leaders in the field, were invited to share their experience and knowledge. In all, 82 percent completed extensive questionnaires involving over twenty-seven items describing their current experiences and expectations for the future. Participants included pastors, parish life coordinators, deacons, pastoral associates, parish pastoral council reps, and diocesan leaders in their various roles and responsibilities. The representation of men and women in these symposia was nearly equal. The age distribution of symposia participants reflected the current profiles of church leaders with 67 percent of participants being between the ages of fifty and sixty-nine. Disappointingly, there was an underrepresentation of multicultural pastoral leaders, as well as young adults.
Symposia participants also represented a balanced distribution of parish households, with approximately 46 percent serving over 1,200 households and an equal percentage serving under 1,200. Over 70 percent of symposia participants had achieved a master’s or doctoral degree during their careers. About half of symposia participants represented parishes with pastors responsible for one parish, while a large number represented more diverse leadership models.
Findings
Throughout the symposia process, it became apparent that the results of the initiative would be substantially different from anticipated. While we had expected to identify a handful of emerging structural models and defined roles of parish leaders (e.g., megachurches, multiple parish pastors), the project found little consistency and uniformity among these emerging models. The surprising diversity is largely driven by the economics, geography, and demographics of the local situation. Preferred ecclesiologies or diocesan planning efforts did not appear as a significant factor in determining how parish structures and leadership are evolving among symposia cohorts. A total of seven structural models of parish leadership were identified throughout the symposia process, with seemingly infinite variations. Across these parish structures pastoral leaders are developing new models of pastoral leadership through
Amazingly, the practices and experiences of these lay and ordained pastoral leaders are similar in many ways despite their geographic, economic, cultural, and demographic diversity. These similarities have caused the project to redefine emerging models as less of a “structural model” and more of “a set of practices” which are giving birth to the parish of the future. The twelve most evident common elements include the following:
Results
The responses of these thought leaders revealed a portrait of the changing landscape of parish life, spotlighting evolving and adaptive models of parish leadership, as well as creative organizational structures. They pointed toward a transformation in parish life marked by deep change. Despite the complexity of the challenges they face, the symposia participants demonstrated a strong sense of optimism in the spiritual vitality of their parishes. To proclaim the gospel in a changing world and provide for the pastoral care of the people of God, the Catholic Church is heeding the call of Pope John Paul II inNovo Millennio Ineunte:
[Need] must be translated into pastoral initiatives adapted to the circumstances of each community . . . It is in the local churches that the specific features of a detailed pastoral plan can be identified—goals and methods, formation and enrichment of the people involved, the search for the necessary resources—which will enable the proclamation of Christ to reach people, mould communities, and have a deep and incisive influence in bringing Gospel values to bear in society and culture.
I therefore earnestly exhort the Pastors of the particular Churches, with the help of all sectors of God’s People, confidently to plan the stages of the journey ahead, harmonizing the choices of each diocesan community with those of neighboring Churches and of the universal Church . . . What awaits us therefore is an exciting work of pastoral revitalization—a work involving all of us.2
As pastors, parish staff, and parishioners seek to understand the need in today’s world, reflect on that need in the light of the Gospel and our tradition, and respond to that need in ways that serve God’s people, they are developing truly creative practices. This book is designed to share with you the insights, practices, and theology of the symposia participants, which, in themselves, should offer no surprises. You will find much of your work affirmed in these pages, since time-honored practices continue in use and are being adapted to fit the changing needs of certain parishes or regions. What we hope to share with you is the optimism and creativity that these participants have brought to the enterprise, inviting you to explore your own ideas and innovations.
We believe that this sharing of the experience of pastoral leaders throughout the country represents a significant contribution to the emerging understanding of the direction of parish life. Throughout the book, we have presented the thoughts, hopes, and dreams of pastoral leaders in their own words. We have found their realism and sober optimism inspirational, even prophetic, and their story has seemed to us an interesting counterpoint to the perception of a church in decline. A parish life coordinator from the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States captured the findings and essence of her colleagues and the project in the following words:
The parish will be a community of communities which gather together on Sunday mornings to celebrate Eucharist and go forth from the tables to build the reign of God’s justice and peace in the larger community of the city, state, country, and the world. The parish will understand that it does not exist for itself, but for the mission. Parish = communion and mission.
