Running head: LEADING CONGREGATIONAL CHANGE i … · Running head: LEADING CONGREGATIONAL CHANGE i Leading Congregational Change Through Listening, Observation, and Advocacy Kristine

Running head: LEADING CONGREGATIONAL CHANGE i

Leading Congregational Change Through

Listening, Observation, and Advocacy

Kristine M. Fahey

A Capstone Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the Master of Science Degree in

Counselor Education at

Winona State University

Spring 2012

LEADING CONGREGATIONAL CHANGE ii

Winona State University

College of Education

Counselor Education Department

CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

__________________________

CAPSTONE PROJECT

___________________

Project Title

This is to certify that the Capstone Project of

Kristine Fahey

Has been approved by the faculty advisor and the CE 695 – Capstone Project

Course Instructor in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Master of Science Degree in

Counselor Education

Capstone Project Supervisor: Name

Approval Date: _May 8, 2012_________________

LEADING CONGREGATIONAL CHANGE iii

Abstract

Pastors as leaders serve as initiators, administrators, and supervisors for congregations as the members plan, evaluate, and navigate changes. There is a need for strategies to help pastors as they lead congregational change. Effective pastoral leadership influences a broad landscape of goals which need to be accomplished, but pastors leading congregations encounter resistance in attempting to enact new visions with congregational lay leaders. Current studies about leadership suggest that all pastors may become stronger leaders in congregational change through understanding and using counseling theory along with the counseling skills of observation, listening, and advocacy.

LEADING CONGREGATIONAL CHANGE iv

Contents

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………….1

Review of Literature ……………………………………………………………………………...3

Discussion…..……………………………………………………………………………………16

Author’s Note …………………………………….……………………………………………...20

References ……………………………………………………………………………………….21

LEADING CONGREGATIONAL CHANGE 1

Introduction

People view churches differently in the 21st Century than in past centuries. This change

has created a leadership crisis. Church membership is declining. The general population

questions why a person would want to be a Christian, and if a Christian, why there is a need to

participate in a church community (Hall, 1996). Pastoral leaders cannot rest on the assurance

that everything that was formerly true about churches is true today. Pastors need new expertise

in leading congregations. They must proactively engage members to reflect on why they are

Christians. Church leaders must also help members to create a new vision of what, as a

community of believers in Christ, they can do together to follow Christian beliefs (Hall, 1996).

According to John Douglas Hall, a contemporary Christian scholar and ecumenically respected

author, pastors need to be change agents who can address two problems: (1) Pastors need ways

to help members imagine a new vision that fits their congregation. (2) Pastors must lead change

in congregations that resist the need to embrace a growing world population that is increasingly

racially, ethnically, and economically diverse and choose instead the perceived safety of the past

(Hall, 1996). Pastors experience anxiety and strife as they lead congregational change; therefore

strategies are needed to counter deterrents to leadership (Dreibelbis, 2010).

Researchers who addressed pastor leadership style, personality, and spirituality to

determine if these variables were associated with pastor leaders’ effectiveness, found that

personality did not significantly impact effective leadership (Carter, 2009). For example, highly

individualistic pastors could be more effective change agents if they were decisive, but highly

social pastors who cultivate strong interconnectedness were equally effective change agents

(Carter, 2009).


The literature showed similarities between the fields of professional counselor and

professional minister. The social sciences and religious institutions have long aspired to serve all

people by improving mental health and spirituality (ACA Code of Ethics, (2005), ELCA Service

of Ordination,1986). But in the busy schedule of seeing clients, counselors lack knowledge of

path finding for their organization (Herr, 2006). Similarly, spiritually active clergy who have

been trained to serve congregations, often lack intentional counseling skills of listening and

observation that could benefit advocacy work (Dreibelbis, 2010).

If personality or experience is not a factor for pastoral leaders, then what is a factor? Can

interventions be learned by leaders with many different personality types and experience levels?

Leaders in the business community have long consulted psychologists to help solve managerial

difficulties. In 1939, psychologist Kurt Lewin pioneered the concept of three kinds of

leadership: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. In 1980, Carl Rogers’ person centered

theory became popular for human resource management (Lindley, 1984). Currently, cognitive

behavioral theory is employed to help business managers influence their employees (Fournies,

2000), and government executive leaders use a cognitive behavioral technique called

Acceptance and Commitment Training (Moran, 2000). It is evident that there is a long history of

professional counseling’s influence on leadership.

