Illustration by Katie Martin.
When Brian graduated from seminary, his first pastoral call was for the position of associate rather than assistant pastor at Trinity Church. He wondered why he was offered this higher status. Two months later, influential board members invited the senior pastor to lunch. They “asked” him to resign, offering a generous severance. If he did not, they were prepared to call a congregational meeting and demand his resignation. By the end of that day, the board had his resignation, and Brian discovered he was now the interim senior pastor. Wasn’t it convenient that, as associate pastor, he was already a voting member of the Session and could immediately assume these responsibilities? “What have I gotten myself into?” he asked himself.
What do you think of when you hear the word “politics”?
Many associate it with underhanded backroom deals like the story above. However, as Kevin DeYoung points out, “Insofar as politics touches on human government, human nature, human flourishing, ethics, law, rights, duties, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, Christianity will be — in the ultimate sense — inescapably political.”
What is the essence of the word “politics”? In our book “The Politics of Ministry,” Donald Guthrie, Tasha Chapman and I suggest that in its most basic sense, politics is what happens whenever one uses their capacity to act or influence in order to negotiate their interests. So, whether it is a baby crying for milk, a crossing guard stopping traffic, or a couple wondering what concert to attend — each is “doing politics.” Why? Because the baby wants to eat, so she uses her capacity (lungs!) to let her parents know it. And the crossing guard wants to keep everyone safe, so he uses his official capacity to stop the traffic. And the couple wants to enjoy quality music, so they consider performances by favorite artists. When everyone agrees, collaboration happens. But we all know it’s not always that easy.
With this understanding, we can see that politics happens all the time in the church. Everyone in the congregation, from the first-time visitor to the longstanding member, has interests. And these interests are regularly negotiated with whatever capacity people have to act or to influence others. Take one “simple” example: worship music. What are your preferences in this area: Choir? Organ? Drums and guitars? Are there any differences of opinion in your church? How are they expressed? As a friend once put it, “Wherever two or three are gathered together in Jesus’ name, there are politics!”
First, Understand Interests
So, what are our interests? Interests are what we care about. They are our deep-seated values, goals, and beliefs. Jonathan Edwards once said that the human will always choose according to its strongest inclination at the moment. These choices reflect our interests.
You can see interests expressed around the dinner table, in a congregational meeting, or on the floor of Presbytery or General Assembly. People express their convictions on a continuum from calm moderation to emotional passion.
Politics is what happens whenever one uses their capacity to act or influence in order to negotiate their interests.
Sometimes interests sit in the back of our consciousness, strongly yet secretly influencing our opinions and decisions. Other times we are very aware of our concerns. Mindful of them or not, people will work hard to make sure their interests are reflected both in their lives and in the world.
How are interests formed? It would be nice if they sprang solely from our understanding of the Scriptures. As Presbyterians, we believe God requires us to obey His revealed will (Westminster Shorter Catechism #3, 39). And we yearn to do so! But as Kevin DeYoung explains, “By virtue of our upbringing, our experiences, our hurts, our personalities, our gifts, and our fears, we gravitate toward certain explanations and often think in familiar patterns when it comes to the most complicated and controversial issues.” These explanations and patterns reflect our interests — the way we think the world ought to be.
When we bring our interests into the church, what happens? The joys of serving Jesus are often reflected in cooperation and agreement. But serving Jesus can also be mingled with disagreements and uncertainty, if not bitter and painful disappointments and conflicts. The process of managing differing interests between people can be complicated, unpredictable, and emotionally taxing.
Next, Identify Interests
Before we assert our convictions, it is important to identify our own interests and seek to understand the interests of others. This helps us clarify our opinions and understand where others are coming from (see Philippians 2:3-4).
Clearly there are significant theological differences among what Frances Schaeffer called “true Christian brothers.” It is beyond the scope of this article to explore these nuances. Most byFaith readers see how these theological convictions divide believers into different denominational camps. But we need to understand that other types of interests can just as powerfully lead to polarization. More often than not, these interests can be categorized into three areas: personal, organizational, and cultural/contextual interests.
