Now, as one who is returning to the task of preparing other for ministry, I was intrigued to read recently a book called Leading from the Second Chair. It was put into my hands by my friend Ed Vaughan from Crinken parish in Dublin.
It is a very annoying book in several ways. It uses Joseph as a kind of model 'second chair' leader, which is just an annoying way to use the Bible in my book. It is based on interviews with American ministers, who tend to give very sunny and pragmatic descriptions of their ministries.
But I think it really touches on an issue for many ministers I know of: and that is, working as the assistant or the second in charge is really tough, and it is increasingly hard to find a leader-assistant relationship that works really well (in my experience). And they do have some good (and not just practical) advice.
Why is this relationship so fraught? Is it the pride thing? Is that leaders expect to be popes-in-their-own-parishes? Are we unable to live out submission in practice? Is there too much expectation of independence? Is it because the model we have was worked out when assistants were regularly in their early 20s, whereas now assistant ministers are often 30+ (and would be getting increased responsibility in secular work?)
Personal testimonies warmly received, but be careful with names and identities please.
3 comments:
I read that book in my last position after 5 years as an assistant. I also found the Joseph thread a bit forced, and, at the end of the day, unnecessary.
It is a wisdom book, and doesn't really need to be dressed up as anything else.
The thing I found very helpful was the three paradoxes it presents as the reality of a second chair leader. It gave language to a lot of the tensions that I had found in my own experience serving under another, and, having identified the tensions, helped me to live with them.
Interestingly, I had the book recommended to me by a colleague, who had it recommended to them by Ed Vaughn! Small world!
Cheers bro.
Book aside, I wonder if part of the issue isn't that 2ICs are often firsts in training, and recruited explicitly for that purpose. We don't train and recruit many people to be second-in-command, but some people are actually very good and happy at that.
Why is simultaneous submission and leadership so difficult? Isn't it exactly what we are all called to under Christ? I suspect that the assistant minister position only makes explicit the difficulty that we all face with the calling to freedom under Christ our master. Perhaps it reveals the fact that most of us are much happier being either just leaders (rectors) or just followers.
Coincidentally, Jess was given that book on her first day at a new church job this week!
Post a Comment