The Gospel Response is the Heart of Our Practice
This is an excerpt from “Personal and Professional Well-Being for Educators in Lutheran Ministries: A Mutual Concern,” a Summer 2011 LEA eMonograph.
Is the role of church educator still seen as a vocation?
The goals of the school, congregation, and worker are all secondary to the Gospel mission of spreading the Good News! Are we calling a Minister of the Gospel or are we hiring a teacher? This implies that other considerations are secondary. My work as a college placement director for the church allowed me to see that this is a question of practice for congregations, regardless of the official stance of the synod. Practice indicates great variation in congregations and schools. Both practice and theory operate within worldly institutions. Even those established for good order within the Kingdom have to deal with sin and decisions about personnel and programs. We seek God’s will and promise, and I believe that the Spirit is very much a part of the process, but both the calling institution and the worker need a lot of prayer. How do we best focus upon fulfilling God’s plan? That means that the goals of the school, congregation, and worker are all secondary to the Gospel mission of spreading the Good News!
Congregations need continually to review their practices. The cost and time are demanding, but it is an important discussion for both workers and congregations. Can we maintain a holy practice with all of the temptations and distractions of secular power in a sinful world? (My position is that under the Gospel we can, but it is not an easy task, and I would suggest that congregations need to be more attentive to it.)
The Gospel response is at the heart of our practice. The Call’s meaning to educators is at issue by its very practice in the church today, not due to theology but practice. Even more important is the mission it addresses; the Gospel response is at the heart of our practice. It is the essential issue. Some see the teacher as merely another worker, not a Minister of the Gospel, an extension of the pastoral ministry (an auxiliary) who happens to be a specialist working in a specific ministry of the school and parish. A health check can be achieved by simply looking at the process by which a parish calls a teacher. Is it with the same energy and care with which they call a pastor? That would be a place to start, for our theology claims it is the same process, just a different office.
Another issue arises when teachers fail to embrace their work as ministry. Teachers do not always understand the time and energy required of them. In addition, they may be poorly supported and under-supervised. The issue is complicated, and the world does not allow the attention it requires. Can that reality be changed? We must better match our goals and dreams with the energy and resources required to accomplish them. We are the instruments that the Spirit uses to reflect the Word, not to merely meet some earthly measure. Do teachers see themselves as ministers? If a congregation supports that view, it is easier but not an automatic solution. Teachers who do not embrace the responsibilities of ministry may easily ignore or misunderstand actions and relationships in the congregation, which has implications for both the school and the individual. The devil accomplishes much through simple misunderstandings.
The need is to approach the issue from both perspectives, good policy well-administered and a willing and joy-filled response to the call. When those realities are in place, the partnership for ministry is strong and ministry is rich. A healthy sense of vocation is the starting point for teachers. Administration and parish support are needed, but the best sign of success remains the spiritual well-being of the teacher. A healthy spirit can be damaged or hurt by poor administrative or congregational policy. A weak teacher can be loved and nurtured toward improvement, and a strong teacher can be made even better. The need is to approach the issue from both perspectives, good policy well-administered and a willing and joy-filled response to the call. When those realities are in place, the partnership for ministry is strong and ministry is rich. Where the time and resources to support the program and strengthen workers are lacking, problems for institutions and teachers result, often with strong emotion and great pain.
Issues most often arise when these positive conditions are lacking from one perspective or the other, often both. How to assist teachers to find or reclaim their vocation is one side of the question. The other is how to provide the policy and administrative support to maintain focus upon the ministry. The health of both the worker and the school is vital. If both parts are not in place, a penalty is paid by all.
When times are rough ask these three questions: 1) Does the parish understand and provide support for the ministry? 2) Is the administrative team (often just the pastor and principal) collaborating as servant-leaders? 3) Does the teacher embrace his or her ministry?
If those relationships and understandings are in place, the school ministry can thrive or begin to heal. If not, tinkering and bargaining will not help until the central issues are addressed. Schools are communal efforts; relationships may break down over simple personality issues or conflicting goals. That is where daily repentance and a humble spirit can be so valuable. Both perspectives of the call agreement are essential to maintain an ongoing healthy ministry in the school.
Dr. George Guidera is Professor Emeritus at Concordia Univerity–St. Paul and past Director of Church Placement.
Paper collage illustration by Hayley Brooks.
