The Catholic Vision for Leading Like Jesus. Owen Phelps, Ph.D.
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— time and money— to educate its primary leaders. We require them to study for years and years before they are ordained. And yet, in most cases, none of their education deals with developing leadership skills. In the past, it was thought that diocesan priests, in particular, would get their leadership education on the job, while they served extended apprenticeships as associates to pastors in various parishes over the course of many years. Today, with the number of priestly vocations and ordinations down, diocesan priests are thrust into the pastor’s role much sooner, often after only one or two experiences as an associate.
If we want consistently effective parish leaders, we will have to grow them. And yes, we certainly want better parish leaders. On the one hand, the leadership expectations of lay parishioners continue to rise with the level of their education and the broad experience their mobility gives them in a multitude of parish settings. On the other hand, their clerical leaders come to the leadership task with less experience than ever. No wonder many parishioners are disappointed, even frustrated, and let their enthusiasm wane — while many priests feel overwhelmed by the expectations and practical demands of their pastoral ministry.
It doesn’t have to be this way — neither for the clergy nor for the laity. Jesus has an answer for our leadership challenges at work, at home, in our communities, and even in our parishes and church ministries. It is a simple answer. But it is not an easy one. Even so, it is within the grasp of every Christian who does his or her best to lead as Jesus calls us to lead and who asks for Jesus’ help every day along the way.
This book is designed to outline the path that Jesus has cleared for us. It is my hope that it will help clergy and laity alike address the pressing need for better leadership in the Church and in the world.
IN THE CHURCH
Profile of a Servant Leader
A few years ago I met a priest after he moved into a parish where I am not a member but where I worship often. He had been serving in the parish for a month or two when I first encountered him at Mass. He was bald-headed and looked to be in his late 50s or early 60s, so I assumed he had a lot of experience as a priest. It was evident immediately that the parishioners had great affection for him. He was not an especially polished speaker, but his homilies were very down-to-earth, provided some practical insight, and always showed how much he loved God and cared for the people.
After just a few visits over a couple of months’ time, it was clear that he was breathing new life into the parish. The parish was doing more — and doing it better, with more participation — than it had done in the past. After Mass, at the back of church, people stood in line to visit with him. He made a point to thank everyone for attending, giving special attention to children and teens. I was impressed with him, but even more with the reception his parishioners gave him. A couple of months later he mentioned that he would be celebrating the anniversary of his priestly ordination. I assumed it would be his 20th or 25th. Instead it was his first. Already impressed with his leadership skills, I was amazed that they could be so well-honed after just one year of priesthood.
A few weeks later he began his homily by asking the people to pray for the parishioners in a nearby town. Then he explained that he would be going there as pastor. The people were stunned. Several shouted, “Oh, no!”
A few weeks later I returned to the church. After reading the Gospel, the priest began to talk about how difficult it is to be a bishop. He said that a bishop’s job is not made easier when he is besieged by phone calls, letters, and petitions. Obviously, the parishioners had rebelled against the priest’s transfer. Now, although the priest didn’t want to leave the parish, he defended the bishop’s action.
The priest spoke of the pledge he made at ordination to obey his bishop. He told the people that he loved them and that he didn’t want to leave them. But he added that part of being a priest is deferring to the bishop regarding the needs of the diocese — and that part of being laity is doing the same thing. He provided a few particulars about the difficult job their bishop had assigning priests to serve all the people in a time of great shortage. Then he asked the people to love, trust, and pray for their bishop and for him. After Mass, there were a lot of hugs and expressions of gratitude all around. The priest had won peace for his bishop and for his people.
I was more impressed than ever with this priest’s powerful leadership skills and wondered about their source. So I asked to visit with him about his priesthood, and he agreed. Eventually, we sat down in the rectory of his new parish, and I asked where he learned to lead. I was not prepared for his answer.
“What I know about being a leader I learned as a Marine officer in Vietnam,” he said. He explained that leading men in combat is not what it’s depicted to be in the movies. It wasn’t about yelling or throwing men at machine guns. He had a mission to accomplish, but he also had responsibility for the lives of the men in his command. As a leader, he could never forget either obligation.
After serving in the Marine Corps, he went on to build very successful computer services and software businesses using the leadership skills he had learned in combat. Eventually, one of these businesses supported him in the seminary (until he sold it).
He added that while he was in the seminary he was assigned every weekend to a parish with a pastor who was a wonderful mentor. With the pastor’s guidance, he was able to refine the skills he had learned as a combat officer and honed as an entrepreneur to fit the needs of a parish. As we talked, attention turned to his new parish. It was already a lively place with a lot of parishioner involvement, but it was struggling financially. Still, he was confident that it could become better. He had met the people and quickly come to care for them. Together, in loving concern for one another, they could meet the challenge and overcome it. He already had a clear vision of an active, self-sustaining parish and was focused on serving the people’s individual and collective needs so that the vision would become a reality.
I saw him again a year later. Again he told his parishioners he was being moved to another parish. It was his third parish in a little more than two years. Some of the boxes he had moved into the rectory a year ago were still waiting to be unpacked. My guess is that his bishop would like to clone him. But since that’s not possible, he’s doing the next best thing: he’s putting this priest in as many places as he can, hoping his leadership skills ignite more and more people to become more effective leaders themselves.
The cynic would say, “No good deed goes unpunished.” And, in truth, the frequent moves were beginning to wear on the man. But he knew what it meant to be a priest, and he had accepted the stole freely, despite great personal sacrifice. He was called, and he would follow … again and again.
When he was ordained, this man was ready to be an exceptionally effective parish leader — and the people noticed it instantly. In his case, we have the U.S. Marine Corps and a gifted, dedicated mentor to thank for his incredible pastoral leadership skills. But we can’t rely on the Department of Defense to train all our pastors for effective leadership. If we want truly powerful leaders in the Church — people who can enkindle and enrich the faith of the laity — we will have to equip them to lead like Jesus.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
• Do I ever experience difficulty applying my faith convictions to the situations that arise in my everyday life?
• If so, when and where does this happen most often? In what roles do I experience the most difficulty? Why is this so?
• What is the greatest challenge I currently face as I try to live my faith and function as a leader at home, at work, in my community, or in my parish?
• Do I sometimes look for faith guidance in fulfilling my various roles in life and not find it? In which roles does this happen most often? Why do I think that’s true?
• Who are the people most directly impacted by my leadership thinking and behavior? What do I most want for each of them?
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”