Stewardship AdvocatesTM

Work “On” Your Parish –Not just “In” Your Parish

You work long hours in your parish withendless tasks – writing,serving, visiting, teaching, counseling, meetings, etc.

Working  and working “in” the parish, you wonder if there is another way, perhaps a better way to engender change.

How about working “on” the parish as well as “in” the parish?

Working “in” a parish affords a close‐up micro‐view of parish life on a task bytask basis. Though indispensable to parish development, utilizing only this viewis commonly narrow and myopic.Working “on” a parish as well as “in” a parish affords a global macro‐view. This isaccomplished mainly through envisioning, utilizing parish intelligence, strategicplanning and the application of professional management theory and skills tothe parish as a nonprofit entity – things not taught in the seminary.

Working “On” not just “In” a Parish

Common Parish Priest or Executive Challenges• Assuming that performing “technical” priestly tasks is sufficient for leadership.

• Working too hard and receiving too little reward (please self‐define “reward”.)

• Not understanding that  priests should shape a parish in such a way that it nurtures them and their families. Sustained nurturing needs to be mutual.

• Being so busy with the “technical” tasks of priestly ministry that no time or plan exists to reconfigure ministry for greater effectiveness.

• Not knowing where to find the most probable new member or family.

• Not evaluating the impact that present leadership, management, programs and services have on parishioners.

• Longing for a transfigured parish but lacking the knowledge, tools and resources to facilitate the transformation, according to God’s will.

• Frustrated by parish councils that are personality‐driven rather than mission‐and information‐driven.

• A chronically low (and sometimes quite high) level of managerial chaos.

• Abandoning or delegating finances and fundraising to others because it is so emotional uncomfortable.

The Fatal Assumption

“Since I know how to perform the “technical” aspects of priestly ministry, I probably also know, or don’t need to know, how to envision, lead, manage and develop the nonprofit organization called a parish.”

Note: technical priestly tasks and effective leadership and management of the nonprofit organization that is called a parish are two very, very different things.

What Wasn’t Taught at Seminary

• How to envision• How to lead• How to develop• How to manage• How to fund• How to strategically plan• How to innovate (not an Orthodox‐friendly word) • How to build a leadership team• How to personally thrive in often self‐depleting work• How to have difficult but necessary conversations• The vital necessity of asking

(and probably couldn’t be learned until fiery immersion into parish service)

Priest

Visionary2% of time

Manager8% of time

Technician90% of time

Dreamer/InnovatorSeeks control

Sees opportunities Thrives on changeLives in the future

“I wonder…”

The Realist/OrganizerSeeks orderSees problemsThrives on status quoLives in the past“That’s the way we’ve

always done it.”

The Doer/WorkaholicSeeks tasksSees workThrives on “getting it done”Lives in the present“I’m too busy to do itdifferently.”

Three Modes of Priestly Activity with Typical Time Allocation

Priest

Visionary2% ‐>10%

Manager8% ‐>10%

Technician90%‐>80%

Time Allocation Reconfigured for Leadership Effectiveness(Note: the larger the parish the less time should be given to technical tasks by the senior priest)

\ ãÉÇwxÜ „ à{x ä|àtÄ tÇw ÉyàxÇ ÇxzÄxvàxw {ÉÄç àtá~ Éy t ÑÜ|xáà

If the priest does notenvision the future ofhis parish, then whowill?

When serving a parish it is of paramount importance to develop oneself as a leader.

Effective Leadership is Comprised of Two Elements:

Character and Competence

Without integrity, all the competency in the worldwill not result in effective leadership. Parishionerswill not follow the priest because they fear eventualdisappointment or exploitation.

Character

The vast majority of priests have integrity, character and ahigh degree of technical proficiency regarding priestly tasks.However, without credible leadership and managerialcompetency, parishioners have difficulty following him.Parishioners think: he’s a wonderful man but he doesn’tknow what he’s doing or how to do it.

Competence

We can help with leadership andmanagerial competency but regardingcharacter, you’re on your own with God,the saints, your bishop, spiritual father,wife and the believing community!

Ordained Bastille Day 1974; 38 years a priest; four parishes served; B.A., M.Div., plus 30 courses of study in nonprofit institutional development;12 years serving as Vice Chancellor of Advancement at St. Vladimir's Seminary; 15 years as consultant to well over 100 Orthodox parishes and organizations; author and editor of Good and Faithful Servant: Stewardship in the Orthodox Church. 

In June 2012, at his own request, Anthony was honorably returned to the ranks of the laity in order to receive the sacrament of holy matrimony. 

Anthony L. Scott

The Principal of Stewardship Advocates

Contact Information

phone/text: 347.831.1848email: orthodoxconsultant@gmail.comwebsite: www.stewardshipadvocates.orgfacebook.com/stewardshipadvocatesfacebook.com/anthonyscottsatwitter.com/stadvocateslinkedin.com/in/anthonylscottpinterest.com/anthonylscott/slideshare.net/anthonyscottsanewsletter: http://www.stewardshipadvocates.org/