Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

... is the Church preparing them for this role?

I know a lot of Episcopal priests. My father and my close friend are priests, I’ve worked at three Episcopal Churches and been involved in several others, and I’ve met a lot of seminarians. Just like any other group of people, their skills, strengths and weaknesses, and passions and opinions vary widely, and just like any church employee, they need support.

I believe in the discernment process, and that many deeply spiritual people who feel called to do God’s work become priests. Over the years it’s become clear to me that being ordained and going to seminary does not necessarily prepare a priest for all aspects of leadership. We are often asking people who feel a spiritual call but who have little knowledge of management and business to be CEOs of small businesses. It’s not easy.

When a church is hiring a priest it should ask itself not only is this the spiritual and theological leader we need, but also, does this person have the organizational leadership skills we need, and if there are areas where he or she needs growth or lacks experience, can we support him or her fully?

As a community grows and changes, some of the priest’s strengths and weaknesses will come to light. In this process, the congregation’s job is not simply to criticize (though honest and constructive criticism is valuable), but also to offer their support where it is needed.

There are plenty of deeply spiritual people who are fantastic liturgists yet terrible preachers. There are thoughtful priests who have deep theological insights but can’t run a meeting to save their lives. That’s fine. We shouldn’t pretend that every priest is good at every aspect of running a church. This simply isn’t the case, and this is why a priest must be able to depend on the vestry, staff, and community leaders.

For example, I worked for a priest who had excellent vision and was a great preacher. His gifts did not extend to forming deep one-on-one relationships, and it was other staff members and church leaders that made me feel welcome and connected to the community. I also worked for a priest who had trouble giving direct negative feedback. It was often other parishioners who would help me see where I needed to improve.

The priest at your church may have no experience with budgets, may not be detail oriented, or may need help with hiring, and this is where he or she needs support from the vestry and other leaders in the church.

We should, of course, expect our priests to be able to perform the duties they have been hired for, whatever those include. At the same time, we should be honest and realistic about each priest’s strengths and weaknesses. Doing otherwise abdicates our responsibility and does them, and our churches, a disservice.