Theres a lot of talk going on these days about leadership, ministry and ordination. Some of the talk is good and helpful; some of it is a bit wild and you wonder what lies behind it and what culs-de-sac it may lead to I am surprised that the NSW-ACT Synod has never initiated a proper working group on the merits / theology of what is involved. Instead it ties leadership to the equivalent of a number of dot points in a mission plan which runs the risk of really being a business plan than a theological vision of the mission of God. In the past the Assembly (which actually has the oversight of ministry in the church) has had significant working groups and reports. Perhaps it is time for the synod to commission the kind of work Steve Croft did in his very fine little book on Ministry in 3 Dimensions. Croft has been a leader of fresh expressions in the UK; he is known for his advocacy of leadership; he also appreciates the need for clear and disciplined thought which goes beyond the temporary show of orange and blue cards; Croft outlines the risks of the false secular trails of leadership and management; they have their immediate appeal but they are a chimera as he discovered; he recognizes the need pay attention to the NT and subsequent theology on words like episcope - oversight and supervision and the relationship between ministry and diakonia - waiting upon. Croft knows all about the pressure on the church in todays world; his ministry is committed to mission. But he also knows that ministry is about presence, the sacramental and liturgical, the capacity to be the biblical and theological storytellers at local levels and be embedded in the culture and ethos of Christ. I would be more confident about the future of the synod if we were to see the kind of work he did in this text being done in our midst and talk of what is required be shaped and informed by insights which belong to the very heart of the Christian faith. THat would be an act of genuine / authentic leadership from the SSC and he leadership team in future days. Without this kind of work I wonder if we will be building a house on sand rather than rock - and everyone will do what is right in their own eyes.
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 09:03:22 +0000