The heat was unbearable, but I was freezing. My hands were cold, but my Sabbath suit was drenched with sweat. When members of the congregation congratulated me at the door after the worship service, I nervously accepted their gracious remarks. It was my first sermon without supervision and was intended for my training. The next Monday, I told my senior, supervising pastor, Matthew McNeill,* who had been on vacation, about the energy needed to prepare and deliver my sermon. He was strong in his affirmation of what I had achieved. That was almost 30 years ago, but I still treasure his lifelong commitment to pastoral ministry and supervision, and his commitment to my learning and to me.
Reflecting on my relationship with Pastor Matthew, I constructed a paradigm of pastoral supervision, with six fundamental principles. This paradigm, modeled by my senior pastor who drew from Christ's way of supervision,1 consists of the following questions:
(1) Who am I?
(2) What is my ministry?
(3) Where am I going?
(4) What must I know about relationships?
(5) How should I be trained?
(6) What are my resources?
The themes in these questions can be classified in three interrelated phases in pastoral supervision: formative, directional, and continuous education.
The formative phase
Who am I? Knowing one's pastoral identity2 is essential to a supervising pastor. As a senior pastor, Matthew knew who he was. His awareness of his heritage and rich pastoral experience enhanced his position and his function as a pastor.
He believed that he was more of a preacher/teacher than an evangelist. Knowing his gifts of preaching and teaching, he integrated them into his ministry. Such an awareness and self-understanding were a result of his deep knowledge of God. Knowing God and understanding himself influenced his pastoral responsibilities.
Matthew's supervisory leadership resulted in positive support from his associates and his congregation. A senior pastor's aptitude can inspire harmony and create a congenial atmosphere in the pastoral team that permeates the whole congregation.
By setting this kind of example, senior pastors also teach others how to know their strengths and weaknesses. They are free to be vulnerable or to be guarded in promoting learning and growth.3 Their interns and/or associates emulate them, becoming certain about their own pastoral identity, discovering how they may use themselves as "instruments"4 modeled after the supervision practiced by Jesus Himself.
When the disciples were fully aware of who Christ was John 13:3-5), they could serve as He did. When they finally knew who they were, they were filled with the Spirit (Acts 1:6- 22 and 2:1-4). Nicodemus invested his time and talent for the Lord, and the woman of Samaria introduced Christ to her whole town after they knew what sinners they were and what a Savior they had (John 3:1-18; 4:7-42). Knowing oneself along with actually acknowledging Christ as the Master Supervisor is the first step in pastoral supervision.
What is my ministry? Identifying one's true and specific calling in ministry does not come naturally. Years of experience and feedback from seasoned ministers have helped to heighten my awareness of my calling.
Matthew, my senior supervising minister, believed in creative leadership and was inclusive' in his outlook. He visited me personally, respected my ethnic background, and attempted to understand me as a young ministerial graduate. He helped me to identify the untrodden grounds in the formative stage of my career that defined my role and interests.
Senior pastors should believe that "setting boundaries in the workplace" can help their team to grow spiritually.5 They must allocate time to meet the spiritual needs of their interns, organize special programs and retreats so that the interns can reflect on areas of weakness and strength, With God's guidance and a senior pastor's empowerment, interns or associates can grow and perform even what is considered humanly impossible.
Senior pastors play an important role in assisting interns in identifying their gifts in ministry. A competent senior pastor helps them to know what their callings are and empowers them to serve with love. Love is the key to enhancing spirituality, pastoral care, evangelism, family life, and other ministries of each congregation.
The directional phase
Where am I going? A clear sense of mission provides, direction in ministry. Matthew knew where he was going. When he felt convicted to organize his worship services as revival meetings, he was focused and took time to plan according to set strategies. He made announcements in advance and worked out every conceivable detail.
He encouraged pleasant pulpit decorum, giving the glory to God. He was creative and constructive in various aspects of programming. Matthew knew his mission and helped me to develop my own mission statement. My mission at that time was to continue my professional growth and assist him in reviving the church. With this in mind, we prayed for guidance and experienced a revival in the congregation. The Holy Spirit led many in our congregation to baptism.
There is power when a person knows his or her mission clearly.6 Only a clear mission can direct one's pastoral vocation successfully. In order for pastors to know who and what they are and where they are going, they need to set goals and be open to periodic evaluations for personal growth.
