Building a Winning Team (Part II)

Last month, I began sharing with you a bit about my understanding of the role of the Pastor in the life of the congregation. I spoke briefly about how Pastors must operate within the boundaries of two job descriptions simultaneously: the responsibilities of the offices of “Minister of Word and Sacrament” and “Pastor” as defined by the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), on the one hand, and the “position description” that is created by each local congregation every time there is a pastoral vacancy, on the other. You will find enclosed in these pages a copy of that “position description” for me that has been approved by the Session of this congregation.

I also shared with you an analogy, comparing the work of a Pastor and that of a coach. I said, “Simply put, being a Pastor of a local congregation is, in my mind, a lot like being a soccer coach and a soccer referee at the same time.” I talked about the kind of work that a coach does, and how that relates to pastoral ministry. This month, I’d like to share some reflections on the second analogy – namely, the ways in which being the Pastor of a local congregation is like being a soccer referee (or, if you prefer a different sport, a baseball umpire). This second job may not sound like quite as much fun as the first job, but it is also important – very important, indeed.

In a game of baseball, there has to be somebody who knows the rules really well, who is adept at applying them to different situations, who is willing to enforce them, and who is prepared to discipline players when necessary. When the runner slides into home plate just as the catcher catches the ball, somebody has to decide: was the runner safe, or was he out? When a pitched ball passes right near the margin of the strike zone, somebody has to decide: was that a ball or a strike? When a disagreement erupts about whether a ball landed in foul territory or fair territory, somebody has to decide: which one was it? When a player gets really upset and starts mouthing obscenities or becomes violent, somebody has to have the authority to eject that player from the game. In baseball, that’s the umpire.

Similarly, in a game of soccer, there has to be somebody who knows the rules really well, who is adept at applying them to different situations, who is willing to enforce them, and who is prepared to discipline players (or even parents!) when necessary. When a ball rolls off the field after a flurry of confusing kicks, somebody has to decide: which team kicked the ball out, and which team gets to throw it back in? When a ball flies up and it hits a player on the arm, somebody has to decide: was that a handball? When a player gets jabbed by the elbow of a player on the opposing team, somebody has to decide: was that intentional? When a player is becoming overly aggressive, somebody has to have the authority to dismiss that player from the game. In soccer, that’s the referee.

I’d like to be able to say that there is no need for an “umpire” or a “referee” in the business of the church. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise to us; we are only human; none of us is perfect; we recognize that we fall short of all that God calls us to be. We have discovered, over the long course of time, that it’s helpful to have a set of “rules” – a set of policies and procedures and guidelines that tries to help keep us on task and on target, and that provides a means whereby problems can be resolved fairly and equitably. Every church denomination has its own set of policies, procedures, and guidelines. Yes, even the so-called “non-denominational” churches have their own sets. In my opinion, there is no “perfect” system (though I also happen to think that our Presbyterian structure can be remarkably effective when it is practiced as it is intended). There are certain procedures and certain policies and certain guidelines that we all agree to abide by so we can live together peaceably. To put it simply, we agree, when we join the church, that somebody has to call the shots. There has to be somebody who can decide what’s foul and what’s fair. There has to be somebody who can decide when to call a penalty. There has to be somebody who can enforce discipline . . . because sometimes, unfortunately, we need it.

In our system, “calling the shots” – serving as an “umpire” or a “referee” – is a joint effort between the Pastor and the Session. In the ordinary course of the ongoing daily life of the church, the Session has that responsibility. In the Presbyterian Church, the Session has way more authority over what goes on in the church than the Pastor does. But there are two specific instances when it specifically becomes the Pastor’s job to do the work of the “referee”: when the Pastor is moderating a meeting of the Session, and when the Pastor is moderating a meeting of the congregation.

I’ve seen a lot of “moderating” in the Presbyterian Church. I’ve seen a variety of different styles. Some have been effective; some have been less than effective. I’ve known one moderator who had a heart of gold but who didn’t know beans about how to apply parliamentary procedure. Those were painful meetings; I couldn’t help but feel sorry for that poor moderator, and kept wishing that somebody would coach her between meetings so she could do her job more effectively. I’ve also known one remarkably effective moderator who could be tough when she needed to be tough. I remember one meeting in which she boldly declared, in front of a whole assembled gathering of people, that the comments that one member of the body was making were inappropriate, derogatory, and insulting to other members of the body. The moderator declared that his comments were “out of order,” and she refused to let him speak further until he calmed down. Now that was some moderating!

It would be nice to think that we don’t need moderating. It would be nice to think that we can all just get along fine without rules, without procedures, without policies, without Robert’s Rules, without discipline, without moderators. But, alas, we are only human. Sometimes, we need to be reminded what the appropriate procedures are. Sometimes, we cross a line and we need to be brought back in line. We need people around us who can help keep us on track. In the ordinary, ongoing, daily life of this church, that’s one of the responsibilities of your Session. But there are two specific occasions when it is clearly my task and my responsibility. It’s not necessarily the part of this job that I enjoy the most; how I wish that it weren’t necessary sometimes! But it is an important job. It’s one that needs to be done well, and done fairly. I will seek to do that to the very best of my ability. I will seek to be an effective “referee” – an effective moderator – to help build a winning team . . . and a team that plays fairly.

Peace and blessings,

Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor