I read the seminarian's blogs, and I applaud their efforts to define a personal theology, to come to grips with a Unitarian Universalist identity, to develop skills, and to find their unique preaching voices. All of these are essential, and I feel confident that these writers will have wonderful ministries.
But there is one little thing I would like to add to the conversation. The society in which Unitarian Universalists do ministry is very stressful, and the social support systems for most people in our society are weak or non existent. Churches are places where people come who need help, and some of these needy people present "mental health" problems. In many of our churches as many of a quarter of the membership is clinically depressed, and a significant number will tell you that they are "borderline." Narcissism is our most common character disorder and it can present as a "right to express myself" with demands and tantrums. Narcissism denied takes the form of long term antagonism. Other clergy will point out that I haven't even mentioned passive aggressive styles among board members, and burnout among volunteers.
Many Unitarian Universalist parish ministers spend considerable time and energy doing pastoral care with people whose problems are complex and long lasting. Within a few years of parish ministry you will be called on to do a memorial service for a congregant who has committed suicide, and deal with person who is a perpetual disrupter and antagonist. You will experience members of your congregation who divorce and come to church and have fights at joys and sorrows. Or you may have the visitor who is carrying a weapon, or who makes unwanted sexual advances at other visitors or members, or who becomes so enraged by your sermon that (s)he threatens you with violence. All these events, and many others I have experienced and these and many others have been experienced by other ministers as well.
So what does this have to do ministerial formation?
Well there is the spiritual preparation. If you are dependent on the members of your congregation for support, or if you need their approval to do effective ministry you will be disappointed. Developing a strong sense of your pastoral self requires a few years of practice in ministry, but it begins with spiritual disciplines such as prayer, journaling and mediation and those can be formed in seminary.
You can't have too many units of Clinical Pastoral Education. One is required, but I would recommend a second unit. Or a field work experience in a mental health facility, or crisis center. Doing some "ministry with youth" is another good place to pick up some experience with yourself working with people in crisis. I am not sure that interns get as much experience with "themselves as pastor" while working with difficult people. It is hard to convey the radical difference between "being a pastor" and being a friend, social worker, youth worker, and even an intern. The transference that you will receive as a "spiritual leader" is powerful, potentially transformative, and also potentially demonic. Reflecting in evaluation forms on the process of becoming aware of "yourself as pastor" becomes a cliché after awhile, but will be a matter of professional survival when you become the object of everyones projections of what a person of God should do (for them.)
Courses in pastoral psychology are useful, but not not as helpful as clinical experience. And learning to work with "colleagues" is essential. I have tried to create a support group of other ministers who discuss pastoral care concerns several times. They usually last two or three years and then we need to reconstitute them. (Ministers move, so a group of six colleagues will have turnover in three years.) But they are invaluable, for the moral support, as a means of self care, and as way of gaining perspective on some very demanding pastoral situations.
Ministry formation is both a matter of head and heart. My maxim is from a back country Palestinian rabbi. "See, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Be then as wise as snakes, and as gentle as doves." Matthew 10.16
Overcoming colonialism through faith and action.
Clyde - I'd love to hear more about these sort of specific and 'stressful' experiences you cite (i.e., the entire third paragraph of your post). I agree, we should be including such things in our larger conversation regarding ministry in today's society. Thanks and much peace.
Kudos, Clyde.
I would add that there's precious little discussion of how congregational systems can lock in all these patterns. Ministers need much more explicit training dealing with the congregational system as a whole, not just dealing with the individual crises contained within it. CPE is usually great for ministerial identity issues and pastoral care training, but where is the systems training?
I'd never thought about borderline presenting at church. Wow. I'll have to sift through my memories with that. I wonder if that will explain some things.
A congregation's continuing permitting of passive-aggression among key leaders really intrigues me. It's so simple to confront when it happens, but you really have to have your eye on the ball. It's so easy to turn it into a "poor x person" case, instead of calling them into greater relational responsibility.
I'm rambling now, so I'll stop. ;-)
Shawn,
I will try to develop some more concentrated discussion of how these stesses present in the future.
Chutney,
Systems is usually given as continuing education of ministers in enmeshed situations rather than seminarians, but Shawn has written of a seminar that sounded like systems leadership training.
I recall that I had Generation to Generation in my polity class, and it was good discussion. But it took more than reading it too get "non anxious" presense.
Yes, we spent 5 hours a day for 2.5 weeks in September studying and role playing congregations via systems theory. We spent a lot of time dealing with case studies, emotional systems, temperament, personality, conflict-management, etc. It was one of the most interesting, practical, and fulfilling classes I have ever taken. It's also an M.Div requirement here at LTS. Needless to say, the class created some serious turbulence between various members of my particular class (we had one emotional breakdown occur). We kind of expected it because the third years student referred to it as "War Class." It was a great class.