I
Spiritually Alive and Healthy Parishes
1
The Context for Parish Ministry
What do pastoral leaders in the United States see for the parish of the future? Through a series of eight regional symposia conducted between November 2004 and November 2006, the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project asked five hundred pastoral leaders for their views. These symposia gathered leading-edge, grassroots pastoral leaders who were identified by their dioceses to participate in a three-day gathering. Structured questions were used at these symposia to evaluate and detect emerging trends in pastoral life and emerging leadership for the Catholic community in the United States.
The pastoral leaders identified many pressures that have an impact on parishes. For instance, parishes are faced with increasing financial pressures to maintain their viability as are other not-for-profit organizations. In addition, parishes in metropolitan areas often face changing demographics as the Catholic population disperses and, in many cases, shifts to the suburbs and to the South and to the West. Many dioceses have an abundance of physical assets in locations that are poor, underserved, and no longer Catholic. These dioceses also lack adequate capital to build new churches and schools where Catholics have moved.
Parish schools are struggling with their vitality and identity, with 845 schools or 11.5 percent closing over the past ten years.3 New models and structures for parish schools are being considered throughout the United States. The availability of priests to serve local parishes is a powerful driver for the future context, structure, and vitality of parish ministries. Parishes are also facing a nationwide decline in Mass attendance and the residual effects of national publicity about the sexual abuse of minor children by priests.
In light of these conditions, one might expect that pastoral leaders would take a decidedly unfavorable view of their parish and its future viability. However, a steady, sober, and optimistic vision of the vitality and context of parish life emerged among symposia participants.
When discussing the current context of parish ministry and its vitality, symposia participants were asked to look at three factors. First, they considered a spiritually alive and healthy community represented by vibrant participation and celebration of the Eucharist and sacraments. Second, participants were asked to consider the visible commitments within their parishes to building the life of the faith community, with a demonstrated involvement of parishioners in ministries of the word, worship, and service within the church and beyond to the larger community. Finally, participants were asked to consider the concept of a total ministering community, which involves the leadership of pastors, pastoral staff, and pastoral council members working together to forge a vision of the parish.
Figure 1 (see page 16) indicates the importance symposia participants place on these three leadership elements of parish life. It is clear that parish ministers recognize the importance of these attributes as contributing to the vitality and future stability of parish life.
Figure 2 (see page 17) represents their assessment of the current effectiveness of their parishes in demonstrating these elements of pastoral leadership. The majority of participants represent their parishes as effective or very effective in this regard. Their assessment of effectiveness trails behind their assessment of the importance of these factors.
Figure 3 (see page 17) shows participants’ level of confidence in their parish becoming a vibrant faith community in the future. Clearly, the overwhelming majority of pastoral leaders were confident or very confident concerning their potential to maintain a sense of vitality despite the economic, demographic, structural, and ecclesial conditions they face.
While pastoral leaders in the symposia may not represent an accurate national sampling of all parishes, a decidedly stable yet optimistic view of the context of parish life is represented by their self-assessment of their parishes and their work across parishes in their various dioceses.
What do these pastoral leaders see that enables them to maintain a sense of optimism and sober direction for the future of their parishes while external conditions, such as parish finances, parish structures, and the availability of clergy, seem to indicate a potential decline in parish life? Throughout symposia comments and written responses, three characteristics of the changing context of parish life emerged as the basis of their optimism. These attributes of parish life may provide a helpful understanding of the current and future context of the parish. A former secretary of health, education, and welfare, John Gardner once observed, “Anyone whoever achieved anything of significance had far more hope than the facts justified.”4
Following are the characteristics that serve as the foundation for optimism and receive the greatest attention, in order of their significance for the future:
Increased Involvement of the Laity as Disciples
Pastoral leaders appear to have a keen awareness of the culture-changing impact of the increased involvement and leadership of laity in parish life. In the eyes of these leaders, lay engagement and involvement in parish life was not simply a matter of expediency, but a question of call, vision, and the realization of a mature church in the twenty-first century. As one pastoral leader observed:
More and more it is clear to me that lay leadership is a necessity, not a nicety! How we can overcome the “fear factor” is a big question, for we need to convince pastors that they are not being threatened—they are being assisted! We stress that the emerging role of the laity is part of their baptismal call! This is so dependent, however, upon relationship! (Pastoral Leader, Southeast)
Throughout its history, the church has endorsed the notion of laity as disciples to the world. In this image of discipleship, the laity is called to fulfill that baptismal mission to renew the world and make disciples of all nations. This sense of lay ministry continues to be a critical dynamic for lay involvement in parish life. These pastoral leaders see the laity’s involvement as an equally vital component that informs the life of the faith community. To them, this emphasis on a “lay ministry” for the life of the church is not simply a matter of filling in for unavailable clergy but of the church’s full realization of its call to renew not only the world but also itself. The following comments are representative of how pastoral leaders feel about the emergence of new forms of lay leadership in pastoral life:
We are only seventeen months into our new leadership of PLC/sacramental minister/canonical pastor. One of the two areas in the diocese to have a PLC, we are the first to have a laywoman. Our parishes see themselves as laying groundwork for the future. I think that calls us to regularly evaluate what we are doing, why, and how. We all want to do it well—not only for ourselves, but for other parishes in the diocese who will undergo change in the near future. (Parish Life Coordinator, North Central)
People are identifying new areas of ministry which need to be developed and are offering expertise for their accomplishment. As we decrease the number of priests and sisters on staff, we are seeing the laity competently step up to the plate. (Pastor, Mid-Atlantic)
I hope in time that a more collaborative model will emerge where the leadership comes from the people with the pastor’s oversight. I hope that the staff will be seen more as a resource to this leadership rather than a substitute for it. I hope that this style of leadership will foster a growing sense of communion among all of us which is then the reference for all that we do and how we decide new directions. (Pastor, Mid-Atlantic)
At a time when some dioceses are required to diminish their financial investment in lay formation programs, the need is growing even stronger in all sectors of parish life for emerging models of lay pastoral leadership. This need is particularly acute when ministering to multicultural groups and young adults.
The emergence of a Latino community is helping change to a shared ministry style of leadership. Their presence is not a threat to most Anglos there and their “family type” involvement is having an impact on the whole parish. (Pastor, Mid-Atlantic)
There are a larger number of young people of both genders who do not desire to be priests but who are confused by the choices between very authoritarian models and communal models of church leadership. Though they may tend to the more traditional “Father decides” approach to parish life, they primarily want the church to settle on one model and they don’t much care which as long as it’s stable. There are many who get to know the communal model of parish leadership that our parish follows and come to like it. They are very frustrated, even to the point of ceasing to be active parish members, when they cannot find the model they have experienced here after graduating and moving on. These young adults know what they want but they are unsure of how to bring it about if there is no parish leadership that shares their views. I would like to say that our parish’s model will emerge as the standard, and in the long run, I believe it will. In the short run, however, I am not sure. (Pastoral Associate, Upper Midwest)
These pastoral leaders are highly encouraged when they see formal leaders, such as priests, vicars, and bishops, encouraging and supporting these efforts. This not only validates their experience of the vitality of lay leadership in parish life, but also provides them with a needed sense of confidence that their efforts are on the right track and consistent with the goals of the local church.
