| Greetings all, from a weary traveler! I had finished moderating the Swift Creek PC Session and headed home to pick up a suitcase and laptop to go north. I had just merged onto I-95 North and got caught up in slow traffic. For those who travel the I-95 corridor, business as usual. But at 3:00 in the afternoon of a Sunday? Hitting NOVA traffic while still in Richmond is just not fair! My destination was the Bon Secours Conference and Retreat Center in Baltimore, MD, where I attended a training class called “Presbyterian Leadership Formation.” This conference was for mid council leaders new to their positions. We learned of and discussed current best practices and shared our own experiences in our presbyteries to see how we might be better leaders for our member congregations. So, here are a few takeaways from my time there and what will help me in my work here in the James. Lesson One: Every presbytery is different, and every presbytery is the same. Each presbytery has a foundation from the past, and current leaders must build upon/repair that foundation during their terms. Embedded in this work is the knowledge that leaders will come and go, be they professionals or volunteers. Presbyteries must continue not only to function but to improve, and to be the presence that congregations need us to be. Lesson Two: And please, congregations, hear me out on this. Each presbytery, each synod, and even the General Assembly, is there to be a positive impact on the life of each congregation. Do they/we do that well? Sometimes. Presbyterians do not have popes/bishops/presidents; we have committees. Of volunteers. Chosen by congregations. And there are paid staff, including presbyters and stated clerks. But presbyteries truly rely on the talents and skillsets of the laity and clergy at all levels. You may have heard this before, but I want to say it again: The true foundation and strength of our denomination is the individual congregations that dare to belong to and to trust their sister congregations in making viable and sustainable decisions and putting them into practice. In short, you are the presbytery/synod/General Assembly. Lesson Three: “We’re not in Kansas anymore!” A fellow presbyter who serves in Kansas shared their experiences several times. This presbytery had about forty small rural congregations. They do some things differently out there. But they face the same challenges as we do here – membership in flux, finances in flux, communities in flux; as well as some good things, also in flux. What makes being Presbyterian in a setting like that is the very congregations of the presbytery, warts and all, who are still seeking longevity. So, maybe we are in Kansas after all. Lesson Four: The above lessons are learned by trial and error. Thankfully, this happens in a community that bases its outlook on traits such as Love, Hope, Grace, Compassion, Forgiveness, Resurrection and such. It means we are capable of great acts when we trust the One who has truly called us to be where and who we are. Thank you, Presbytery of the James, for granting me time to be away. Oh, yeah, I-95 Southbound was its usual, cantankerous self on Friday! Kerry |
“Maybe We’re in Kansas After All” – Rev. Kerry Reflects on Recent Leadership Conference
