tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post6442446887227281124..comments2024-03-29T04:31:15.219-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: Who can be a bishop?Pastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-30717045508473100672012-12-19T08:58:01.064-06:002012-12-19T08:58:01.064-06:00If we expect the DPs to serve as teachers as well ... <i>If we expect the DPs to serve as teachers as well as Pastors, theologians as well as administrators, perhaps we should expect something more than competence and more in the area of real aptitude and gift. You tell me if I am out of line..."</i><br /><br />I am trying to reconcile this idea with this former post.<br /><br /><i>When we talk about why some men are Pastors..., the discussion inevitably goes to talent or ability -- as if Pastors were born and the job of the Church were merely to recognize those who possessed the requisite abilities or talent for pastoring. But the Church is not running an American Idol or America's Got Talent competition. This isn't a talent show.... It is not as simple as can this man... do the job. Would that it would be such an easy thing to discern -- ability.</i><br /><br />http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2012/06/this-isnt-talent-show.html<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-7678131926697893392012-12-19T04:16:26.640-06:002012-12-19T04:16:26.640-06:00"Evan-jello-calism." Love it, love it, L..."Evan-jello-calism." Love it, love it, LOVE it! And I am SO going to use it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-8762922229654428812012-12-18T21:28:58.715-06:002012-12-18T21:28:58.715-06:00If the DP isn't in the parish... what shapes h...If the DP isn't in the parish... what shapes how they view things?<br /><br />True. Ask any public school teacher if the administrators that have been out of the classroom longer than 4 years can still understand teaching from a classroom teacher's perspective.<br /><br />Why can't the LCMS adopt a structure similar to the WELS? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-78305310788527814082012-12-18T15:21:51.608-06:002012-12-18T15:21:51.608-06:00District Presidents and even the President of the ...<i>District Presidents and even the President of the synod are NOT bishops</i><br /><br />I am not so sure that this is true. The Constitution of the Synod defines the principal duty of the Synod President and the District Presidents as "ecclesiastical supervision." This means that the DP is to supervise the teaching and practice of the pastors and the congregations in the district, to provide guidance, advice, and (where necessary) admonition and correction of heterodox teaching and practice.<br /><br />That sounds pretty close to the function of a bishop in Church bodies having an episcopal polity.Chris Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03220498656377282715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-75321613504458491872012-12-18T08:02:16.007-06:002012-12-18T08:02:16.007-06:00Coming from Evan-jello-calism, I haven't got t...Coming from Evan-jello-calism, I haven't got the lifelong view of Lutheran polity (vastly different, and yet in some ways the same as Baptist).<br /><br />I came from a world of elected convention presidents. They generally were administrative policy makers. Arguments over theology (if there was one) usually took the back seat over monetary-related policies. Theology was less likely to be a concern than social issues.<br /><br />I think this is a symptom of the American disease - pragmatism. William James did us no service. As long as people see themselves as "rugged individuals" instead of a brick in the building (St. Paul's analogy) this will be a problem. The pragmatic will win over the pastoral until American Christians are less worried over cash value than the cure of souls.Janis Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02947508427040251166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-17049466435078071342012-12-18T07:46:13.549-06:002012-12-18T07:46:13.549-06:00District Presidents and even the President of the ...District Presidents and even the President of the synod are NOT bishops; they are administrators. Lutherans have been particularly guilty of divorcing spiritual/pastoral care from administration. I know the current President of the Synod is trying to rectify that.<br /><br />But, consider this: The term President in of itself implies bureaucratic leader. It is something voted upon by delegates who may themselves may not be well catechized. As a result, campaigns are focused more on directions of the synod, much like a business model, and less talk and action about the Church. Changing the term President to Bishop will not solve the problem, I grant. But, maybe it would force the Lutheran church to think that pastoral care is more important than administrative abilities for its leaders.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08038508116670615703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-21789261533907344732012-12-18T07:00:13.768-06:002012-12-18T07:00:13.768-06:00I think the bigger problem is that we have DPs who...I think the bigger problem is that we have DPs who are administrators and not really parish pastors anymore (my Oklahoma and one or two other districts being exceptions). The District President ceases to be the first pastor amongst the pastors, but rather becomes something else.<br /><br />I'm a circuit counselor - I have duties, but I'm still expected to be first and foremost a pastor, to be immersed in Scriptures and preaching and pastoral care - which shapes how I view even my duties as a CC. If the DP isn't in the parish... what shapes how they view things?<br /><br />We probably need to figure out what we want the District Presidents to be -- and if they are going to be anything other than just a pastor who happens to also have extra responsibilities to the district, when we probably should establish criteria that fit that office which we have created. Of course, I would that every district were like Oklahoma... but oh well.Rev. Eric J Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17747919365522145094noreply@blogger.com