Hi, My Name Is

Who We Are as Children of God and as Spiritual Beings; Less about Accolades and Accomplishments

"Good evening! This is your new pastor, and his name is Reverend Marvin Moss."

These were the words spoken by my district superintendent as he introduced me to the members of the Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committee of my first appointment on June 16, 1999. This nine-member committee represents the human resources arm of The United Methodist Church at the local level. I was thirty-six years old and excited to be assuming the position of senior pastor.

The introduction is an extremely significant part of a leadership transition. The only thing more important than the introduction itself is the person who is conducting it. The existing community is more apt to receive the idea of new leadership favorably if the person who is doing the introduction holds some position of accepted authority within the group. I say "accepted" because this means the person has developed enough social capital and earned the respect of the members on such a level that they trust his or her decision to introduce someone new. If the person who is introducing the new leader does not have a good rapport with the existing community, then this immediately positions the new leader in a negative light, despite the new leader possibly having a good track record of accolades and accomplishments. The person who is doing the introduction also needs to be someone who can represent the new leader well. How often have we witnessed the immediate dismissal of campaign managers and other high-level participants of a political party when they have done or said something that did not positively reflect the character of the individual who was running for a particular office?

All too often a new leader may believe that personal accolades and accomplishments, résumés, and report cards will ensure a smooth transition. Far from it. The introduction initiates the process for the new leader to demonstrate a level of emotional attachment when going into a new community. It is through this emotional attachment that possibilities will be opened for the existing members to feel, rather than read about, who the new leader is.

After the district superintendent's introduction, I quickly realized that just because he had introduced me as the new pastor and put the title reverend in front of my name, I was not automatically home free. I had some work to do on my personal introduction before the congregation embraced me as its trusted new leader. This congregation had a strong sense of family, and the members had prepared themselves to endure yet another leadership change. They all seemed to have the same question about me: "Who is this inexperienced unknown who's trying to become a part of our family?"

While it sounds a bit harsh, their wariness was actually quite normal. Every congregation goes through a range of emotions when there is a leadership change. Depending upon the level of the relationship between the membership and the previous leader, the incoming leader must first be prepared to focus more on getting a good read of the membership than on establishing a position of control and authority. Getting a good read refers to accurately assessing the different factors that come together to make up the existing membership or community. While a myriad of dynamics exist, some of the more weighty ones may include personality types, median age of the group, communal values, and level of emotional attachment to certain historical aspects of the church's existence. Many memberships are unable to embrace any type of change because of an entrenchment in the way things have always been done.

At my initial meeting with the aforementioned Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, I was greeted with blank stares. This meeting was conducted by a subset of individuals who spoke for the larger congregation. I knew the members had my bio and the district superintendent had given me a good introduction, but they didn't know me on a professional, personal, or pastoral level. I told them that, as part of our getting to know each other, I wanted to hear from each of them. I went around the room and listened to what they had to say. Doing this allowed me to hear what was important to them individually and let them know I was a person who would stop to listen to them. That initial meeting afforded me the opportunity to break the ice, calm the members' concerns, and begin to build a relationship. They were not really concerned with who I was; they were more concerned with what I was going to change and what they would have to give up.

Who Am I? Why Am I Here?

Beginning a new assignment is a daunting experience. Try stepping into the footsteps of a longtime leader, and you can easily be overcome with doubt. To truly be able to walk faithfully into the new position, you must remind yourself that God has called you into this leadership. You must let those you will lead know from the beginning that you are committed to creating a positive atmosphere and that you are also a listener. During the 1992 presidential campaign, Admiral James Stockdale, the running mate of candidate Ross Perot, appeared in the televised vice-presidential debate. He shocked the audience and later became the focus of comedic commentary and historical political humor when he began his opening remarks with the questions: "Who am I? Why am I here?" For many transitional leaders, this question, while initially amusing, is one that needs to be examined.

Who am I, and why am I here? Not only is it important for the congregation to know who you are, but it must also understand clearly why you are there. The who and why must parallel each other to the degree that the authenticity of your person is exhibited through your motive. For instance, the person who is motivated simply by position, power, prestige, or money will not exhibit the level of compassion, integrity, and genuine concern that needs to be in evidence to create a cohesive community. When the disciples were called into action, they had to leave their main source of income: "They immediately left their nets and followed Him." (Mark 1:18 NKJV). This particular passage of scripture helps us understand that leadership should emanate from a sincere desire to serve humanity rather than solely from the pursuit of dollars and cents.

In Exodus 3:11 Moses asks God the question, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" In Exodus 3:13 Moses asks another question: "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God responds to Moses in the next verse, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the...