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“ “The dominant shift The dominant shift in the role of the in the role of the
Presbytery leader is Presbytery leader is from one of executive from one of executive
CEO to spiritual CEO to spiritual leader”leader”Jill HudsonJill Hudson
Spiritual LeadersSpiritual Leaders
•Adapt their leadership style Adapt their leadership style to meet the contextto meet the context•And have the gifts needed for And have the gifts needed for the contextthe context
Therefore our first Therefore our first challenge is to define our challenge is to define our
contextcontext
ContextsContexts•ExodusExodus•ExileExile•Great EmergenceGreat Emergence•Post ModernPost Modern•Age of the SpiritAge of the Spirit•Post ChristendomPost Christendom•Early ChristianEarly Christian
Context is defined in Context is defined in large part by large part by circumstancecircumstance
butbutspiritual leaders must spiritual leaders must discern and articulate discern and articulate
that contextthat context
What is the context of What is the context of your Presbytery?your Presbytery?
Have you been able to Have you been able to articulate what the articulate what the
context is?context is?
The Presbytery of The Presbytery of Southern New England Southern New England in an Exile Experiencein an Exile Experience
THE EXILE THE EXILE EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE
Old ways don’t work as they used toOld ways don’t work as they used to Forced to leave homes and comfortsForced to leave homes and comforts Becoming a “scattered” peopleBecoming a “scattered” people Living in a “foreign” landLiving in a “foreign” land Discovering God anewDiscovering God anew Changed selves in a different type of Changed selves in a different type of
homehome
Parts of the Exile Parts of the Exile ExperienceExperience In JerusalemIn Jerusalem
Wanting to keep the old institutions and practicesWanting to keep the old institutions and practices Feeling threatened and anxiousFeeling threatened and anxious
Going Into ExileGoing Into Exile Being scattered and separated from familyBeing scattered and separated from family Feeling loss and disorientationFeeling loss and disorientation
In ExileIn Exile Not at homeNot at home Engaging the culture creativelyEngaging the culture creatively
Finding a New HomeFinding a New Home Experimenting with the new with renewed SpiritExperimenting with the new with renewed Spirit Wondering about purity and identityWondering about purity and identity
In the Presbytery of In the Presbytery of Southern New EnglandSouthern New England
We are getting smallerWe are getting smaller We are feeling scattered from one We are feeling scattered from one
another geographically and theologicallyanother geographically and theologically Our structure no longer works wellOur structure no longer works well Our culture treats us as outsidersOur culture treats us as outsiders We are anxious about the future and We are anxious about the future and
changechange
We are still in Jerusalem We are still in Jerusalem and starting to and starting to
experience the effects of experience the effects of ExileExile
We still live the old We still live the old identities defined by identities defined by
our past titlesour past titles
Titles for PresbyteryTitles for Presbytery
JudicatoryJudicatory Court of the churchCourt of the church An assembly to reach An assembly to reach conclusions on significant conclusions on significant mattersmatters
A place judgment is A place judgment is renderedrendered
Titles for PresbyteryTitles for Presbytery
JudicatoryJudicatory Governing BodyGoverning Body
To direct, regulate, and To direct, regulate, and manage the institution of manage the institution of the churchthe church
To legislate and create To legislate and create policypolicy
Titles for PresbyteryTitles for Presbytery
JudicatoryJudicatory Governing BodyGoverning Body Agent of MissionAgent of Mission
To initiate, send out, or To initiate, send out, or support a mission support a mission endeavorendeavor
Titles for PresbyteryTitles for Presbytery
JudicatoryJudicatory Governing BodyGoverning Body Agent of MissionAgent of Mission CouncilCouncil
An assembly for deciding An assembly for deciding matters of doctrinematters of doctrine
All these titles refer to All these titles refer to matters such as:matters such as:
Institutional maintenanceInstitutional maintenance Making decisionsMaking decisions Debating issuesDebating issues Managing policyManaging policy Creating legislationCreating legislation Starting programsStarting programs
To accomplish our titles …To accomplish our titles …we have staffwe have staffand programsand programsand budgetsand budgets
and buildingsand buildingsand manualsand manualsand policiesand policiesand by-lawsand by-laws
Yet we are finding Yet we are finding that these roles and that these roles and
structures don’t work structures don’t work like they used to.like they used to.
This is what they are asking This is what they are asking for through evaluations of for through evaluations of
our meetings: our meetings:
Sharing/SupSharing/Supportport
NurtureNurture EducationEducation FellowshipFellowship
WorshipWorship StorytellingStorytelling WitnessWitness CommunityCommunity
In Calvin’s timeIn Calvin’s time
There were two bodies that There were two bodies that preceeded our presbyteries:preceeded our presbyteries:
The Geneva ConsistoryThe Geneva Consistory
The Venerable Company of The Venerable Company of PastorsPastors
The Geneva ConsistoryThe Geneva Consistory
Pastors and EldersPastors and Elders Responsible for Church order Responsible for Church order
and disciplineand discipline That is, managed church lifeThat is, managed church life
The Venerable Company The Venerable Company of Pastorsof Pastors
Educated themselves biblically and Educated themselves biblically and theologicallytheologically
Mutually encouraged each otherMutually encouraged each other Pursued joint missionary work Pursued joint missionary work Met regularly for prayer and supportMet regularly for prayer and support Enhanced capacity to think the faithEnhanced capacity to think the faith
But we have neglected But we have neglected the work of the the work of the
Venerable Company of Venerable Company of PastorsPastors
““Without the corporate Without the corporate engagement in biblical, engagement in biblical,
theological and theological and ecclesiological inquiry … ecclesiological inquiry … ecclesial order is easily ecclesial order is easily bureaucratized while bureaucratized while discipline is either discipline is either
ignored or factionalized.”ignored or factionalized.”
Joe SmallJoe Small
““There is a conspicuous There is a conspicuous absence of presbyteries absence of presbyteries
as communities of as communities of spiritual, intellectual, spiritual, intellectual,
and vocational discipline and vocational discipline that ensure open space that ensure open space
for Word and Sacrament, for Word and Sacrament, and sharpen clear vision and sharpen clear vision
of the presence of of the presence of Christ.”Christ.”
Joe SmallJoe Small
In what ways is your In what ways is your Presbytery trying to be a Presbytery trying to be a spiritual community in spiritual community in
distinction from a distinction from a religious institution?religious institution?
The Leaders of a PeopleThe Leaders of a PeopleExperiencing ExileExperiencing Exile
What is the role of the Presbytery What is the role of the Presbytery leaders during an exile experience?leaders during an exile experience?
What kind of spiritual leadership is What kind of spiritual leadership is called for?called for?
The Biblical The Biblical Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders
•IsaiahIsaiah•JeremiahJeremiah•Ezra and NehemiahEzra and Nehemiah•EstherEsther•DanielDaniel•HabbakkukHabbakkuk
Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders
Lead the lamentations for the losses of Lead the lamentations for the losses of the churchthe church
Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders
Call the orphaned Call the orphaned
into a communion of saints into a communion of saints
to whom to belongto whom to belong
Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders
Identify with the suffering servantIdentify with the suffering servant
who lives with the hope of ultimate who lives with the hope of ultimate victory victory
in the midst of pain and despairin the midst of pain and despair
Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders
Point to the sacred and holy Point to the sacred and holy
tabernacling in our midsttabernacling in our midst
to people who tend to see to people who tend to see
only the absence of Godonly the absence of God
and profanation around themand profanation around them
Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders
Legitimize Legitimize
mystery, and paradox, and ambiguity mystery, and paradox, and ambiguity
within both theology and our within both theology and our ecclesiastical lifeecclesiastical life
Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders
Call exiles out of self-absorptionCall exiles out of self-absorption
and into creative, missional faith-and into creative, missional faith-livingliving
in a secular culturein a secular culture
The Leaders Help the The Leaders Help the Community to:Community to:
Confess our separation from GodConfess our separation from God Connect the scattered people with Connect the scattered people with
each othereach other Sing of hope for the future in GodSing of hope for the future in God Experience the sacred and holy in lifeExperience the sacred and holy in life Struggle with moral and theological Struggle with moral and theological
paradoxesparadoxes Support each other to live missionallySupport each other to live missionally
What work might exilic, What work might exilic, spiritual leaders be spiritual leaders be
doing?doing? Visibly and vocally “cast the vision” of Visibly and vocally “cast the vision” of
our current exile context.our current exile context. Invite individuals and congregations to Invite individuals and congregations to
“find their place” in the exilic experience.“find their place” in the exilic experience. Gather the scattered together to be in Gather the scattered together to be in
communion with one another.communion with one another. Support “missional” endeavorsSupport “missional” endeavors Focus on the birth of the new instead of Focus on the birth of the new instead of
the death of the old.the death of the old.