The counseling skills of listening, observation, and advocating on behalf of others are

powerful tools for leadership. A synthesis of the research about leadership and organizational

change suggests all pastors can learn to be effective leaders of change in their congregations.


Review of Literature

Findings about the Role of Leadership for Clergy

Transformational leadership is a style of leadership which relies on creating a new vision

(Carter, 2009). In contrast, transactional leadership is a style which emphasizes maintaining the

organizational systems already in place (Carter, 2009). One study looked at four factors,

transformational style, transactional style, personality and spirituality, to determine whether

these factors positively influenced pastors in their ability to lead (Carter, 2009). The researchers

measured transformational and transactional styles of leadership using the Multifactor

Leadership Questionnaire. They found that pastors using the transformational style imagined an

organizational vision, stimulated others to adopt the vision, and developed new leaders, whereas

pastors using the transactional style merely maintained the established practices of the

organization (Carter, 2009). The researchers also measured spirituality, using the Spiritual

Transcendence Scale, and found that all pastors scored equally higher in spirituality than the

general population (Carter, 2009). Finally, each pastor underwent a personality assessment

using the NEO-FII. The NEO-FII is a personality assessment, which measures the full range of

personality styles, classified into five personality traits: neuroticism, extraversion, openness,

agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The NEO-FII showed that personality did not have a

significant impact on leader effectiveness (Carter, 2009). Leaders possessing opposite

personalities were equally effective leaders (Carter, 2009). The pastors who were reflective,

sociable, and communicated well fostered interconnectedness (Carter, 2009). The pastors who

were strongly decisive and worked well under pressure moved the congregation forward toward

a shared vision (Carter, 2009). The study found only that transformational style was the only


significant attribute of effective pastor leadership: transformational pastors were more effective

in leading congregational development than transactional pastors (Carter, 2009).

Tradition and authority have long been the standard of the Christian church but tradition

and authority are not enough to enable effective pastor leaders (Dreibelbis, 2010). A dramatic

increase in highly educated lay members, diverse cultures, and new problems present the main

challenge to 21st century pastors (Dreibelbis, 2010). The U.S. Episcopal Church conducted an

empirical research study, Toward a Higher Quality of Christian Ministry (THQ). This study

used interviews for two groups: pastors and congregations with different pastors than those in

the study. The pastors and the congregations were identified by others as “effective” or

“struggling” before the study began (Dreibelbis, 2010).

Effective Clergy Leaders

Trained interviewers asked questions about the pastors’ motivation for serving at that

site, successes and failures, level of congregational togetherness, theology, presence of a mentor,

and level of communication in and outside of the congregation. The responses were analyzed by

a scale of agreed upon adjectives (Dreibelbis, 2010). Two sets of adjectives were used. One

described effective clergy and the other defined struggling clergy. The adjectives that described

struggling clergy could be summed up in two words: pastoral but non-directive. The adjectives

that described effective pastors were confident and self-aware, able to notice personal anxiety

during conflict and create strategies for addressing anxiety (Dreibelbis, 2010).

Effective Congregations

In addition to interviewing pastors, THQ researchers also interviewed lay members of

the other congregations. Identical categories that were used to interview the pastors were also

used to interview the lay leadersh about their congregations (Dreibelbis, 2010). Struggling


congregations reported that among members, passive engagements (90% of interviewees)

tensions (22 % of interviewees), and demoralization (70% of interviewees) were significantly

present, whereas effective congregations reported active engagements (65% of interviewees), a

sense of kinship (three times more often reported) and enjoyment (90% of interviewees),

(Dreibelbis, 2010). When researchers compared the effective clergy to the effective

congregations, they found that the pastors were proactively working to clarify the identity of the

parish, the structure of responsibilities, and the path of communications (Dreibelbis, 2010).

Effective clergy also understood the deeper values of their congregational members because they

attended closely to the members’ ranges of feelings and behaviors (Dreibelbis, 2010).

