THE SPRINGFIELDER January 1974 Volume 38, Number 1 The Effective Minister: Scriptural Criteria, Individual Observation, and Practical Research OVL! MAY WE DESCRIBE the effective minister? What kind of H a person is hc? What does he do that makcs him any different than other ministers? The answers to these qucstions are important especially to thc minister hiinsclf. But parishioners, church leaders, and seminary faculties are equally concerned, since they are vitally involved respectively as recipients of and participants in the minister's service, as directors and as educators. Three types of data are available to help us gain a clearer picture of the effective minister. Thc criteria set forth by St. Paul in his letters to Timothy and Titus, as well as other parts of Scripture, provide the authoritative requirements for the service of the "man of the cloth." However, these references give us only a description of the type of man wlho is to be considered eligible for ministry and say nothing specifically about varying degrees of a man's effectiveness in the pastorate. We therefore need to assume in the case of thc Scrip- tural data at this point that the minister's effectiveness may vary with the degree to which the traits identified by the Scriptural criteria are present in the person. A second source of data stems from observations of synodical district presidents regarding nlore and less effective men within their jurisdictional area. A final source of data includes the evidence available from research studies which havc attenlpted to identify characteristics of the effective minister. It is the major purpose of this study to characterize ministerial effectiveness by comparing the data from these three sources. In the comparative study we need to determine whether the data are entirely similar, or whether there are some differences. Or do they provide different pictures altogether? Can we then find enough agreement among these data to identify any reasonably well established criteria for ~mnisterial effectiveness? The Data Sources. Labels for and definitions of the Scriptural criteria are taken from a list prepared by the faculty and student Committee on Personal Development of Concordia Theological Scm- inary (Springfield) .' An intensive study of the passage in I Timothy 3 revealed ten such criteria. It would be possible to brcak each criterion into specific items and to list siill more criteria, but practicality suggests some limitations. Still other combinations of specific items could perhaps have produced other labels and definitions, but the present set seems adequate for our purposes and is also easily understood. Other Scriptural rgfcrcnces are supplied in the explanations below to give n more detailed picture of each criterion. Observations from the district presidents have come from their responses to a set of cjuestionnaircs sent then1 in 1972. Each ques- tionnaire dealt with a specific pastor whom the president had earlier ranked as one among the more effective or the less effective clergynlen in his district. If the president had judged that another rnikster could definitely, or at least likely, be very effective in the parish occupied by the -man who was the subject of that questionnaire, a response was requested to the following question: What kind of pastor would it take to be VERY EFFECTIVE in this particular ..- parish? Twenty-seven of the 35 presidents of Missouri Svnod districts in 1972 responded with 136 items for the parishes served by the effective pastors and 85 in connection with their consideration of the parishes served by the less effective men. Each item in the latter case was characteristic of effectivcness also, since the procedure required naming a positive item as a result of looking first at the parish and service of the less effective pastor. For the purposes of this paper, the items supplied by the presidents were grouped accord- ing to the ten Scriptural criteria and three other miscellaneous cate- gories (see Table 1 ). Response Given in Relation to an Effective Pastor Number and Per- Response Given in Relation to on Ineffective Pastor Number and Per- cent of cent of District Number llistrict Number Presidents of Presidents of Responding llesponses Responding Responses Sociable ................................................. 9 Considerate ............................................ 18 Faithful in Familial Relationships .... 0 Temperate ................................................ 3 Self-disciplined ........................................ 5 Industrious in the Church's Work ...... 14 Serving As a Model ............................... 10 Experienced in the Faith ...................... 5 Flexible .................................................... 5 Effective Facilitator of Learning ........ 7 Functions ,,,, . .................................. . 12 Leadership ................................................ 12 Others ....................................................... 2 TOTAL ITEMS ................................ The Effcctivs Minister _. - 39 Thirteen research studies on ministerial effectiveness, docu- nlented and revicvcled in Concordia Seminary Studies 7 3-7,' consti- tute the third source of data. Similar results from the different studies were combined in a number of categories in this seminary paper. Includecl in the thirteen studies are two which characterize Missouri Synod pastors. One is by Kenneth Breimeier' and involved 36 grad- uates of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, during the period of 1952 to 19 5 6. The second is a more recent investigation of 792 graduates of both St. Louis and Springfield included jn the 1970 Ministerial Research Project (70 MRP)." The pastors in the 70 MRP repre- sented graduating classes from 1930 through 1969. Three of the other eleven studies picture Methodist clergy, while there are ti170 for Episcopalian and two for mainline Protestant pastors. Unitarian, Presbyterian, Lutheran Church in America, and Roman Catholic clergy arc each included in one investigation. Data from all the sources have been organized for review in five groups developed froill a logical categorization of the ten Scrip- tural criteria: relationship with others, stability, leadership, develop- ment of personal values and goals, and cognitive functioning. The presidents' observations and the empirically-derived effecti\icness data are set alongside similar criterion items for comparison. An additional section of the paper lists other factors which do not appear to be related to the Scriptural criteria used here. Thc final portion of the paper is de~oted to discussion and conclusions. Three of the Scriptural criteria appear similar enough to fit under a category which involves interpersonal relationships. They are the pastor's inclination to be sociable, considerate, and faithful in familial relationships. Sociable. According to the Scriptural picture of the pastor, "a pastor must bc . . . . given to hospitality" (I Tin-i. 3: 3; see also Romans 12 : 13). Being hospitable requires that the pastor be socially accessible, ready to communicate with others, and able to relate warmly to people. One third of the district presidents (33%) described the effective pastor as people-oriented or outgoing (7 presidents), con- genial (4), and warm (2).j As they considered effective ministry in parishes served by the less effective pastors, 19% of the church leaders responded with the same traits as those just listed-outgoing (3), congenial or friendly (2), and warm ( 1). Both Missouri Synod studies of effectiveness found an extro- verted trait to be more regularly evident among effective ~ninisters.~ Jackson's effective Methodist clergy were found to be less shy.' However, both Jackson and Dyble,$ the latter with United Presby- terians, found no relationship with effectiveness on another dimension of extroversion-introversion, and Ham's effective mainstream Protes- tants showed emotional distance from pe~ple.~ .. - Considerate. Being hospitable requires an underlying attitude of love and consideration. The association of hospitality with this atti- tude is established best in St. Paul's letter to the Romans ( 12 : 9- 13 passim): "Let love bc genuinc. . . . love one another with brotherly affection. . . . contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospital- ity." There is no. need to rcfer to the many other Scriptural references which speak of love as a central characteristic of a Christian as well as of a pastor. In still other ~vords, the minister is considerate by being discerningly generous, responsive to others' needs, lovingly concerned, and gracious. In characterizing the effective minister, 67% of the district presidents suggested that he is one who is accepting (3), forgiving (I), and evangelical or Gospel-centered (7). I-le is also able to comnlunicate God's love to others (I), shows pastoral concern (7), and has love for people (8). In thinking of the less effective men, 52% of the presidents cn~phas-ized the need for the pastor to be humble (I), tactful (2), loving and with a pastoral heart (71, for- giving ( 1 ), acccpting ( 1 ), concerned (2), and evangelical ( 1 ). He should also be a true "pastor" on a one-to-one basis (4) and stay with the people ( 1 ). As might be expected, this criterion seems to be more broadly supported by empirical data than allnost any other. Effective Lutheran Church in America (LCA) pastors showed a greater interest in human relations than their less effective brcthrcn,'" Episcopalian clergy showecl a greater love for souls,ll and R'lethodist ministers dis- played more sensitivity to people.'"4ainlinc Protestant clergy dis- played a correlation between effectiveness and noder rate allocentric tendencies.':: Finally, two stuclics of cIergy involved in specialized functions revealed a greater identification and involven~ent with peo~le (Episcopalian priests selected for counseling ability),].' and showed attitudes reflecting "non-coercivc assistance of others" (Meth- odist clergy rated on pastoral care functions).'" Faithful in Familial Relatiorzships, The pastor must be "the husband of one wife" and "must manage his own householc1 well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way; for if a man .does not know how to manage his own I~ousehold, how can he care for God's church?" (I Tim. 3: 2, 4). FaithfuIness to one's wifc and children involves for the pastor being a good family manager a~ld ]laving