Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun

Earlier this year as I met with my EP colleagues in the Presbytery Leader Formation residency, we were each sharing about our presbyteries, and I said, “I’ve got twins!”

My two presbyteries are of the same approximate size and weight (Monmouth has a few more churches, New Brunswick has a lot more pastors). They both share DNA, but they have very different personalities. One is the over-achiever, one is the heart-warmer, one is the artist, one is the intellectual, both are smart … and, to this proud “mom”, both are “above average” on all scales that matter.

I’ve told my colleagues: Even though New Brunswick is technically the smaller of the two presbyteries, it operates like they’re much larger; I describe them as the “program church” Monmouth is larger, but, I find they operate more like a “family church”. Each has it’s own eccentricities and advantages.

New Brunswick brings a cosmopolitan, urban flair, to our family. The influence of the seminary is palpable in their analytical, critical, and intellectual capabilities. They have a deep heritage … a long history of being influencers and on the cutting edge … this leads to a confidence in their orthodoxy and orthopraxy that flirts with arrogance, but gives them a firm foundation in who they are and who they’ve been. They are organized and detailed. Like a well-oiled machine, they “do” presbytery well and have, in my opinion, one of the best functioning COM’s and CPM’s in the country . They are highly intelligent, resourceful, and individually as much the influencers as ever. They are a presbytery overflowing with leaders, and teachers, and mentors, and pastors. They care about each other, but are finding that they don’t really know each other well. They care deeply about the PCUSA and the presbytery, but the legal struggle of the recent past has left its mark … deep hurt for some, skittishness for others … distrust is not yet overt, but growing. And, while they may, at times, seem apathetic, I don’t believe apathy is part of their DNA; rather I’m convinced they’re corporately experiencing a reluctance to put their whole heart forward because they are acutely aware of the vulnerability that opens us up to.

Monmouth, on the other hand, is “Jersey Shore” … not at all like the TV show, but in their “down-to-earth-ness” and deep family ties. Their heritage is also strong but solidified in relationship and shared experience. They are determined, persevering, and have a lot of energy around being presbytery. They have a passion that has led them, at times, to open hostility. That hostility and hurt, I’m convinced, is rooted in how much they care about scripture, the church, the marginalized, and each other. Their hearts are full, and they are determined to do the right things. That determination has had them at odds with each other during some very difficult times. I hear that, I see that trust is difficult, because they’ve been hurt, and because they care. Monmouth is a presbytery of highly talented leaders who have wonderfully imaginative ideas, and, they have a heart that beats for the church, for Christ.  This allows them to share an authentic hope for the future that sometimes seems like nothing but pie in the sky dreaming, but it gives them strength, nonetheless.

Working with both of them keeps me constantly appreciating them … each of them, and it gives me a much larger grasp on the possibilities out there. not only do I have the experience of the different ways things WERE done in my previous presbytery, but I know how they ARE being done next door. And, I’m always seeing possibilities for collaboration … not so that the two become one, but so that we can fully support and complement each other.

Double the Work

I’m not going to sugar-coat anything though. As parents of multiples always tell you, the work, the sheer amount of work, can be overwhelming. My colleagues keep shaking their heads, saying things like, “twice as many presbytery meetings? Double the COM meetings? Council meetings?” Yup. And that means I can’t do everything alone. More and more, each leader will need to step and do their part. By now you probably have begun to notice some of the things which are falling to others in the presbytery. I’m relying quite a bit on committee chairs, COM liaisons, and the office staffs. We are, however, a community, working together … and I’m convinced this will continue to be much more of a blessing than a burden.

Grounded in Vision

This collage has been hanging above my computer in my home office since the day I moved in. It has given me focus all year as I meditated with each of the phrases and images. It has helped me hear the Spirit’s wisdom, and remember who I am and who I’ve been called to be as your Regional Presbyter.

In Houston, I participated in a number of spirituality visioning groups led by my friend and colleague, the Rev. Pat Clark. Her work with us focused on listening through our right brains by using images and journalling. Over the years I had made a number of these collages. We’d spend an hour or two contemplating a Bible verse or phrase, paging through magazines and cutting out the images and words that seemed to capture our attention or imagination, and glueing them to our poster board. Every time I made a collage I felt captivated by the aura of kindergarten. As the group of us worked together we’d laugh at pictures, make snarky comments, share pictures with each other and just play together with a childlike spontaneity. And after our artwork was completed, we shared our creations with each other with a sense of gratitude and curiosity … What truths, what insights, what imaginings would these collages reveal to us in the coming weeks and months? Each collage was the focal point of our group work and homework for two to three months as we journaled, prayed, met regularly, and let the Spirit speak to us.

