Welcome to Marcuson’s Church Leadership Blog, a blog about how church leaders sustain themselves through the ups and downs of congregational life. Long-term leadership is what makes a difference for congregations–but how do you get there, when the day-to-day and year-to-year stresses of leading a church can wear you out? Edwin Friedman said, “Stress comes less from overwork than from taking responsibility for the problems of others.” How do clergy and other congregational leaders take responsibility for themselves, get clear about their goals and direction, and maintain strong connections with those they lead? This is the key to success in congregational life. This blog will include my own reflections on leadership, thoughts from congregational and wider church leaders, and other leaders of interest, and your input on your experiences as leaders in a variety of denominational, geographic and demographic settings. Thanks for reading!
IGalindo
I’m glad to see your blog up and running! Looking forward to it!
–IG
Rebecca Maccini
This is a great idea for a blog. I think that one of the most challenging parts of ministry is figuring out what are my responsibilities and what are the congregation’s. Responsibility and accountability often seem to get murky in a church setting. Congregations set up external protocols and policies to figure what is what; however, I have seen powerful emotional forces in churches run rough shod over policies. I am more and more convinced that as pastors, we need to get as clear as possible as to where we are headed and what our job is so that we are less likely to be drawn into or toward the complaints/criticisms and expectations that come our way from individual members of the congregations or the various committees and councils.