Personal interests: Personal interests stem largely from one’s background and personality. There are a number of tools that can help us identify these interests in ourselves and others. Here I will mention three of them. First, some have found that taking time to reflect on their family background has exposed personal tendencies. One pastor I worked with was increasingly dogged by a lack of energy and the inability to concentrate. Reflecting on his past, he remembered that at age 10, his family was abandoned by their father and he was expected to become the “man of the house.” His response was a hyper-vigilance that continued until he was diagnosed with clinical depression at age 60. Now he is learning how to relax and recognize that he does not have to shoulder the burden for everything by himself.
Second, many have used personality profiles to unearth their personal interests. Some do not like to be labeled by these tools — but others have found they provide a deeper appreciation for the differences of perspectives and values between themselves and others. I think of one pastor who was often self-critical, deriding himself as a “people-pleaser.” By taking a profile he learned that his concern for others was both a common strength and corresponding struggle for his personality. Now he appreciates this characteristic in himself, but is also mindful not to over-function in his desire to please others.
Finally, I have many friends who have developed the habit of journaling to uncover and name their personal interests. They take time to record insights gleaned from conversations and experiences and then interview themselves, asking questions like, “Why is this so important to me?” and “Why do I feel so strongly about that?”
Organizational Interests: Organizations, such as churches and presbyteries, also have interests that need to be recognized. Some of them are seen in formal core value statements, policy manuals, and organization charts. Many others are found in relational, unwritten rules of behavior that are learned over time.
I know of a pastor who, after being called to a new church, went fishing with one of the elders a few weeks after his arrival. In casual conversation, he asked, “Has our congregation ever rotated elders using term limits for serving on Session?” The elder’s response? “Oh, we don’t rotate elders; we rotate pastors.” The elder clearly communicated his interests in the matter!
Each of us should take time to learn about our organization rather than assuming we understand it. By entering conversation with others, we can confirm or modify our conclusions. Having served in six different presbyteries and spoken in others, I have observed that each one reflected unique organizational interests. I know of presbyteries that will drop a pastor from his role if he has gone two years without a pastoral call, while others will let their pastors without call stay in their roles indefinitely.
Cultural/Contextual interests: The broader culture and the unique issues facing particular times and places also influence the interests of people and organizations. Jesus faced cultural norms when the woman at the well asked him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” I recently became aware of contextual interests facing two PCA congregations: one on the West Coast and the other in the Southeastern U.S. While these churches hold the same doctrinal positions, the societal issues they addressed were dramatically different. One ministers in a culture pushing radical gender paradigms while the other supports a community recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Ian.
We also can see cultural and contextual interests reflected in different denominations. Last year I participated in a worship event of a local Anglican congregation. I was struck by our theological similarities in contrast with our liturgical differences. But then I remembered two other congregations — one, a PCA church that utilizes many of the liturgical preferences I observed with my Anglican friends; and the other, an Anglican church whose worship format looked more like many PCA congregations. These differences illustrate how personal, organizational, and cultural/contextual interests can intermingle to create unique ministry environments.
Then Comes Negotiation
How and why does politics shape families, churches, presbyteries, and denominations? Because we enter these relational contexts with our interests. And we promote our interests — consciously or unconsciously — with whatever resources we have available. As a result, we find ourselves in negotiation: discussing matters over the dinner table; expressing viewpoints and disagreements in congregational meetings; debating and voting on motions at presbytery or General Assembly.
Why does politics shape families, churches, presbyteries, and denominations? Because we enter these relational contexts with our interests. And we promote our interests.
And, like the proverbial birds of a feather, people begin to gather together around similar interests. We create informal and formal networks of the “like-minded” who, by their votes, affect direction and policy. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose.
For example, in New Testament times the Pharisees and Herodians despised each other. But in Mark 3, after Jesus healed the man with the withered hand, these polarized groups came together to discuss how they might destroy him. Throughout the rest of that gospel, we see these men asking questions, plotting and scheming, and joining with others, all with the intent of getting rid of Jesus.