a healthy relationship to his wife and children. No descriptive statements in this area were supplied by the district presiden ts. There is contraindicative evidence among hflissouri Synod clergy, and likely in other denominations as well, though none appear to be carefully documented, that in so~llc cases serious probleills for a man's ministry have been associated with marital and fanlily prob- lerns. However, there was no difference between more and less effec- tive clergy of the 70 MRP in their ratings of the amount of time spent ~vith their family, according to the present, expected or ideal situa- tions, or even acccrding to the importance of falllily time.'" TWO Scriptural criteria reflect the stability of a cIergynlan in his personal and professiollal life. Ile should be temperate and self- disciplined. The Efcctive Minister 4 1 'I'ei~zperate. "The bishop must . . . . bc . . . . not violent but oentlc" (I 'Tim. 3: 3) 'The pastor should thus be able to show in his 0 bchavior a tempering- of an untoward expression of strong feelings which bespeaks imlx~ticnce wit11 one's self or with others. To 1 1 % of the district presidents patience (3) is required for effectiveness. Another 19 010 referred to patience (5) in considering the parishes of the less effective clergynlen in their district. - The only empirical data which seem related to this criterion refer to a comparatively IOFV degree of mobility from one pastorate to another as characteristic of more effective clergy. The fact that the cffcctive minister has expericnced fewer brief pastorates may suggest a forin of patience in his attempts to serve his parish. The association of s~rch a nlobility pattern with effecti.veness appears to cross cfenom- inational lines with their respective ecclesiastical polities, as indicated by significant research results anlong Methodist clergy". who hold to a hierarchical' form of church government, and also among Presbyteriansls and Missouri Synod Lutherans,'!' both of whom rep- resent a collegial polity. Self-Disciplined. The behavioral pattern of being temperate reclrlires an underlying abiIity to discipline one's self, or, in the words of St. Paul, to be "sensibleJ' (I Tim. 3, 2), "master 'of himself . . . . and self-controlled" (Titus 1 : 8). Being self-controlled or self- disciplined describes the pastor who is elnotionally stable, able to express his feelings without letting them control or direct him unduly. He is well-orctered in his personal life without being excessively rigid or coinpulsive in the requirements he sets for himself or for others around him.. Nineteen percent of the district presidents called an effective minister en~btionally stable (l), organized or self-disciplined (2), and one who shows comnlon sense (2). Enlotional stability (2) and common sense (I) are descriptions of effectiveness used by 11 9; of the presidents as they viewed the less adequate pastors and their congregations. Emotional stability is suggested by elnotional health among effective Unitarian20 and Methodist clergy,21 the better adjustinent oh effective Roman Catholic priests," and the overall stability of 1,CA pastors.'" Although Dyble "'found no relation between personal integration on the Omnibus Personality Inventory and effectiveness of Presbyterian pastors, contraindicative evidence was derived from the finding of enlotional instability among problem cases who had been identified as such by hlissouri Synod presidents.*" To the extent that the criterion of self-discipline reflects a desire for autonomy, it is supported by Dyble's finding in the case of Presby- texians2hnd by effective Missouri Synoci pastors who founct oppor- tunity for its expression in ministry.?' The leadership relation between a pastor and his arishioners would quite evidently ap ear to be a primary requisite or a clergy- k' F man. This function may e reflected in two Scriptural criteria tvhlch describe the pastor as a man who is industrious in the church's work and also is serving as a model. I~zdustrioz~s in the Church's Work. To "desire a noble task" of the ministry (I Tim. 3 : 1) would suggest that the pastor is ambitious in a good sense, that he is eager to serve the Lord enthusiastically (Ron~ans 12: 1 l), and is not negative or cynical, but full of thc joy of thc Lord (11 Cor. 6 : 10; Romans 12: 12; Phil. 4 : 4). In the words of 52 % of the district presidents, the effective minister shows a willingness to serve (6), is diligent (4), confident ( 11, joyful (7), dedicated (5) and positive (3). From observation of the less effective clergy,. 37% of the l~residents saw effectiveness ! in terms of showing initlatlve (11, hard work, diligence or zeal (7), joyfulness (3), and a positive experience ( I). . . Productive energy is an appropriate phrase for the character- istic suggested by Jackson's effective Methodist clergy who showed a moderate amount of initiative and aggressiveness and who were also less apathetic than the less. effective men.29 The morc effective h4issouri Synod men in the 70 R/IHP also rated themselves higher than their counterparts in degree of effort, task accomplishment and ) amount of work, while their parishioners likewise gave them higher ratings on effort and task ac~omplishment.'