This collage was specifically designed as I prepared to begin my work with you. Pat called our group together just before I left to make one more collage. Most of the images are mine; they were chosen because, intuitively, I felt they had something to say about my call here. Others were chosen by each of the other members of my group, as a gift, as a remembrance, as a blessing. And, over the year, they spoke to me, quietly and persistently … reminding me of the call that brought me here, keeping me grounded and focused during some very “weighty” times.

It’s important, especially during times of great change or of crisis, to balance the weightiness with whimsical play, with quiet, with curiosity, and with a smile … trusting that God has so much more yet to reveal to us if we look, listen, and wonder.

Monmouth Presbytery Mission Priorities and Goals

The mission statement for Monmouth Presbytery is:  to equip ministers and congregations to strengthen God’s people for ministry in obedience to Jesus Christ.

Last month, the Mission Council, met for a day-long retreat at Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church.  After some thoughtful and bold conversation about the blessings and challenges of the presbytery, the Council agreed that we, as a presbytery, need to focus on Building Trust and Building Community over the next year or more.

As we face the challenges before us, it is imperative that we trust each other, knowing that no matter how different our opinions or our styles or our decisions are, that we are united in our love and commitment to Jesus Christ.  This will not be easy.  There have been many reasons that trust has been broken in this presbytery.  Feelings have been hurt, deeply.  Relationships have been strained and broken.  It will take a commitment from every member of the presbytery to take the bold steps of repentance when necessary, going the extra mile, and working through conflict.  It will take stepping back and praying together when the going gets tough.  And it will mean making room in our busy schedules to build community with each other.

How can we trust people we don’t know?  We need to get to know our colleagues, not just pastors, but elders.  We need to reach across the typical dividing lines of age, race, theological ideology, etc. etc. and make friends with each other.  We need to support each other, encourage each other, comfort each other and challenge each other.  We need this, so that we can trust and value each other as the very difficult issues confront us.

As a presbytery, too, we’ve reaffirmed our commitment to the spiritual and missional health of each congregation.  We know that without healthy and vital congregations, there is no healthy and vital presbytery.  We are here to serve you, as you serve your communities.

The Mission Council commits to helping build trust and community by

1. Follow through on session visits.  By March just about all of our sessions should have been visited by a representative of mission council.  The visit includes showing the DVD produced last summer, listening to the concerns of our sessions, and answering questions the congregations have about the Presbytery.  We will be compiling the comments and issues raised in those visits and we promise to not only listen, but do something with the things we learn.  We will report back to the presbytery and to individual congregations as appropriate.
2. Create a Process for Gracious Discernment.  There is much anxiety in the the PC(USA) these days about who’s leaving and who’s staying now that we’ve changed our ordination standards to allow GLBTQ individuals to be ordained if the session and/or presbytery confirms their call to ministry.  We want to start right away and bring leaders together who are on all sides of the controversy to work on a policy that would help a congregation through the discernment process and, if the congregation is of one accord, would allow for “gracious” dismissal of a congregation.  We are hoping never to have to use the policy, but we believe that the process of creating one, will allow for wounds to be healed, relationships to be grown, voices to be heard, etc.
3. “Change the Conversation” around Per Capita.  We have a per capita problem.  See my blog post for a larger analysis of the problem nationally.  In our presbytery (Monmouth) nothing seems to churn up feelings and escalate hostility between pastors and congregations more than a conversation around payment of per capita.  So it’s time to change the conversation, to imagine a different way, perhaps, of supporting the financial realities of being part of the Presbyterian “family”.  We will begin to ask the tough questions and face the tough realities.
4. Congregational Grants and Consultants.  To put some funding behind our words of support for congregations, the mission council is working through MDSC to provide matching grants to groups of congregations who would like to work together and need resourcing or consultation.  The motion to create the matching grant program passed the presbytery last night.  And we anticipate that by our June meeting a process will be communicated through which you and your congregation can apply for some of the yearly funding.
5. Unbinding the Gospel.  I am encouraged by the 27 pastors from Monmouth and New Brunswick presbyteries who joined me and Martha Grace Reese on a conference call a few weeks ago.  15 pastors from Monmouth are considering forming a small group of leaders to study the book, Unbinding the Gospel, over eight weeks sometime this spring.  If the congregations decide they want to proceed with the full congregational program, we may be able to form some coaching groups for large and small congregations with Lilly Grant Funding.  This would be a huge boost for the presbytery.
6. Developing Connections and Relationships.  We will intentionally look for ways to encourage teaching and ruling elders to gather together for fellowship, study, support, encouragement and mission.  Rob Carter, our Moderator, has some ideas about how to do this, but we don’t need permission from the presbytery to start gathering.  I know of two gatherings of colleagues after the presbytery meeting last night.  One of them was at my house!  Any chance we have to BE the people of God together and not just DO the work of the people of God, we will be blessed.