Most ministries hold harmony and unity as high values. So negotiations often happen in quiet consensus. However, in many contexts there are differences among the stakeholders. How these differences are negotiated has a significant impact on the outcomes of the ministry. This is especially important when interests conflict, perspectives differ, and the capacity to act and influence is unequal.
Not Just What, But How
How we negotiate our interests by using our resources to act and influence makes all the difference. For it is not just what we get done, but how we get done what gets done that reflects the deepest core of our faith. As Francis Schaeffer once said, “We are to love all true Christian brothers in a way that the world may observe. This means showing love to our brothers in the midst of our differences — great or small — loving our brothers when it costs us something, loving them even under times of tremendous emotional tension, loving them in a way the world can see.”
So how does politics hone our beliefs? How does it strengthen, weaken, or correct our positions? Again, a comment by Kevin DeYoung is helpful. He says, “[What impacts us] is more broadly our different instincts and sensibilities, our divergent fears and suspicions, our various intellectual and cultural inclinations. Yes, there are important theological disagreements too, and these demand the best attention of our heads and hearts. But in many instances, people who can affirm the same doctrinal commitments on paper are miles apart in their posture and practice.”
I recall a time when a new pastor was brought on a staff team. From his very first staff meeting, this well-meaning brother shared his opinions and perspectives on every matter facing the church. The fact that he had qualifying degrees, ordination, and past ministry experience didn’t mean he understood the ethos of this new congregation or the culture of the broader community. Consequently he couldn’t understand why he experienced such gracious but firm push-back to all of his suggestions. While he shared the same theological convictions of the Session and staff, he inserted new and conflicting interests without relationship capital.
Ministry takes place in complicated systems of human relationships. Jesus described the Christian life as an uneasy tension between humility and shrewdness in working with people. He told his disciples, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Ministry happens in the context of relationships. The capacity to act and influence others is largely a result of the history, strength, and health of the relationships we have in the church and community. Adding to this complexity is that ministry relationships develop between people in both informal and formal contexts.
Informally, we get to know one another by hanging out together, be it in the church nursery, on the golf course, or in a myriad of other situations. Sometimes these relationships just “click.” Other times, it takes shared experiences over a long stretch to begin trusting one another.
Formal relationships are structured more by the organizational contexts where we work and worship. They tend to be defined by positions and hierarchical frameworks. I remember one senior pastor confiding in me, “I know my relationship with church staff is different than what they have with one another. I don’t like it, but I’m their boss and it comes with the territory.”
Relationships — whether formal or informal — set the framework establishing our ability to get things done. In developing them it is important to be intentional both to be genuinely interested in others and to get the results we desire. As a mentor once put it, “You’ve got to earn the right to be heard.”
Choosing Grace
Jesus prayed for unity among believers and taught Christians to love one another. Paul exhorted Christians to live and work in unity together (e.g., John 13:34-35; Ephesians 3:14-21). Yet the book of Acts and the Epistles reveal that conflict does happen between Christians.
We glorify God by loving Him and responding to God’s love with our obedience to Him. However, even while seeking to do the will of God together with other believers, people still have different interests. And they usually join with others who hold similar interests to promote their agendas. The way we work out the themes of politics individually and together — negotiating interests by exercising our capacity to act and influence — should always reflect our practice of biblical convictions.
As Steve Garber put it, “When we choose against grace, we choose for an eye-for-an-eye, committing ourselves to the survival of the fittest. The jungle works that way, but that is a world and worldview away from how most of us want to live — how most of us need to live.” And I would add, how Jesus has called us to live.
For anyone interested in exploring these ideas further, see “The Politics of Ministry” by Bob Burns, Tasha D. Chapman, and Donald C. Guthrie (IVP).
Bob Burns is spiritual formation pastor at Church of the Good Shepherd in Durham, North Carolina.