“ “The dominant shift The dominant shift in the role of the in the role of the

Presbytery leader is Presbytery leader is from one of executive from one of executive

CEO to spiritual CEO to spiritual leader”leader”Jill HudsonJill Hudson

What is Spiritual What is Spiritual Leadership?Leadership?

Spiritual Leaders Fit Spiritual Leaders Fit their Contexttheir Context

Spiritual LeadersSpiritual Leaders

•Adapt their leadership style Adapt their leadership style to meet the contextto meet the context•And have the gifts needed for And have the gifts needed for the contextthe context

Therefore our first Therefore our first challenge is to define our challenge is to define our

contextcontext

ContextsContexts•ExodusExodus•ExileExile•Great EmergenceGreat Emergence•Post ModernPost Modern•Age of the SpiritAge of the Spirit•Post ChristendomPost Christendom•Early ChristianEarly Christian

Context is defined in Context is defined in large part by large part by circumstancecircumstance

butbutspiritual leaders must spiritual leaders must discern and articulate discern and articulate

that contextthat context

What is the context of What is the context of your Presbytery?your Presbytery?

Have you been able to Have you been able to articulate what the articulate what the

context is?context is?

The Presbytery of The Presbytery of Southern New England Southern New England in an Exile Experiencein an Exile Experience

THE EXILE THE EXILE EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE

Old ways don’t work as they used toOld ways don’t work as they used to Forced to leave homes and comfortsForced to leave homes and comforts Becoming a “scattered” peopleBecoming a “scattered” people Living in a “foreign” landLiving in a “foreign” land Discovering God anewDiscovering God anew Changed selves in a different type of Changed selves in a different type of

homehome

Parts of the Exile Parts of the Exile ExperienceExperience In JerusalemIn Jerusalem

Wanting to keep the old institutions and practicesWanting to keep the old institutions and practices Feeling threatened and anxiousFeeling threatened and anxious

Going Into ExileGoing Into Exile Being scattered and separated from familyBeing scattered and separated from family Feeling loss and disorientationFeeling loss and disorientation

In ExileIn Exile Not at homeNot at home Engaging the culture creativelyEngaging the culture creatively

Finding a New HomeFinding a New Home Experimenting with the new with renewed SpiritExperimenting with the new with renewed Spirit Wondering about purity and identityWondering about purity and identity

In the Presbytery of In the Presbytery of Southern New EnglandSouthern New England

We are getting smallerWe are getting smaller We are feeling scattered from one We are feeling scattered from one

another geographically and theologicallyanother geographically and theologically Our structure no longer works wellOur structure no longer works well Our culture treats us as outsidersOur culture treats us as outsiders We are anxious about the future and We are anxious about the future and

changechange

We are still in Jerusalem We are still in Jerusalem and starting to and starting to

experience the effects of experience the effects of ExileExile

We still live the old We still live the old identities defined by identities defined by

our past titlesour past titles

Titles for PresbyteryTitles for Presbytery

JudicatoryJudicatory Court of the churchCourt of the church An assembly to reach An assembly to reach conclusions on significant conclusions on significant mattersmatters

A place judgment is A place judgment is renderedrendered

Titles for PresbyteryTitles for Presbytery

JudicatoryJudicatory Governing BodyGoverning Body

To direct, regulate, and To direct, regulate, and manage the institution of manage the institution of the churchthe church

To legislate and create To legislate and create policypolicy

Titles for PresbyteryTitles for Presbytery

JudicatoryJudicatory Governing BodyGoverning Body Agent of MissionAgent of Mission

To initiate, send out, or To initiate, send out, or support a mission support a mission endeavorendeavor

Titles for PresbyteryTitles for Presbytery

JudicatoryJudicatory Governing BodyGoverning Body Agent of MissionAgent of Mission CouncilCouncil

An assembly for deciding An assembly for deciding matters of doctrinematters of doctrine

All these titles refer to All these titles refer to matters such as:matters such as:

Institutional maintenanceInstitutional maintenance Making decisionsMaking decisions Debating issuesDebating issues Managing policyManaging policy Creating legislationCreating legislation Starting programsStarting programs

To accomplish our titles …To accomplish our titles …we have staffwe have staffand programsand programsand budgetsand budgets

and buildingsand buildingsand manualsand manualsand policiesand policiesand by-lawsand by-laws

Yet we are finding Yet we are finding that these roles and that these roles and

structures don’t work structures don’t work like they used to.like they used to.

