The meek ambassador: pastoral power and Christian leadership

ABSTRACT

The power granted to persons in Christian pastoral leadership is delegated for benevolent exercise. Yet with this power may also come the temptation to exercise power in self-interest. In this paper, we explore the image of the ambassador, as a means of providing moral vision for the exercise of pastoral power. An ambassador works collaboratively with other emissaries in order to faithfully convey messages from a sender. We suggest this image affords those entrusted with pastoral power, a measure of meekness in their work. The pastor/ambassador, as one who communicates divine messages, is also one who conveys the truth. We further suggest that a meek character might be fostered by making space for truth to be spoken. When persons allow what is true to be spoken, individuals meet one another as equals. As an image of collaborative labour, the ambassador is one who both leads, and is led.

KEYWORDS:

• Meekness
• pastoral leadership
• power
• ambassador
• care

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 While not within the immediate scope of this paper, we wish to note that friendship is one way persons in pastoral roles might find healthy sources of emotional nourishment (see McKnight 2019, 31–56).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Chris D. Clements

Chris D. Clements, Ph.D., is a faculty member in youth work at Columbia Bible College. He previously served as the Youth and Discipleship Pastor at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, in Ontario Canada.

Peter Bush

Peter Bush, MA, M.Div., is the Teaching Elder (pastor) at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, in Fergus, Ontario, Canada. He served as the moderator of the General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada in 2017. His research interests have centered on congregational ministry practice.