Spiritually speaking, mission-driven pastors journey along the path of righteousness, balancing law and grace. They will encounter difficulties, but blessings and reconstructions will come as they set "the image of Christ" to be their highest ambition.7 When pastors possess a sense of mission and a desire to emulate Christ, their churches will grow because there is power in having such a mission, one clearly seen and planned for.
What must I know about relation ships? Supervisory competence consists of intra-relationships and inter-relationships. Recognizing that everyone has his or her shadow side, Matthew and his associates spent time in providing constructive feed back to one another. He believed in "leadership from within."8 Therefore, he encouraged his associates to have a vital relationship with God. Matthew had a rich spiritual experience himself, which was his source of motivation.
BMlding relationships between the senior pastor and the associate begins with both spending time with God.
Such relationships are the source for "love, friendship, mutual respect and trust."9 Then the pastoral team will experience their connections with God, letting warmth and love permeate their congregation.
Continuous education phase
How can I be trained? Pastoral education is a continuous process. The local conference ministerial association has resource materials that outline the biblical principles and professional growth plans that pas tors need. Senior pastors should not hesitate to adopt these programs, and invite feedback from other pastoral educators to evaluate the performance of their pastoral teams.
Matthew expected his pastors to be well prepared for their assignments whether in worship, evangelism, or training. He conducted regular pastoral meetings, both for educational and administrative purposes. Frequently, he shared with me the latest publications and findings in nurture and evangelism. He inculcated the principles of spiritual growth by praying daily and inviting the Holy Spirit to inspire, comfort, and edify.
To equip and train ministerial interns, senior pastors should meet with them at least once a week. Those experienced in pastoral supervision are likely to say that full and effective supervisory responsibility in an institutional setting requires at least 12 hours each week. This includes educational seminars, verbatim analysis, personal consultation, and supervision. In congregational settings, how ever, perhaps four hours a week on the average will do. One hour for educational purposes; another for a group planning; and two for individual work or pastoral function-related consultation between the senior pastor and the intern. A well-organized curriculum, including phases of pastoral ministry and evangelism, will enable senior pastors to help their supervisees to measure their progress.
What are my resources? Spirituality is vital in pastoral supervision. There is no use supervising, teaching, or worshiping without Christ being the center of all our plans and activities. Matthew was creative and spiritual because of his commitment to Christ. Under Matthew's supervisory leader ship, I was encouraged to spend more time with the Lord. His constant prayer for me reminded me how Christ prayed and agonized for His disciples. Matthew prayed constantly for me and our congregation.
The senior pastor's responsible attitude and passion for pastoral ministry will encourage young pastors. God calls senior pastors to model whatever an intern or an associate needs. Some will be particularly helpful with preaching. They will set examples in dynamic preaching and nurturing sermons, and will openly share their "secrets" with their interns. Others may inculcate a caring spirit toward each congregation, loyalty to the church organization, or commitment to weekly pastoral visitation. Whatever their special talents, senior pastors have a responsibility to model the essentials of pastoring and to reflect on these with their associates.
At their heart, the three phases in this paradigm are centered in Christ's method of supervision. Pastoral supervision is a sacred calling responded to by senior ministers who want to men tor younger and/or growing pastors.
Through effective supervision and modeling, senior pastors can contribute to the development of a strong and effective ministry.
* Matthew McNeill is a pseudonym.
1 In Luke 24:17-32, while journeying to Emmaus, Christ asked questions, walked with the disciples, and opened the Scriptures as a means of supervision. As a result, the disciples cherished their heart-warming experience and were empowered to fulfill the gospel commission.
2 E. E. Thornton, "Pastoral Identity," Dictionary of Pastoral Care find Counseling (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1990), 567.
3 Barry K. Estadt, John R. Compton, and Melvin C. Blanchette, eds., "Towards Professional Integration," The Art of Clinical Supervision (Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press, 1987), 7.
4 Darryl J. Tiller, "The Self as Instrument," The Supervision of Pastoral Care (Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1989), 146.
5 Henry Cloud and John Townsend, Boundaries (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1992), 195.
6 Laurie Beth Jones, The Path (New York: Hyperion, 1996), xi.
7 Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1978), 8.
8 Parker J. Palmer, "Leading From Within," Noetic Sciences Review, Winter 1996, 45.
9 Jard DeVille, The Pastor's Handbook on Interpersonal Relationships (Silver Spring, Md.: The Ministerial Assn., 1995), 37.
