Divine Details
Mixing Religion and Politics
As many young clergy women begin to navigate the sometimes rough waters of the local congregation, we also realize that even rougher waters can be found in the politics and polity of our national denominations. How should a YCW handle these issues? Some of us feel strongly that we should keep our opinions private; some of us choose to affiliate with affinity groups which advocate a particular viewpoint. Not only does it seem that everyone has an opinion, it seems that everyone has an opinion on how to express that opinion.
Mihee Kim-Kort, a PCUSA pastor serving in Pennsylvania, writing back at the end of April, provides some wisdom on how young clergy women might come to understand and appreciate this process of discernment:
All in the Family
My husband got the call.
My darling husband got THE call.
My darling Presbyterian husband got the “I want you to be a pastor.” call.
From God.
What God did not remember, apparently, is that there is already a clergy person in the family—me, an Episcopal Priest.
I cannot remember my first reaction when my husband told me of this call. I probably laughed hysterically and then wept into a pillow for a while. The truth is, though, that my husband will be an amazing pastor. He has all the qualities I would look for in a minister—a deep emotional life, ability to empathize, intelligent, well read, a beautiful writer, powerful public speaker, organized, creative, curious. And, as a child of a chaplain and a New Testament professor, and grandson of a missionary, the genetic imprint is pretty strong, too. My husband’s call to be a pastor is undeniable.
The Young Clergywoman’s Top Ten Practical Considerations for Interfaith Dialogue
One of the greatest challenge facing Christians today is the call to understand our Christian identity amidst growing religious diversity in our communities, our nation and in the world. More and more Christians are finding themselves in relationships with people from other faiths – in school, work, or the neighborhood. As pastors, many of us understand our ministries to be intimately connected with people from other religious traditions, and have committed in interfaith dialogue and advocacy to address our questions, and those in our congregations.
There *is* such a thing as part-time ministry
I’ve been working part-time for more than a year, and with three young children and a small writing vocation on the side, it has been the perfect schedule for this stage of my life. For many pastors, part-time ministry can provide untold benefits: more space for parenting, attending school, or pursuing other vocations; the opportunity to continue pursuing ministry even during a busy stage of life, as opposed to stepping out of ministry altogether; the chance to distill one’s job description to those aspects of ministry that are most important and/or those for which the person is most gifted.
On the congregation side, this process gives churches a specific opportunity to be the body of Christ, providing support for a pastor who requests more time for children, aging parents, or other worthy pursuits. As one member of my church put it to our session (governing body), “It says a lot about us if we can support a young parent at this time of her life. And it says a lot more about us if we are unwilling to do this.” It can also be an opportunity for deeper discipleship as churches learn how to minister to one another, rather than relying on the pastor for things they could (and should) be doing for themselves.
When the Church is Your Landlord
Whether you call it a manse, a parsonage, a rectory, or a vicarage, a church-owned pastor’s house is a complicated edifice in the lives of both clergy and congregation. The first place I lived after graduating from seminary was a beautiful, early 19th century brick manse owned by the small Kentucky congregation my husband and I served as co-pastors. We loved the wide, oaken floors, the high, wainscoted ceilings, and the way our Christmas tree glowed and twinkled through the leaded-glass windows that looked onto the Main Street of our antebellum town.
The Practical Pregnant Pastor
I don't exactly know when I became a resident in the Land of Completely and Obviously Pregnant. I do know by the time mid-January rolled around, a stranger at an interment identified my pregnant belly under four layers of vestments: clericals, cassock, surplice, and, for lack of a better description, giant black cape.
Of course, I had to tell the congregation a child was on the way long before that. While all working women have to figure out how to tell an employer of a growing family, to be a pregnant priest or pastor is to be pregnant in a rather public way. Below the fold are a few to consider as when you become pregnant while serving a congregation:
New Call for a New Year
Are you thinking about a new call this New Year? 2008 was a year of interviewing for me as I searched for my new call. Part of the process, of course, involved the dreaded telephone interview. These phone interviews can be very intimidating and uncomfortable, but I have found that there are ways to feel more comfortable and confident in a phone interview- and it all comes down to preparation. Perhaps these tips may be helpful to you.
Filling the Pulpit Without Losing Your Mind
December has rolled around again, that month when the installed pastor is equal parts giddy over the imminent celebration and counting the hours until some post-Christmas hibernation. When the regular pastor takes a few days off to spend time with loved ones or make dents in her favorite recliner, that’s when the supply preacher steps in. If you’re looking to grace a vacant pulpit after Christmas or anytime, here are a few insider tips:
Where do you turn?
Lord, you have my heart, and I will search for yours.
Where do you bring the things that cannot be said out loud? To whom do you turn when your heart is brimming with secret joy, and there is no one, no one, that will ever understand? Who do you talk to, about those life-changing events that can't be allowed to change your life, when you live in a city where everyone knows everyone, and everyone really knows the pastor?
“And now, a word from our sponsor…”
The Young Clergy Women Project is an
organization by, for and about young clergy women.
The Young Clergy Women Project began in November 2006 and in the spring of 2007 we received a grant from The Louisville Institute that supported our preaching conference, board meeting, and our web page. The Holy Spirit has continued to move throughout this project, and we hope to maintain our current ventures and to expand our ministries to meet the needs of more and more young clergy women. One of the avenues we hope will aid us in our expansion is our becoming a non-profit organization.
