Why our leaders need good training
On today'southward General Synod agenda, we were scheduled to hash out a report on 'Nurturing and discerning senior leaders'. In the issue, we ended upward adding a debate on the Eu Plebiscite and the consequences for our thinking nigh sectionalization in society, and the debate on leadership has been postponed (I am not entirely sure until when).
Simply the need for skillful leadership could hardly have been more clearly demonstrated by news today about the Diocese of Rochester. It covers the area I grew up on the London/north Kent border, and the diocese therefore sponsored me through ordination recommendation and training. But today it has effectively announced that it is on the verge of running out of cash.
In a alphabetic character to all clergy, church wardens and parochial church councils, the diocesan bishop and chair of the Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) explain:
Every bit many of you lot are aware, information technology has become clear that for some years our Diocese has been spending more than information technology has received in income, but has been able to manage this problem past cartoon from reserves congenital upwardly over many years. The accounts for last year have now been finalised, and the deficit between spending and income was college than previously, at £604,000. This means that our present position is worse than expected because, while this has likewise been funded from reserves, those full general reserves are now almost exhausted. It is essential we movement back to the situation where spending is no more than our income, but this is expected to take us more one twelvemonth even with the actions we draw beneath.
Every bit a result, all discretionary spending is going to be halted, including maintenance of clergy housing beyond the essentials; salaries are going to be frozen; grooming halted; empty vicarages let out. This is a drastic situation to have reached, which no dubiety needs our prayers. But information technology is also going to provoke some questions.
Looking dorsum, it has to exist asked why the Diocesan Synod accepted a deficit budget year upon year until the substantial diocesan reserves had been used up. At that place might be a question every bit to whether there was in fact complete transparency in this process, judging from the utilize of the phrase 'it has get clear'. Empty vicarages are now to exist let—just why hasn't that been happening earlier? And what has been happening with a diocesan stewardship/giving campaign? The letter says that an increase of a mere 50p per week per balloter coil member would wipe out the deficit—so why is this being notified but at present?
Peter Ould, who is in the side by side diocese of Canterbury, comments:
If we accept the letter at face value it seems to point that the diocese has consistently run a big deficit for a number of years with no serious attempt fabricated until at present to remedy that situation. To look until the coffers are actually empty earlier you lot put in even the limited kind of greenbacks flow management measures that the diocese say they take at present implemented, strikes me equally irresponsible. It'due south certainly the kind of behaviour that might, in the commercial globe, lead someone who was responsible to consider very carefully their position.
The existent challenge here is that the measures that have been put in place await to me every bit though they will only make things worse. The situation must exist demoralising for clergy, and many will feel that the mismanagement that has taken place undermines their trust, which raises questions nearly making more contributions to central funds—which is, later on all, a voluntary rather than a legal obligation. Freezing stipends and reducing numbers in ministry will, according to all the church growth enquiry, lead to reject and non growth in church attendance, and a farther turn down in giving. I was part of an educational institution which did something similar in responding to a deficit by cut teaching staff, removing the very matter that would attract students; information technology did non end happily. For the Diocese of Rochester, it is non very clear what a viable way forward might be.
The situation here illustrates starkly a truth which applies every bit to diocese, local churches, and any faith-based institution: you cannot reduce the organisation to a concern, but you cannot afford to ignore its business organisation-similar dimensions. These include financial management, legal compliance, and good leadership. It has been all the more significant to read the study on the C of E'southward senior leadership selection and preparation, and reflect on the experiences of those who accept been through the process.
The evolution of the process did non get-go well. The written report chaired by Lord Dark-green, produced at the finish of 2014, generated a storm of protestation at what felt like reductionist management linguistic communication with petty or no theological insight. But effectually the same time, the Faith and Order Commission reflection on leadership, written by Mike Higton and Loveday Alexander, offered a sharp contrast by presenting some very interesting reflections on how the vocation of leaders relates to the vocation of the whole people of God. These two elements appear to have been much better integrated at present, and whilst in that location are key parts of the preparation that draw on secular leadership expertise, this is integrated with theological reflection on leadership and personal evolution. These are the elements involved:
- Organisational leadership: Learning how to atomic number 82 in complex environments and in collaboration with unlike personalities.
- Theological exploration: Engaging with leading theologians on problems facing the Church and club. Deepening your own theological reflection.
- Personal germination and spiritual development: Developing yourself to atomic number 82 equally a mature disciple of Christ; faithfully, prayerfully, and with emotional intelligence.
- Community transformation: Learning how to pb in the proclamation of the gospel in and for local communities. Challenging unjust structures in club.
- Re-imagining ministry: Looking afresh at what it ways to be ordained to the office of priest in the Church of God.
- Growing the Church building: Engaging with the challenges of growing the Church at a national and local level. Seeing churches grow in both spiritual maturity and numerically.
This all looks like exciting stuff. Information technology is good to run into the developments and the lessons learnt highlighted in the accompanying report. I was specially encouraged to see the process of selection existence handled well, with a delivery to support those who, for any reason, were not selected. In that location is sensation of the dangers of under-representation from particular groups in the Church, and steps have been taken to accost this. And the event of 'management theory reductionism' has been addressed explicitly:
- Fears allayed about the uncritical use of and so-called secular leadership models – at least 30% of those attending the programmes reported a level of scepticism prior to participating. However, they have reported that, having experienced the programmes, these fears have proved unfounded. They have expressed relief at the exploratory nature of the programmes and the lack of an imposed calendar.
In that location are however some things I would hope to see inverse. Where is the reflection on a Christian and theological understanding of leadership, if leadership theory and theological exploration happen in separate units? Is there enough of a continuous thread focussing on personal growth in spirituality? And how much of the reflection is on leading volunteers, since this is what the Church is, in contrast to business organisations? I hope there volition exist continued development which engage with these issues, if they are non already in that location.
We demand to pray for the people and leaders of the Diocese of Rochester, that together they might observe a positive way forwards out of the current state of affairs. Merely we also need to pray that God will call, raise up and equip the next generation of leaders so that these kinds of bug do not recur in this form.
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