Leadership development of clergy, lay staff and volunteers

It’s important to big business, it’s crucial for good government, and it’s essential in our church. So, what is it? It’s leadership and all that goes with it. From the very day that Jesus said to his disciples, “Come, follow me,” our family of faith has depended on good leaders both in the pews and at the altar. This invitation by Jesus, to follow him, was a call to partner with the Son of God in leading others into the fullness of the kingdom. This sharing in the calling to leadership has its roots in our Baptism. It was then that we were blessed with the charism of being priest, prophet and king. From that moment on we are constantly invited to share in Jesus’ ministry to the world … and that includes leadership.

In Witness to Jesus (Diocesan Road Map for Pastoral Program and Facility Needs) it was noted that “education, training, and mentoring programs designed to improve the knowledge base and leadership skills of clergy, lay staff, and volunteers need to be established and implemented throughout the diocese.” Our task force on leadership is about to review what existing and potential programs are available to achieve this goal. The task force is composed of men and women from various backgrounds and experiences. These include those with spiritual, sociological, psychological, educational and pastoral life expertise. Each of these members will be a valuable asset in drawing up a plan for the future care of our diocese and its laity and clergy.

A recent gathering of our task force allowed us to discuss several key areas that we will be looking at. One very important issue was that of the role of women in church leadership. Since a large percentage of church volunteers and staff are female it was asked how better we can involve them in leadership and recognize their contributions.

Another area of interest is how we, as a diocese, define leadership. What kind of leadership skills are we looking at for our laity and clergy? We pretty much know what we expect from our priests, deacons and laypersons, but are our expectations in line with what they are capable of providing? How we move forward depends on what we have, what we want, and what we would want to develop in the leaders of our parishes and ministries. One of our group members seemed to sum up this issue by stating, “There are leaders, there are some who are real leaders, and then there are some who act as if they are leaders.” This is the issue at hand: how do we encourage leadership skills for those currently in leadership and for our future leaders.

A key aspect to any inquiry regarding leadership will surely be some sort of periodic review. Using a model, taken from the medical profession, one might do a 360 degree review. That means that our leaders would be looked at by everyone who is affected by their ministerial leadership. Everyone’s observations and opinions would be shared with the individual in question and then some plan to either improve or affirm those results would be shared and proposed. All professionals need to stay current in their particular field of interest and so too with those who represent and work within the church. In this way there can be updating as well as self-assessment of accomplishments and areas that need attention.

Another key element to both leadership review and development will be continuing education. There are many programs, both locally and elsewhere, that can assist us. Once we determine what leadership skills we have, and perhaps want to develop, then we will be better able to select what type of programs will meet our needs.

A diocese with vibrant parishes will be one which has capable leaders. “Come follow me” has taken on a more developed meaning since the day of Jesus. Today, we need to make sure that we provide, as best as we can, our leaders with the skills and tools that will allow them to best serve Christ’s body, the church.