And Commissioners are And Commissioners are wanting something wanting something

differentdifferent

This is what they are asking This is what they are asking for through evaluations of for through evaluations of

our meetings: our meetings:

Sharing/SupSharing/Supportport

NurtureNurture EducationEducation FellowshipFellowship

WorshipWorship StorytellingStorytelling WitnessWitness CommunityCommunity

In Calvin’s timeIn Calvin’s time

There were two bodies that There were two bodies that preceeded our presbyteries:preceeded our presbyteries:

The Geneva ConsistoryThe Geneva Consistory

The Venerable Company of The Venerable Company of PastorsPastors

The Geneva ConsistoryThe Geneva Consistory

Pastors and EldersPastors and Elders Responsible for Church order Responsible for Church order

and disciplineand discipline That is, managed church lifeThat is, managed church life

The Venerable Company The Venerable Company of Pastorsof Pastors

Educated themselves biblically and Educated themselves biblically and theologicallytheologically

Mutually encouraged each otherMutually encouraged each other Pursued joint missionary work Pursued joint missionary work Met regularly for prayer and supportMet regularly for prayer and support Enhanced capacity to think the faithEnhanced capacity to think the faith

We do wellWe do wellthe work of the Geneva the work of the Geneva

ConsistoryConsistory

But we have neglected But we have neglected the work of the the work of the

Venerable Company of Venerable Company of PastorsPastors

““Without the corporate Without the corporate engagement in biblical, engagement in biblical,

theological and theological and ecclesiological inquiry … ecclesiological inquiry … ecclesial order is easily ecclesial order is easily bureaucratized while bureaucratized while discipline is either discipline is either

ignored or factionalized.”ignored or factionalized.”

Joe SmallJoe Small

““There is a conspicuous There is a conspicuous absence of presbyteries absence of presbyteries

as communities of as communities of spiritual, intellectual, spiritual, intellectual,

and vocational discipline and vocational discipline that ensure open space that ensure open space

for Word and Sacrament, for Word and Sacrament, and sharpen clear vision and sharpen clear vision

of the presence of of the presence of Christ.”Christ.”

Joe SmallJoe Small

In what ways is your In what ways is your Presbytery trying to be a Presbytery trying to be a spiritual community in spiritual community in

distinction from a distinction from a religious institution?religious institution?

The Leaders of a PeopleThe Leaders of a PeopleExperiencing ExileExperiencing Exile

What is the role of the Presbytery What is the role of the Presbytery leaders during an exile experience?leaders during an exile experience?

What kind of spiritual leadership is What kind of spiritual leadership is called for?called for?

The Biblical The Biblical Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders

•IsaiahIsaiah•JeremiahJeremiah•Ezra and NehemiahEzra and Nehemiah•EstherEsther•DanielDaniel•HabbakkukHabbakkuk

Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders

Lead the lamentations for the losses of Lead the lamentations for the losses of the churchthe church

Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders

Call the orphaned Call the orphaned

into a communion of saints into a communion of saints

to whom to belongto whom to belong

Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders

Identify with the suffering servantIdentify with the suffering servant

who lives with the hope of ultimate who lives with the hope of ultimate victory victory

in the midst of pain and despairin the midst of pain and despair

Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders

Point to the sacred and holy Point to the sacred and holy

tabernacling in our midsttabernacling in our midst

to people who tend to see to people who tend to see

only the absence of Godonly the absence of God

and profanation around themand profanation around them

Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders

Legitimize Legitimize

mystery, and paradox, and ambiguity mystery, and paradox, and ambiguity

within both theology and our within both theology and our ecclesiastical lifeecclesiastical life

Exilic LeadersExilic Leaders

Call exiles out of self-absorptionCall exiles out of self-absorption

and into creative, missional faith-and into creative, missional faith-livingliving

in a secular culturein a secular culture

The Leaders Help the The Leaders Help the Community to:Community to:

Confess our separation from GodConfess our separation from God Connect the scattered people with Connect the scattered people with

each othereach other Sing of hope for the future in GodSing of hope for the future in God Experience the sacred and holy in lifeExperience the sacred and holy in life Struggle with moral and theological Struggle with moral and theological

paradoxesparadoxes Support each other to live missionallySupport each other to live missionally

What work might exilic, What work might exilic, spiritual leaders be spiritual leaders be

doing?doing? Visibly and vocally “cast the vision” of Visibly and vocally “cast the vision” of

our current exile context.our current exile context. Invite individuals and congregations to Invite individuals and congregations to

“find their place” in the exilic experience.“find their place” in the exilic experience. Gather the scattered together to be in Gather the scattered together to be in

communion with one another.communion with one another. Support “missional” endeavorsSupport “missional” endeavors Focus on the birth of the new instead of Focus on the birth of the new instead of

the death of the old.the death of the old.