More collaboration among deaneries/vicariates is needed. There is a need to assist leadership that is stuck in old models, fearful of what is happening and [without] the resources to respond, losing parishioners because of poor leadership. Use present structures like deaneries/vicariates to cross-fertilize the good things that are happening through good leadership with those places where leadership is poor, paralyzed, or stuck. The cross-fertilization that is happening here is a good model. (Diocesan Representative, Northeast)
Our new bishop is trying hard to affect the mindset and systems necessary for good shared leadership on every level of diocesan and parish life. He misses no opportunity to talk about the role of all the baptized and the necessity of living with the heart and mind of Jesus. He is insisting on faith formation and spiritual formation of adults (in the spirit of Vatican II). Ultimately, this will open us to new models. (Diocesan Representative, Mid-Atlantic)
This visible, tangible, and consistent emphasis on the engagement of lay leaders as disciples is a palpable characteristic of parishes represented in the symposia that have a sense of vitality and optimism for the future.
Hopefully, we will continue to see the ascendancy of the laity and the renewed confidence in the indispensable ministry of lay and clergy ministers. I would hope we would be communities driven by a clear mission to continue the work of Jesus Christ to sanctify, teach, and lead persons to faith and eternal life. Concretely, this occurs, hopefully, through vibrant liturgy, education, and mission. (Pastor, North Central)
I think we can expect a greater participation in leadership from the laity and should be preparing them and the community at large for the possibilities. Our church will survive and it will change. The greatest thing we can do is keep reminding people that change is inevitable and pray as a community that the spirit will guide the parish and inspire and call leaders. We also need to help people remember we are part of a worldwide community. As change occurs, it would be beneficial if collaboration extended beyond parish boundaries within the U.S. and drew upon the wisdom of the church leadership in other countries. (Pastoral Council Member, Northeast)
Increased Cultural Diversity Contributing to Parish Vitality
Participants saw the increased presence of diverse cultures in parish life not simply as a challenge to service through day-to-day ministries, but as a transformational element contributing to parish vitality. Symposia participants often reflected how the hopefulness and substantive contributions of diverse cultures have improved their parish life. Undoubtedly, parishes are challenged with bilingual and multilingual forms of worship, different cultural norms for how communities organize, and different socioeconomic implications which result from their multicultural populations. One parish life coordinator reflected upon a poor urban church in a large megalopolis with over twenty native languages represented among parishioners. Yet consistently throughout the symposia, pastoral leaders spoke of a driving vitality that multiculturalism brings to parish identity.
The Spanish-speaking community is giving me the most hope. We are forming leaders in Ignatian prayer/discernment; we are educating them very basically in theology, pastoral skills, Scripture, liturgy; we are working on building a Catholic school to include children of Hispanic families by day, and their parents by night (ESL, citizenship, literacy)—involving both English and Spanish-speaking communities. (Parish Life Coordinator, Pacific Northwest)
The multicultural and ethnic impact on parish life is far more of a blessing and an opportunity than a problem to be solved or an issue to be addressed. Those pastoral leaders from the symposia who have been able to experience multiculturalism in parish life as a transformational element see this as an essential contribution to the future of parish vitality. One large suburban parish in the Southeast has introduced bilingual worship practices, not because of the current population of Hispanics, but in anticipation and welcome of that future presence. Pastoral leaders frequently described multiculturalism as an expression of parish vitality.
I see a place where people of diverse cultures can come together as one faith community; where people are truly invested in the welfare of the church; where fewer clergy and religious focus more on building up the leaders than actually doing particular ministries; where the Eucharist and a mission-based spirituality are the focus of a community’s life and well-being. (Pastor, Mid-Atlantic)
Probably something we can’t imagine. I hope it will be a welcoming, inclusive, multicultural community with small faith-sharing groups of all kinds who evangelize their constituencies at work as in their neighborhoods. Prayerful, inclusive liturgy (hopefully eucharistic) with good music and preaching where we recognize and celebrate important moments in people’s lives and care for one another; a community that can sustain itself, serve the poor and weak for justice and systemic change, of whom is said, “See how they love one another.” (Parish Life Coordinator, Pacific Northwest)
Intentional Parish Planning and Visioning
Those pastoral leaders throughout the symposia who demonstrated a more confident view of the vitality of parish life also stressed the importance of their current and future pastoral planning and visioning processes. In the field of organizational behavior and development, a commitment to planning is often linked to success in high-performing organizations. This disciplined approach to anticipating the future—realigning current structures and service delivery models and crafting a plan of action—is an attribute of effective leadership. Pastoral leaders in the symposia illustrated this practice which is well documented in other social sectors and organizational disciplines.
