Peter L. Steinke - Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times: Being Calm and Courageous No Matter What

Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times

Being Calm and Courageous No Matter What

Peter L. Steinke

An Alban Institute Publication

Copyright 2006 by The Alban Institute. All rights reserved.

This material may not be photocopied or reproduced in any way without written permission. Go to www.alban.org/permissions.asp or write to the address below.

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Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Concept Foundry.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Steinke, Peter L.

Congregational leadership in anxious times : being calm and courageous no matter what / Peter L. Steinke.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN-13: 978-1-56699-328-9

ISBN-10: 1-56699-328-8

1. Christian leadership. I. Title.

BV652.1.S725 2006

252--dc22

2006036119

Contents

Practical wisdom. Thats what Peter Steinke offers readers in Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times. Throughout this long-awaited book, Steinke is faithful to Scripture, conveys deep insight into the human condition, provides a clear exposition of systems thinking and Bowen theory, and offers us a look at some of the fascinating situations he has seen in his 20 years of consultation with congregations and church leaders.

Peter Steinke is a gift. Equipped as a pastor and counselor, he emerged soon after he began serving parishes as an effective consultant to congregations in crisis. He continues to fill that role, yet perhaps his greatest gift is his capacity to foster health, rather than simply to pick up the pieces after a crisis. I have known Pete for nearly 20 years, served on an advisory board for his Healthy Congregations materials, and have been privileged to see him work in a host of settings. His insights into life, especially the complex relationships of Christian community, are prolific and profound. Even better, he models in his daily life what he teaches in his books and consultations.

Lifeparticularly life in Christian communityis rife with differences, and conflict is seldom far from us. Although conflicting views, stances, and opinions are a given, however, chaos and crisis need not follow. Whether conflicting approaches to mission and ministry lead to creativity and growth or to polarized stand-offs is largely a matter of how the key leaders are able to respond to the situation. While we may be tempted to lament or hide when conflicts swirl into our lives, Peter Steinke provides practical insight and wise counsel for more productive ways to respond in the midst of the difficulties.

Whether you are already familiar with Bowen theory of systems thinking or not, the scenarios will ring true and the counsel will make sense. When I read this book, I recognized myself, my colleagues, and the congregations I have served, and I think you will have the same experience.

I have seen anxious times manifest themselves in many ways, and no doubt you have too. Is your church council polarizing over a minor issue? Do you have to confront the custodian? Does the activity in the narthex seem more hostile than hospitable? Do you dread the monthly treasurers report? Have the well-meaning questions about your ministry begun to raise nagging doubts? Do expectations of you seem to outpace your time and energy? Has the congregation been stressed by community strife? These and other anxious times are all too familiar to most of us.

Not only do I recognize the situations Steinke describes; I recognize myself in them. I admit that throughout my 37 years of ordained ministry, there have been times when I have not been as calm and courageous as I might have been, and it would have been easy for Steinke to write about calm and courageous leadership in such a way that I might feel judged or scolded. Fortunately, however, the practical wisdom in this book is also gracious. I dont come away feeling ashamed or inadequate; rather, I hear acknowledgment that in anxious times all of us fall short, and I find insightful counsel on how to navigate similar situations better in the future.

There have also been times when I have indeed been calm and courageous. I thank God for those times. What I need, though, is some sense of how to behave the same way in the future. What I hope for is a little like hitting a really good golf shot. Its wonderful to hit one, but the real question is whether I can learn to repeat it regularly. So it is with calm, courageous leadership. We all manage it now and then. This book can help us repeat it more regularly.

If your congregation is experiencing smooth sailing right now, this will be good preventative medicine. If you are feeling some of the cold winds of controversy, it will help you navigate them and stay healthy. If you are afraid you are about to capsize, this may help you right the ship. In any case, you will find the practical wisdom in this book to be a gift.

Bishop Rick Foss

Eastern North Dakota Synod (ELCA)

In Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times: Being Calm and Courageous No Matter What, I share with church leaders many of the insights and experiences I have discovered working with congregations nationwide. From numerous wise people, a multitude of difficult situations, and a solid sampling of positive happenings, I have learned that no group shapes and influences a congregations health, efficiency, and growth more than church leaders. The way in which the leader functions arises out of who the leader is. The leaders being and functioning are twin to each other.

My hope is that the ideas, stories, realities, and provocations in this book will both enlighten and embolden your leadership in the local congregation. Knowing and understanding what is happening is certainly significant. But awareness is not enough. Someone has to be bold enough to suggest or take action.

My experience encompasses work with more than 150 congregations of different sizes (about 100 to 4,000 members), in places ranging from New Hampshire to California and Florida to Washington, with histories dating from the 18th century to a freshly minted congregation, and from eight denominational affiliations.

Influencing my thinking significantly is Bowen Theory, an understanding of what happens when people come together and interact, how they mutually influence each others behaviors, how change in one person affects another, and how they create something larger than themselves. The genius of the theory is that it makes visible what is invisible. It presents concepts that give insight into human behavior. At the core of the theory are two variablesthe degree of anxiety and the capacity to differentiate. With anxiety intensifying and penetrating more areas of our lives, even in the church, leaders today cannot be as anxious as the people they serve. To lead means to have some command of our own anxiety and some capacity not to let other peoples anxiety contaminate us; that is, not to allow their anxiety to affect our thinking, actions, and decisions.

Central to my thinking is also my understanding of the biblical idea of the imago dei. When we ask what is the intended or essential character and vocation of the creature, Christian theology turns to the symbol of the