ideas, resources, and conversation about the joys and struggles of ministry May 2007

Partners in Caring

Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska

In Praise of Chaplains

Pastors who serve small congregations often struggle with issues of self-worth. To be called “chaplain” rather than pastor, as Arlin Rothauge does, would seem to add one further indignity.

Rothauge’s description of the system dynamics which change as congregations increase in size has become almost normative. He termed congregations that worship 50 or less on a Sunday “Family Size”; 50-150 “Pastoral Size”; 150-350 “Program Size; and greater than 350 “Corporate Size.” Crossing the boundary from one size to another creates different system dynamics and calls for a different style of pastoral leadership. Pastors who serve in “Family Size” congregations, he noted, function like chaplains. They are permitted to offer spiritual care but little more.

Rothauge’s schemata creates a hierarchy of clergy types, with the CEO pastor at the top descending through senior pastor and parish pastor to the lowly chaplain at the bottom. And a chaplain, as most chaplains will tell you, are sometimes regarded by others as someone who could not quite make it in parish ministry.

However, since the majority of American congregations worship 75 or less on a Sunday morning, presumably a substantial number of clergy function as mere chaplains---and struggle with issues of status. Sometimes it feels like failure---especially, when one has a passion for reaching out and expanding the kingdom; when the empty places in the pews, the declining numbers in Sunday School and confirmation classes, and the insufficient dollars to meet the church budget are regarded as failures; when countless books and conferences on the subject of church growth and turn-around churches and pastoral leadership suggest that if only you were a different kind of pastor you could make this congregation grow.

And if you minister is such a setting and think I was about to give you a free pass, let me be quick to add that the last statement is partly true. There are things you can learn which can make you a better pastor. To place the blame solely on congregational apathy or “alligators” or cultural attitudes really is not helpful. There are ways to deal with those issues.

But I also believe that providing ministry in some small congregations, though very much like being a chaplain, is not a ministry that should be disparaged.

The derivation of “chaplain” extends from the Old French chapelain, through Medieval Latin capellanus, which in turn derived from capella “chapel.” In other words, a chaplain is someone who attends a chapel rather than a church. The difference between church and chapel is not only one of size, but of function. The cathedral church offered a place for large gatherings of worshipers and was an institution, but the side chapels of cathedrals provided space for individual prayers and family ceremonies. Today, chaplains function in similar individual and small group settings---in hospitals, prisons, the military, and college campuses. My understanding of what chaplains who attended to cathedral chapels actually did is a little vague, but I am assuming that individuals weren’t left solely to their own devices. A lot of one-on-one pastoral care was provided. The point is the church has always recognized the need for both institutional structures necessary for building the kingdom and for specialized ministries directed at individual needs.

Many small congregations have more needs than resources. Members struggle with economic, social, emotional, and medical issues. Often the image of a small church is that it is passive and resists change. However, sometimes the reality is that there are few leaders or even potential leaders in these congregations. Members attend and belong because they need the church, not because they want or need the opportunity to serve others. Perhaps over a period of time, they could be brought again to a sense of mission, but it is not likely to happy quickly. Typically, we don’t criticize people who are hospitalized or are in the process of dying for not “doing more.” I’m not sure why we tend to be critical of congregations (and by association, the “chaplains” who serve them) who are not likely to exhibit growth but are ministering faithfully to the people under their care.

True, we would be in a sad way if all of our congregations were chapels, and there were few “cathedrals” offering the diversity of programming capable of significant outreach. It would also be sad if all of our congregations were rapidly growing institutions with little time nor interest in serving those who had little to offer in return.

Each calling and every ministry setting is unique. It is easy enough to produce guilt when “doing your best” is never enough. Judging yourself or being judged on the basis of what others are doing is not appropriate. Standards of excellence, therefore, must always be calibrated to your situation. What does it mean to be faithful in this place? If you are more a chaplain than a pastor, how do you measure success? In what ways could “chapel” ministries be interconnected and made a ministry of the larger church? Are there ways to build partnerships? If small congregations and the pastors who serve them were to become clearer about their unique identity and purpose, they would be less likely to feel judged and condemned by inappropriate measures of success.



Are You Prepared for Disaster?
The Greensburg, Kansas tornado should cause all congregational leaders to ask the question, How prepared is my congregation for a disaster? Would you know what to do if tornado sirens sounded during a worship service? Do you have arrangements with another congregation where you could worship if your building was destroyed? Do you know how you would go about ascertaining the welfare of all of your members if a disaster struck your community? Several Lutheran Disaster Response coordinators have been trained to help your congregation address these and other issues. If you would like to schedule a training, contact me, and I will put you in touch with a coordinator in your area.

Point of View

The senior pastor or a mega church, one of his associates, and a chaplain were playing golf one morning, and found themselves waiting for a particularly slow group of golfers.

The senior pastor fumed, "What's with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15 minutes!"

The associate chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such ineptitude!"

The chaplain said, "Hey, here comes the greens keeper. Let's have a word with him - - - Hi, George. Say, what's with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?"

The greens keeper replied, "Oh, yes, that's a group of blind firefighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime."

The group was silent for a moment.

The chaplain said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight."

The associate said, "I'm going to bring this up at our Christ Care committee meeting tonight. Maybe there is something we can do for them."

The senior pastor said, "Why can't these guys play at night?"

In Christ's Service,

Roger Kruger
rkruger@lfsneb.org
(402) 978-5670 (direct line and confidential voice mail)

This e-mail newsletter is an endeavor of Partners in Caring, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, Inc. I envision it as a way to share ideas, resources, and conversation about the joys and struggles of ministry. I welcome your input. Feel free to pass it on to friends.