The researchers did not find it surprising to learn that the ineffective leaders possessed

leadership potential but lacked decision making skills and the ability to manage anxiety in the

face of disapproval (Dreibelbis, 2010). Furthermore, the lack of those skills may account for a

non-directive response to leadership (Dreibelbis, 2010).

Researchers discovered through the interviews that parish pastors “obtained little help in

decision-making from college or seminary education…most education in decision-making took

place through trial and error learning on the job” (Dreibelbis, 2010).

Women as Leaders

Other research examined female pastors to determine whether women followed the

traditional leadership styles (Orr, 1996). The research questions were: Do women understand

leadership in the same way as men understand it? What are the practices of female leaders

compared to male leaders? The traditional theories were questioned to determine how much of

leadership is shaped by environmental factors and whether or not the social sciences have

benefited women leaders by writing about their experience (Orr, 1996).


19 women were interviewed using a 10 question survey about women’s practices and

perspectives on leadership (Orr, 1996). The sample was not random, and included racially

diverse women and women of varying socioeconomic status (Orr, 1996). All the participants

were protestant ministers serving congregations in the Midwestern United States.

In addition to the survey, (Orr, 1996) studied the literature about leadership. She defined

a leader, an administrator and a manager as separate but related roles. Leaders imagine a vision

using ideas generated by the group, study how to carry out the vision, and lead the group by

going ahead to show the way. Administrators empower the group to care for others, while

managers keep track of details and make sure the group continues to working toward the goal

(Orr, 1996).

According to Orr’s definition, women leaders are administrators because most of the

women who were surveyed lead by empowering others (Orr, 1996). They consider it important

to observe the abilities of their members and to help the leaders discover their authority. The

majority of the women leaders invited others, coached others, and connected with others through

relationships (Orr, 1996). The women pastors surveyed also carefully managed the technical

details. However, the most frequent problems were smaller budgets, fear of conflict, and not

being taken as seriously as their male counterparts (Orr, 1996).

The survey also questioned the women pastors about the extent the three social sciences

theories of management had on their leadership style (Orr, 1996). The women were asked to

characterize their style of leadership according to classical management theory, which is based

on a powerful, identified leader, human relations management theory which is based on person

centered theory, and systems management theory, which is based on the cybernetic theory of

counseling (Orr, 1996). Women in leadership were conflicted over their role as pastor leaders.


9 of the 19 women reported using a collaborative style of leadership, and 3 reported using a

combination of powerful directing and collaborative styles. The remaining women used styles

that were described as creative, consensus, self-differentiating, and modeling, styles that did not

fall into the three traditional leadership styles (Orr, 1996). J. Bardwick, a woman business

executive and scholar states, “Leadership is not only a matter of skills, but it is also

psychological and emotional, a passionate bond between followers and leader (J. Bardwick, as

cited in Herr, 2006).

In sum, the women leaders found it easier to be encouragers, but more challenging to

speak the truth in love. All the women believed leadership is a learned ability, and pastors as

leaders need more knowledge on the topic of leadership (Orr, 1996).

The Role of Women Leaders in Business

Recent research has studied male and female leaders’ preference for different leadership

styles. Vinkenburg, (2011) found male managers were promoted more often if they exhibited

communal and caring leadership even if they did not demonstrate assertive or directive

behaviors. In contrast women leaders had to be both communal and caring and assertive and

directive as they mentored others and attended to situations that arose in the course of their

management.

Using two separate, non-experimental studies, U.S. and Dutch researchers studied

randomly chosen male and female executives. The first study surveyed 271 gender and culturally

diverse executives, finding that the women were more communal in style, having the

characteristics of transformational leadership, while the men more aggressively attended to

followers’ failures to meet standards. To increase validity, the study incorporated measures to

lower bias.


The second study surveyed 514 randomly chosen managers from various setting to

examine commonly held beliefs about how a manage ought to behave. The results of the second

study showed that people hold stereotypical beliefs about women and male leaders. Therefore

women leaders must demonstrate both transformational and transactional behaviors while male

leaders are believed to have both characteristics even if they actually do not.

