The Power of Stories: A Guide for Leading Multi-Racial and Multi-Cultural Congregations - Softcover

Lewis, Jacqueline J

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0687650690 ISBN 13: 9780687650699

Verlag: Abingdon Press, 2008

Inhaltsangabe

Most congregational leaders find it difficult to resist the dominant cultural expectation that different cultural and ethnic groups should stick to themselves–especially when it comes to church. But some congregational leaders have learned the secrets of breaking out of these expectations to bring together communities of faith that model God’s radical inclusiveness.What makes the difference? Jacqui Lewis explains that it resides in the stories these leaders tell: stories about who they themselves are, and what the communities they lead are about. These leaders are able to embrace the multiple, complex stories within these diverse communities, hearing in the many voices a particular echo of the living voice of the gospel. In this book Lewis shares with the reader examples of congregational leaders who have successfully overcome the challenges of leading multicultural congregations, and the lessons that can be learned from them.

Über diesen Titel

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

The Power of Stories

A Guide for Leading Multi-Racial and Multi-Cultural CongregationsBy Jacqueline J. Lewis

Abingdon Press

Copyright © 2008 The United Methodist Publishing House
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-687-65069-9

Chapter One

STORIES AND LIVING TEXTS

INTRODUCTION

From the first century, the church's mission has been to be the Body of Christ in the world. As such, we are called to be peacemakers; to break down the dividing walls of hostility, suspicion, fear, and prejudice; and to rehearse the reign of God on earth in our communities each day. Yet studies show that over 90 percent of American Christians worship in congregations in which 90 percent or more of the congregants there are like them (Chaves, 1999). Why is this true? In an increasingly multicultural America, and in an ever-shrinking global community, how can the church do ministry on this new religious frontier?

I am convinced that this is a question of leadership. Prophetic, purposeful, visionary leadership by courageous, compassionate, convicted leaders can grow and sustain congregations that reflect the rich diversity of God's reign. Leaders can, through their preaching, teaching, and developing other leaders, story a compelling vision in which cultural diversity is an ethical and moral imperative in the present, not a heaven-bound hope for the future. Although it is true that less than 5 percent of the three hundred thousand Christian congregations in America are intentionally multiracial and multicultural, I believe that each one of them is a pocket of the promise of the soon-coming realm of God (DeYoung et al., 2003). The promise is compelling, and working to tear down racial and cultural segregation in America is a moral imperative for the church. The civil rights movement of the twentieth century was launched by congregational leaders; moral conviction and visionary leadership were keys to their success. Even in the face of counterstories in our culture that suggest acceptance of the status quo, congregational leaders can develop and sustain culturally diverse communities that reflect a vision of the peaceable realm. The testimony and witness from stories of leaders on this new religious border can help us all learn to embrace more effectively the diversity in our midst and to teach our congregants to do the same. This book will share those stories and give you some very practical help to plan and execute this prophetic and purposeful work. It will also help you train other leaders in your context; clergy and laity must do this together.

What can we learn from the stories of clergy who are successfully leading multiracial and multicultural congregations? How did they develop as leaders, and what does that teach us about leadership development? What can their stories tell us about the formation of culturally diverse faith communities of our own? Along with the commitment to proclaim the good news, what other capacities do leaders need in order to help congregations live out an ethic of love and welcoming that creates one family of God? Since real leadership means developing other leaders in a system, how do we preach, teach, plan worship, and develop leaders along the way? These are the questions this book will address.

These questions took me to several congregations in search of a model. Middle Collegiate Church in Manhattan caught my imagination. It was Easter Sunday morning, and a jazz quintet was playing on the steps outside before I walked in. Once inside, a multiracial staff in red silk robes greeted me with warmth; several laypeople greeted me as well. The people were spectacular in their diversity; they truly represented the reign of God. There were senior citizens and children; blacks, whites, Asians, and Latinos; couples and families of all configurations, including interfaith couples. The music was outstanding! And there was dance and puppets! The pastor, Gordon Dragt, had agreed to let me study him and his congregation. How did this middle-aged white guy from Michigan hold together such diversity? How did people feel so welcomed, and what made them stay? Gordon and Middle Church, along with four other leaders and their congregations, let me study their stories for my doctoral work; in this book, you will study them as well. I will share what I learned from the clergy and congregations in my study, from my consulting practice at the Alban Institute, and from reading for this project. I will also share what I am now putting into practice in my ministry.

One of the things I learned is that leaders of multiracial and multicultural congregations seem to have in common some aspects of identity, formed by certain environmental, social, and psychological factors, which make them resistant to the dominant culture's views on openness and diversity. They are able to be empathic, to fully welcome the other, to hold together cultural diversity, to manage the conflict and change issues that often accompany difference, and to help others do the same. They celebrate and embody the church's multicultural and multiracial mission. We will spend some time analyzing their identity development because I think there are implications in it for developing the leadership capacities needed in culturally diverse congregations. Leaders can be taught to lead, so we will discuss implications for your own leadership, and for other leaders in your context as well.

This is a narrative analysis, with stories and storytelling at the core, because people of faith are people of texts. As such, along with texts from psychology, sociology, congregational development, ethics, leadership studies, and literary criticism, I studied living texts—leaders and congregations. I used the interdisciplinary sources above to exegete, or make meaning, of the living texts. It was fascinating to find wisdom across disciplines that could be applied to leadership in congregations. I learned so much from this work, and you will too! When you are finished with it, you will have

1. Explored the identity stories of five clergy leaders, along with the development of their ethics and vision for multicultural and multiracial ministries. We will specifically explore the ethics of welcome, conflict, truth telling, border crossing, and social justice. How did these leaders get to be who they are? What can we learn from their journeys in terms of developing leadership in emerging multiracial and multicultural contexts?

2. Explored the leadership capacities necessary for envisioning and sustaining culturally diverse communities and coauthoring the vision with congregants. How have these leaders managed holding together cultural diversity? How have these leaders navigated the cultural borders in their contexts?

3. Created a map to explore your own identity, your awareness of self and other, and your leadership style. How did you get to be you? What gifts and passions do you already have for this work, and what capacities do you need to develop?

4. Explored best practices and received practical tools for prophetic preaching, purposeful teaching and planning, and developing leaders in your context. You will also have explored tools for managing conflict, change, and growth. Wherever you are in the process, what else besides God's power do you need to do now to create your own culturally diverse community?

Before we exegete the stories of these leaders and their...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Abingdon Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2008
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0687650690
• ISBN 13: 9780687650699
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 160
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar