My colleague Bruce Southworth, long-time pastor of Community Church in Manhattan, recently penned a newsletter column about his congregation's Annual Meeting and election of officers. In that message, he talked about what he advised the Community Church New York's Nominating Committee to look for in recruiting new church leaders. Here is part of Bruce's list, with my comments:
-Integrity -- honest and authentic as a person, able to be trusted
-Good Judgment -- a talent for weighing options and making good decisions
-Commitment to the Church's Vision, Mission, & Goals -- otherwise, why bother?
-Regular Attendance at Worship -- it's where the tribe gathers, how we gain strength and comfort each other, and impart news
-Caring, Cooperative Spirit -- compassion, a loving heart, able to give and take in community
-Larger Perspective vs. Personal Agenda -- "eyes on the prize" rather focus on narrow interests
-Respect Across the Spectrum of the Congregation -- fitting in, being accepted by the wider congregation
-Collaborates Well -- a team player who works well with others
-Availability & Willingness to Serve -- being in agreement intellectually is not enough, the urge to ACT on our ideals is necessary
-Sense of Humor -- putting both conflict and comity into perspective
-Understanding of Systems & Group Dynamics -- knowing what to expect, how a community of people functions
The more I read over Bruce's list, the more I thought that these qualities and attributes, in varying degrees, are what we want in ANY church member, not just in our elected leaders. How strong would our congregation be if we ALL strove for excellence in these areas!
How would you rate yourself as a church member? What aspect or area would you like to work on and improve? Are there other qualities or talents that you would list as important in a member of a liberal church? Would your list resemble this one?
As our own Nominating Committee gears up this spring to seek elected leaders for next year, it is well for us to think about what being a member and being a leader really means to us.
Looking forward to new growth in the spring, Rev. Melanie