The Role of Leadership for Professional Counselors

A group of professional counselors who are also administrators of counseling groups

conducted a literature review to learn whether or not executive business leadership research

could be applied to the counseling profession (Herr, 2006). The problem they identified was that

counselors are so busy providing individual therapy that counseling groups often lack a larger

vision to guide their group (Herr, 2006). Counselors typically are knowledgeable therapists but

they lack path finding skills (Herr, 2006). Counselors aspire to a higher vision of the social,

spiritual, psychological, and physical well-being of all; therefore, counselors are able to

positively influence their profession by becoming strong leaders (Herr, 2006).

Using an extensive literature review, the authors studied the similarities between

counseling groups and business settings (Herr, 2006). The shared contexts included planning,

budgeting, recruiting a diverse staff, developing, supervising, and retaining the staff, and using

technology (Herr, 2006).

The counselors found the concept of leadership contains three sub-concepts, which

include leader, administrator, and manager (Herr, 2006). Leaders “guide, run ahead of the herd,

and are bell wethers” (p. 1). Managers achieve leadership purpose through the work of other

people (Herr, 2006). Administrators rule and control from their position of authority, or job title

(Herr, 2006). An example of a model of executive leadership which includes all three definitions


of a leader also includes five executive core attributes (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, as

cited in Herr, 2006.):

1. Develop a Vision

Leading change requires the leader to develop an organizational vision by thinking about

the larger organization’s purpose, priorities, and values (Herr, 2006). Creativity is encouraged.

The leader as manager improves the provided service through worker performance. The leader

as administrator maintains focus and intensity. Herr, (2006) found instead of the followers

losing focus on the vision, the presence of a crisis combined with careful observation might elicit

the need for a policy change, a new source of revenue, or a new partnership. SWOT, which is an

acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats can help point the group back to

the vision.

2. Lead the group to develop a strategy

Leading change requires leaders to lead their people (Herr, 2006). This task requires the

leader to help the group establish the vision for that particular group. Leaders do not merely copy

the current trend. “A vision reframes the known scene and reconceptualizes the obvious” (p. 19)

(Handy, as cited in Herr, 2006).

3. Influence the group to produce results

Leading change requires that leaders be results driven. The leader’s role is rational,

analytical, emotional, intuitive, and creative (Deming as cited in Herr, 2006). Results driven

leaders watch for future trends, take initiative, encourage continued improvement, help develop

strategic plans, and stress accountability for the organization. Keeping a group on course requires

both directive skills and an empathetic connection, both influencing and listening (Herr, 2006).

4. Use business expertise


Leading change requires that leaders have business acumen. Leaders reframe the concept

of the budget independently of the others in the group. Instead, they nurture a climate where the

budget is achieved as a result of the group’s vision. When the budget needs flow from the

organization’s vision, the environment will identify funding sources in order to achieve what is

important to that particular group (Herr, 2006).

5. Build coalitions and nurture communication

Finally, leading change requires the leader to build coalitions and nurture communication

(Herr, 2006). Respect for others, which is expressed by valuing the experience, intelligence and

talents of others – while also being able to disagree with others – is a key factor in advocating for

a new idea. A leader may build coalitions by demonstrating respect and warmth through

attending and listening. Listening means having an open posture, warm vocal qualities, and

smiling (Ivey, 2010). Statistics show that among counselors, 30% of successful counseling and

therapy outcome is due to an affirming, caring empathetic relationship (Hubble, 1999).

The Importance of a Positive Organizational Climate

A synthesis of early research about organizational climate discussed the influence a

positive organizational climate had on how well workers functioned within the organization

(Lindley, 1984). Prior beliefs about executive leadership characterized the typical style of

leadership as authoritarian. Leaders who use the authoritarian style, feel that producing a

product is the main goal. Leaders manage in an authoritarian style by selection, promotion, and

performance evaluation. However, the authoritarian style is undesirable because people often

respond with hostility.