~ It should also be noted that the less effcctive LCA clergy were judged to have a higher degree of energy than their morc effective brethren." 0Ve may suggest in explanatioil of the seemingly disparate results that both extremes of degree of effort expended may characterize the less effective pastor. Additional research data which seem related to the pastor's industriousness incl.ude the finding of a distinctive perceptual pattern among the more effective R4issouri Synod pastors in the 70 MRP. These men consistently rated perceptions of themselves and of their involvement in their parish at a significantly higher level than did the less effective men both at the present and in the expected future."' This higher rating pattern was interpreted as perhaps indicating an optimistic outlook, which coulci have been derived froin an a.rvareness of the Lord's positive and specific role in their lives. The correlative interpretation that a lower degree of industrious- nos, and correspondingly less effectiveness, may be associatctl with a less optimistic, or sometlmcs even negative viewpoint, seeins supported by Benton's reference to a group of Episcopalian pastors who were less effective in counsrlinp. He noted that they "may demonstrate a tendency to see parish~oners' problems and troubles under the figure of sin res~llting from disobedience" and that their solutions perhaps lay in a renewed obedience to the L~Iv.'? ']To the cxtcnt that being industrious may be related to similar experiences in one's earlier life, the higher academic achievement on the part of tllc cffccti~rc clergy in c311ege3' and seminary",' bears some mention. Satisfaction with one's ~r~ork ~vould seem to be related to a posi- tive and industrious outlook. Ashbrook" found that effectiveness was associated with sorne degree of satisfactiol~ with Protestant clergy- men's tasks of ministry, but yet "enough dissatisfaction to keep a The Effective nlli~zister 4 3 -- minister sensitive to his people and the realities of his situation." Satisfaction with the local ministerial position and work was asso- ciated with effectiveness in thc 70 RIRP, but no differences appeared between Inore ancl less effective groups in satisfaction .tvith the ininistry in $enera1 as one's profession.':" Scrvilzg as a fi~lodel. The pastor is to be "above reproach" (I Tim. 3 : 2), ".rvell thought of by outsiders" (I Tim. 3 : 7). He should also "set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity" (I Tim. 4 : 12), or, in the words of the first letter- of Peter (5: 3), be an example "to the flock." As St. Paul explained the necessity for his own service (I1 Cor. 6: 3), "we put no obstacle in any one's way, so that no fault may be found with our ~ninistry." Such a "modcl" life should, of course, be no more than living one's own human it,^^, even with the ind~velling Spirit, and it will be less than perfect. The adll~ission of one's own limitations and faults, sometimes in public, sometimes in private, need not stain a pastor's reputation. Nor, on the other hand, must the pastor's life be just a show for others, a facade covering the real man inside, for the man of God is advised to "let his love be genuine" (Romans 12: 9). He is therefore to be consistently real as a inan of God, circumspect, exer- cising authority, responsibility and accountability to God and to. his family and congregation. Ten different district presidel~ts ( 3 7 % ) saw the effective minister as'one who is an examplc to others (4), .sincere ( I), open (31, human ( 1 ), exhibits a neat personal appearance (2) and has a sense of hunior ( 1 ). Openness ( 1 ) is the only characteristic in this area observed by one president upon the basis of his esperience with the parish of an ineffective pastor. No research evidence related to this criterion appears to be available. T.,cndership Skill. The general area of leadership seems to be par- ticularly important to district presidents, even though there does not appear to be a Scriptural criterion in the listing used here which enlploys this specific label. Almost half of the presidents (44 % ) used the terms, "administrative abilityn (6) and leadership (9), to characterize their effective pastors, while 4 1 % described effective- ness, from observ;ttion of the ineffective men, as beinq a good leader (3), and organizer ( I), ancl in terns of working ~71th the people (2), leading people to serve (6), and leading people to social concern ( 1 ). RIinisterial researchers have also devoted a good deal of attention to leadership. Able leadership among effective ministers is sufigested by special interests in organizational and administrative sk~lls- LCA," an ability to manage a parish efficiently-Episcopalians," a favorable leadership style match with the parish- h4S,'jg skills and attitudes related to the achievement of professional goals-Meth- ~dists,'~ and lcaclershil) which is both aware of people and skillful in task activity-Y rotestants? Missouri Synod district presidents, who had been asked to rate very effective and less effective ministers included in the 70 ilTRP, regarded 98% of the very effcctive as especially able in leadership, and 73 % of the less effective as lacliing good leadcrship. l2 In addition, Jacl