Does your parish ...
nurture leadership that models Jesus, is co-responsible, and plans for the future?
By virtue of his appointment, the Parish Priest is both the Administrator of the parish assets under Canon Law and the Responsible Person (as defined by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission) for the parish’s charitable status.
He is therefore unequivocally responsible for the management of the parish.
But something to be explored here is the difference between management and leadership.
Management often involves the governing and directing of people and resources. Leadership, at its heart, is about setting the vision or direction, and motivating people towards a common goal.
Leadership in twenty-first-century organisations, including parishes, is becoming more and more complex. Factors such as safeguarding, workplace law, declining church attendance, ageing leadership, and an increasingly secular culture means we have to really dig deep into what it means to be a leader, and how we might nurture a culture of leadership among our people, clergy and laity both.
In the context of our parishes and communities, leadership should:
Look like Jesus. Throughout his ministry, Jesus invested in people and he served them. Leadership in the style of Jesus involves recognising, valuing, and embracing the gifts and vocations of all our people, calling and forming them to put those gifts at the service of their communities. In fact, throughout the Acts of the Apostles we do see this style replicated. We often see the apostles recruit, form, and work in teams to further the proclamation of the Gospel. This is a model to aspire towards today.
Be co-responsible. Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the Church to embrace the challenge of co-responsibility, to remind ourselves that the laity are not simply ‘“collaborators” of the clergy, but … people who are really “co-responsible” for the Church’s being and acting.’ In other words, the mission of the Church to proclaim the Gospel lies with clergy and laity alike. This demands a mature and committed laity who are given a real share of leadership responsibility.
Plan for the future. If we want to see our parishes continue to grow and bear fruit, we must learn the art of identifying the gifts and vocations of those in our communities and inspiring them to be part of something bigger. Part of the practical reality is also succession planning: ensuring that when it is time for one generation of leaders to hand over the baton, there is someone to hand it to. We must expand our vision to include the mentoring and support of leaders—both emerging and existing—so that the future of our communities can continue to be vibrant, vital, and viable.