Later research identified a style of leadership called the person centered style of

leadership (Lindley, 1984). Researchers used questionnaires to measure the employee’s view of


the organizational climate. It was found that a positive climate develops over time because of the

leader treating the followers in the person centered style (Litwin in Lindley, 1984). Because a

caring organizational climate is fostered, this style reduces hostility and encourages workers to

development their gifts. The person centered style refocuses the leader to pay attention to those

things in the organization that have a deeper meaning to the employee. Leaders treat people as

fellow human beings, and believe individuals have the resources within them to develop, grow,

and solve problems. The leader’s goal is to help the employees realize their potentials, which

will then benefit the organization (Lindley, 1984). Person centered leaders use the counseling

skills of listening and observation.

Leading Committees to Develop a Vision and Strategy

Counseling skills were synthesized and applied to study how people work together

effectively on a committee (Parr, 2003). Leaders often use committees to create a vision along

with strategies for carrying it out. Committees can become an ineffective task group because

members give up on the goals of working together, and often do not accomplish their goal (Parr,

2003). Potentially good committee members consistently decline volunteering their time to

committee work . Unsuccessful committees are characterized by conflicts, power plays and

hidden agendas (Parr, 2006). Nevertheless, most visioning and strategy planning is carried out in

a committee, which is actually a task group. Leading change happens through a group, but the

group may be ineffective.

Parr, (2003) suggests the solution for ineffective committees is that professional

counselors volunteer for committee leadership roles because they have specialized knowledge in

working with both groups and individuals to influence effective outcomes. Leaders who bring


about change, work at balancing positive relationships among all the members. These leaders

also provide an extraordinary level of support to each committee member.

The author offers a step-by-step process for organizing a committee based on his personal

experience as a counselor. First, the leader notifies stakeholders who may wish to serve on a

committee forming the committee. All interested people are invited to gather for a preliminary

meeting, where interested parties could learn more about the committee and be screened for this

group. People who represent diverse ethnic or gender groups, those with expertise, team players,

promoters of good will and those interested in different aspects of the topic are solicited (Parr,

2006).

After a committee has been formed and begins to meet, the leader uses group counseling

skills such as modeling desirable behavior and blocking behaviors that are harmful to the group’s

dynamics. For example, aggressive or extremely passive behavior, excessive storytelling, and

interrupting others should be blocked (Parr, 2006). As the committee moves into the working

stage of a group, the chairperson uses active listening skills to facilitate the members working

together (Parr, 2003). The chairperson must repeatedly highlight the importance of expertise and

creative problem solving in the group process (Parr, 2006).

It is especially important for the leader to encourage each member of the committee to

volunteer expertise and personal opinion, lest the committee members delegate all the authority

to a few members and the power and influence a committee can have is lost (Parr, 2006).

Further research on groups working together tested the group communication technique

of play on a task group of university department administrators (Holliday, 2007). Group

members sculpted a scene which depicted a physical structure within their department, using

LEGO toys. The group members described the scene using a story which was important to their


department. The group members reported that they were able to express feelings and thoughts

about their department challenges more freely because members of the group could hear what

other group members were thinking in a nonthreatening way. The heightened creativity produced

by play also generated more creative solution (Holliday, 2007).

Leaders Use Listening and Observation to Influence Group Members

to Follow the Strategy

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy

Experience which was based on the theory of behavioral modification showed that

interviewing, careful listening and observation are positive feedback methods which help leaders

lead others (Fournies, 2000). Workers choose a behavior again when they receive a positive

consequence from that behavior. A leader’s positive feedback (which includes attention), is a

positive consequence. One of the major reasons for unsatisfactory performance by workers is a

lack of specific feedback – positive or negative - on what they are doing. Experiential evidence

suggests that making sure the employees know, through feedback, what needs to be done, how to

do it, and why to do it is necessary in order to influence the group toward continuing forward

toward the vision . “I see you are responding in a friendly manner in spite of the other person’s

insults” (p. 117) exemplifies influencing feedback (Fournies, 2000).

Managers should observe the consequences occurring, and change the situation according

to what they have observed. Eliminating negative consequences, and providing immediate

positive consequences that outweigh the negative consequences indicates the leader is

proactively leading. A flow chart helps a leader diagnose the negative aspects of the situation

that could be removed or changed, and also generate possible rewards (Fournies, 2000).

Acceptance and Commitment Training


Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) is another form of cognitive behavior

theory, which is useful with leaders who lead followers through a crisis (Moran, 2000).

Adversity, which often evokes anxiety, frustration, and self-doubt in the leader, causes the leader

to give up (Moran, 2000). Daniel Moran, a consulting psychologist for government leaders,

applied the cognitive behavioral technique of noticing intrusive thoughts to the inevitable crises

faced by every leader (Moran, 2000). People believe that negative intrusive emotions should be

controlled, but an alternative to controlling them is to observe having these emotions without

acting on the emotion (Moran, 2000). ACT employs operant conditioning to alter a leader’s

response to emotive thoughts triggered by past events instead of concentrating on the present

(Moran, 2000). ACT produces mindfulness in the leader, or in other words, the leader becomes

fully engaged in the present crisis (Moran, 2000).

Instead of trying to ignore intrusive thoughts, ACT directs the executive to become aware

of these thoughts without attempting to change the thoughts (Moran, 2000). Simply becoming

aware of intrusive thoughts then frees the leader to pay attention to the crisis and thus see

possible solutions previously not identified (Moran, 2000). The six part process of ACT

includes: acceptance, defusion, self-as-context, contacting the present moment, values

clarification, and committed action (Moran, 2000). The key positive feature of ACT is that while

experiencing the emotions without acting on them and paying close attention to the present

scene, the leader chooses to see more solutions for the present crisis (Moran, 2000). One

chooses to take a new perspective on thoughts or emotions (Moran, 2000).

Chaos Theory and Carl Jung

The results of a several different research studies that examined the natural connection

between crisis and change found surprising results – crisis leading to change can result in


creativity (Halligan, 2004, Herr, 2006, Moran, 2000). In fact, it was hypothesized that the

absence of crisis leading to change causes stagnation (Halligan, 2004). Theories of physics and

psychology both reframe crisis and change from something to avoid to something that is

beneficial (Halligan, 2004). A theory borrowed from physics, Chaos theory, describes how

change occurs in the universe. Chaos theory means the change we observe and feel contains

order within it. The order from within a crisis will resolve itself into a renewed order.

Organizations, including religions, businesses, and educational institutions are globally

changing. The interconnections among diverse ethnic groups have resulted in greater tensions

because increased populations mean more people having needs and diverse ethnic groups bring

different perspectives. Organizational leaders often experience change as a negative outcome,

assuming crisis and pain can and should be avoided (Halligan, 2004).

People may choose to embrace change by working together, or resist change by

remaining a closed group (Halligan, 2004). Carl Jung proposed that when chaos and order are

joined together, a source of creativity emerges (Jung, as cited in Halligan, 2004). Contemporary

business consultants concede that organizations can tap into creativity by replacing old closed

group assumptions with new propositions such as mutually respectful relationships, careful

listening, open communication (Wheatly as cited in Halligan, 2004).

Halligan (2004) applied Wheatly’s theory to a case study on her university campus. The

university leaders coalesced around the crisis of alcohol abuse among students to determine a

solution. Out of fear, the group resisted the crisis, wishing to return to the past when alcohol was

not such a great problem. Instead, the group embraced the crisis believing that order was

happening within the crisis. This strategy change allowed the group to listen, and observe

carefully to all that was happening. Instead of trying to stop the changes, a new creativity


emerged in the leadership group. The leaders created a Wellness Initiative, a program which

remained open to change and redevelopment.

Discussion

Theologian John Douglas Hall argues compellingly that pastors as leaders must lead by

thoughtfully and sensitively addressing the changes in contemporary churches with the creation

of new congregational visions appropriate for the 21st century (Hall, 1997). The purpose of this

literature review was to determine if clergy will develop a vision and manage change with

congregational members by using the counseling skills of listening and careful observation to

influence congregations toward greater advocacy. This hypothesis was strongly supported by a

synthesis of research, which showed leaders without formal authority over their followers

created commitment to identify and supported a higher vision for the organization as a whole

through the use of listening, observation, and advocacy.

The literature review also revealed a secondary hypothesis. Clergy leaders using these

listening and influencing skills are using a combination of women clergy and male clergy

preferred leadership styles. This finding strongly suggests that human growth and change

towards higher aspirations necessitates both an empathetic and relational style (Carter, 2006, Orr,

1996, and Vinkenburg, 2011) and a solution focused, directing style (Dreibelbis 2010, Herr,

2006).

All four of the research studies used surveys. The THQ project gathered data by using

surveys trained interviewers with congregations and 90 clergy members from varying

demographic areas. Orr, (2006) studied women clergy varying across ethnic groups, ages, and

parish experience. The survey results were compared and followed up by a group interview.

Carter, 2009) used assessments and surveys which examined three variables, leader personality,


level of spirituality, and leadership style. The researchers measured the variables in 93 pastors.

Vinkenburg, (2011) conducted research comparing transformational and transactional leadership

styles among male and female managers, measuring how men and women preferred to lead, and

also how male and female leadership was experienced by followers. The variables of the

participants were measured by a variety of assessment instruments noted in this paper’s literature

review. The remaining research was a synthesis of literature from other authors (Herr,2006) and

two case studies (Holliday, 2007, Parr, 2006, Halligan, 2004).

The literature examined the following questions: How can pastors effectively overcome

congregational resistance as they lead members to create a new visions and carry out the vision?

Can pastors learn to lead congregational change more effectively by using practices gleaned

from the counseling profession? A synthesis of qualitative research from the fields of

counseling, business, and pastoral leadership produced the following themes pertinent to pastors

who aspire to lead congregational change: a) pastors leading change use a transformational

leadership style, b) effective pastors are self-aware, c) effective pastors develop strategies to

address personal anxiety, d) effective pastors notice feelings and behaviors of members thus

fostering a bond between leader and follower, e) effective pastors lead by empowering others,

and by directing others.

In sum, pastors initiate new visions, manage people toward the vision, and claim their

administrative authority to help members toward the goal of advocating for others according to

higher principles of behavior. Interviewing and counseling are learned skills to enable

counselors to listening effectively and helping clients to grow (Ivey, 2010). Furthermore these

skills may also be learned in order to lead organizations effectively toward higher goals and

principles (Herr, 2006).


Researchers found that clergy leaders who were unaware of their members’ stories and of

the values underlying the stories were ineffective in leading change for the congregation. Clergy

leaders who were unaware of tensions within the congregation, and were deemed passive in their

leadership style, merely maintained the status quo (Dreibelbis, 2010). Carter, (2009) added that

the transformation leadership style was shown to be effective leadership, but ineffective leaders

did not attend to and observe what was important to members (Carter, 2009).

The additional research from the fields of business and professional counseling found

self-awareness, intentional listening, and attending to the followers, individually and in the

whole group, helped leaders to establish a vision and manage the members toward achieving

change. THQ and the research concerning transformational leaders versus transactional leaders

found that through careful attending behavior, effective pastors helped people find niches in

which to serve (Dreibelbis, 2010). Dreibelbis, (2010) Carter, (2009) Orr, (1996), and

Vinkenburg, (2011) agreed that leading change could mean decisive leadership or leading

through deep interconnecting relationships. The variable shared by a decisive style or an

interconnected style was listening and observation (Dreibelbis,2010, Carter,2009, Orr, 1996).

Research showed authoritarian leadership style does not produce organizational growth (Lindley

1984). Instead, the person-centered, and cybernetic styles of leadership correlated with careful

listening and observation which helped members to improve the organization.

Some of the research showed how leaders can address crisis through attending, open or

closed questions, client observation skills, and reflection of feeling (Ivey, 2010). The literature

yielded observations from a cognitive behavioral approach (ACT) that emphasized the leader

listened to and attended to personal thoughts and feelings in order to make smart decisions and

steer the followers through a crisis (Moran, 2000). Other results, based on REBT, showed


statistics that support the practice of interviewing member to understand what motivates the

member (Fournies, 2000).

The role of advocacy was supported by the literature review. Global change is a good

crisis (Halligan, 2000). With the ever-increasingly diversely populated world, global

togetherness has raised the possibility for increased education among a greater number of

citizens, a need to share resources, and a need for racial, sexual, and gender fairness.

Listening and observation of world changes reveal a need for new approaches. Parr,

(2005) showed that committee members resist change by aggressive behavior toward other

committee members. The leader needs to encourage all members to speak, and block behaviors

by members who are harming the group process. Clergy may use Parr’s (2005) case study

findings to lead committees toward creating and carrying out a vision.