Pastoral leaders described different, but not dissimilar, approaches to pastoral planning and visioning. Their organizational processes almost always place the pastoral council in a visioning and planning role and often result in increased lay involvement on various task forces and boards which contribute to, and demonstrate, leadership. These processes also often include the formation of new structures and new approaches to teaming and providing needed support both within and beyond the parish.
One very large parish of over 6,000 households in the Northeast has structured its pastoral planning process through lay parish boards with direct responsibility for various aspects of parish life. In this model, the lay parish board develops a plan for the future, assigns budgeted resources, and oversees the implementation of various projects and programs. This lay-led approach to pastoral planning is an example of the extent to which healthy parishes have found a way to integrate organizational “best practices” into their parish formational efforts. However diverse their approach, pastoral leaders frequently expressed a commitment to parish visioning as vital to their future parish communities.
I pray we can select (discern) more visioning and planning parishioners for our pastoral council. The council and staff can then develop and articulate the parish mission. They can tap the parishioners with the right talents to develop ministries. Perhaps a staff member can serve as ministries coordinator so more parishioners can give their gifts, time, and resources to the community. (Diocesan Representative, Southwest)
The two parishes, because of the experience of shared staff and the fact that all ministries I have initiated have been joint, are learning to look beyond “parish as universe unto itself,” to a broader vision of church and of parishes cooperating in collaborative ministries and outreach. This is also being promoted through their participation in a multi-parish joint planning process spearheaded by our pastor. (Pastoral Associate, Upper Midwest)
I’m just forging ahead with a “ministry team” model, inviting parishioners to form ministry teams; training and forming them; grounding their understanding of their ministry in Catholic teaching; developing goals and objectives; planning, implementing, and evaluating programs and efforts. So far, I have started a Baptism Ministry Team, Youth Ministry Team, Welcoming Ministry Team, and Adult Education Ministry Team. The teams are beginning to collaborate with one another to plan and implement events. I am learning more myself (attended Called & Gifted Workshop) about how to help people discern their baptismal call and gifts, so ministries can be formed around the gifts present in the community. (Pastoral Associate, Upper Midwest)
The parish is currently working on our next five-year plan. We are surveying, interviewing, and holding a town hall meeting. When all this is gathered, the pastoral council, staff, and other leadership will set goals in all areas of parish life. We are being connected with our faith tradition as we transition into the next five years. The process has been very energizing for the lay leaders and me. Moving intentionally from “information gathering” to “implementation” will be a key to success. (Pastoral Associate, Upper Midwest)
It is clear from the experiences of these pastoral associates that a commitment to pastoral planning and visioning is a significant contribution to the vitality of parishes. These processes adapted from other organizational disciplines often contribute to the church’s ability to be responsive to changing demographics, changing economics, and changing trends in local communities.
The changes that will occur are occurring so fast now that it is difficult to anticipate the future. There must be a change in leadership from a “structure” idea that takes time to react to, to a form that allows a process to develop for quick response to situations and events as they occur. (Deacon, South)
We need to have processes to be “rangers” rather than “garrisons.” Rangers react quickly and are empowered to make guidelines. The church structure needs to react much quicker to what’s happening. Solve sacramental issues in two to four years, not in twenty years. (Pastoral Leader, South)
The practical optimism of pastoral leaders for the current and future vitality of parish life is rooted, not only in a deep-seated, faith-based commitment to the gospel, but also in a realistic appraisal and understanding of their current circumstances. In order to further digest, interpret, and discern priorities for the future, these pastoral leaders appear well-grounded in the disciplines of planning and visioning to assist in realizing their core spiritual identity as vibrant eucharistic communities.
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