The existing literature about clergy leading congregational change was limited because it

did not include how clergy may acquire the skills necessary to create a vision, manage members

in working out a strategy and in administration of the congregation.

Sample bias significantly limited most of the quantitative studies due to small sample size

Carter, 2006, Orr, 1996, Dreibelbis, 2010). However Vinkenburg’s (2011) research used a large

sample size, conducted two separate but related studies using random and non random

participants and correlated the survey results with the informal judgment of experts. The internal

validity of all of the clergy surveys is lowered by questions that assume gender bias. One

example of such bias is the use of language like “quick, and decisive” to describe effective

clergy, or “pastoral and empathetic” to describe ineffective clergy. When taken together all of

the studies found empathetic listening a major factor in creating a vision.


A problem that remains unresolved is that although research seems to support the primary

and secondary hypotheses, most of the research studies included in this literature review did not

use quantitative or qualitative tests to further study the hypotheses in the field. Further research

could test the hypotheses by surveying a large group of clergy leaders, or by smaller case studies

and interviews.

The existing literature about clergy leading congregational change through

transformational leadership style will be more useful if clergy have a means of acquiring this

style, and the existing literature also shows the listening and influencing sills enable acquisition

of the transformational leadership style.

Author’s Note

As an Evangelical Lutheran Church of America clergy leader of twenty-five years, and a

current student of counselor education, I have personal experience. I found that when I applied

the counseling microskills (especially attending, the basic listening sequence, reflection of

feelings and meaning), the members’ attitudes transformed from grudgingly going along with a

vision to expressing joy at being part of a larger, shared vision.

As a woman leader, I was enlightened by the viewpoint that the typical female style of

empathy and empowering and the typical male style of direct decisiveness are both needed. The

ability to help followers through listening, observation, advocacy and influencing is an area of

research which is exciting to add to the research on transformational leadership.


References

Carter, J. (2009). Transformational leadership & pastoral leader effectiveness. Pastoral Psychology, 58, 261-271. doi: 10.100 7/S 11089-008-0182-6 APA code of ethics, 6th edition. (2005). Dreibelbis, J. (2010). From maintaining to building communities of faith. Anglican Theological Review, 92(1), 147-155. Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Rite of Ordination. In Occasional services, a companion to the Lutheran book of worship, (1983). (pp. 192- 203). Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress. Fournies, F. (2000) Coaching for improved work performance. New York: McGraw Hill Hall, D. J. (1997). Why Christian? For those on the edge of faith. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. Halligan, F. R. (2004). Metamorphosis: change & continuity, chaos & order, conflict & transformation. Journal of Religion and Health, 43(30) 221-231. Herr, L. E., Heitzmann, D., Rayman, J.(2006). The professional counselor as administrator. Laurence Erlbaum Associates State College, PA: Penn State University Holliday, G., Statler, M., Flanders, M. (2007). Developing practically wise leaders through serious play. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 59(2), 126-134. Ivey,A., Ivey, M., Zalaquett, C. (2007) Intentional interviewing & counseling: facilitating client development in a multicultural society. United States: Brooks/Cole CENGAGE Learning Lindley, C. (1984). Putting “human” into human resource management. Public Personnel Management Journal, 13(4) 501-509. Moran, D. (2010). ACT for leadership using acceptance and commitment training to develop crisis resilient change managers. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Theory, 6(4), 341-355. Neuger, C. (Ed.). (1996). The arts of ministry: Feminist-womanist approaches. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.


Parr, G., Jones, E., Bradley, L. (2005). Facilitating effective committees. Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory, & Research, 33(2), 99-109. Vinkenburg, C., van Engen, M., Eagly, A., Johannsesen-Schmidt, M. (2011) An exploration of stereotypical beliefs about leadership styles: Is transformational leadership a route to women’s promotion? The Leadership Quarterly 22 22-21.

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Running head: LEADING CONGREGATIONAL CHANGE i … · Running head: LEADING CONGREGATIONAL CHANGE i Leading Congregational Change Through Listening, Observation, and Advocacy Kristine