by Margaret Rodgers
Recently I've found myself reflecting on the demands that are made of clergy when they are ordained or take up a charge of a parish.
We laypeople go along to our parish church every week, usually with our own firm views about what should and should not happen; what we expect of the clergy by way of pastoral and teaching ministry and parish leadership; and especially what we expect of their personal behaviour to us and to others.
But what are they meant to do? What is their job description? What does the Church understand essentially about the role of the clergy and their ministry in a parish? What can and cannot be expected of them?
Answers are found in the Ordination Services, and also in the Induction/Installation services held when the clergy take up a parish ministry. Reading them through, anyone can see that there is a dynamic, whole-of-life demand upon them, and also their family. In the service the ordinands and new ministers are required to answer questions asked, "in the name of God and his church".
I recall attending the deacon's ordination of Dominic Steele at Annandale Church more than a year ago. The congregation is very friendly and welcoming, mostly young adult professionals, many of them working in the media. They were pleased to hold their minister's ordination service with the Bishop of South Sydney and the Archdeacon present. The tone was cheerful, with some slight amusement when Dominic arrived in full clerical robes. But as the service proceeded things became more serious and sober, and my lasting memory is of the hush that fell as that particular congregation heard the Bishop's charge, his questions and Dominic's response.
Like the 22 deacons ordained in St Andrew's Cathedral last month, he was charged "You are to serve the church of God and to work with its members in caring for the sick, the needy, and all who are in trouble. By your teaching and life you are to show…that in serving others we are serving Christ himself. You are to make his redemptive love known, by word example…You are to share with the community the love of Christ and his gospel of reconciliation and hope. You are to pray and work for peace…you are to model your life according to the word of God. You are to be faithful in prayer, and take your place with bishop, priest and people in public worship and at the administration of the sacraments. You are to strengthen the faithful, teach the young, search out the careless and the indifferent, and to preach the word of God…"
They promise publicly to "make your personal life and that of your family a wholesome example to Christ's people" and also to "promote unity, peace and love among all Christian people, and especially among those whom you serve".
After the Annandale service one of the young men said to me, "That's pretty heavy what they ask of them. I didn't know it included all that." He was clearly awed at what was intended for his minister's life of gospel service.
And there's no doubt about the awesome, God-given, church-directed responsibility on the ministers of God's Word. Thankfully they minister through God's grace.
They are not perfect, and there are times when their people need to let them know " lovingly, we hope " where they should try to do better.
But we lay people aren't perfect either. We have to resist the drive to leave everything to the clergy, "They're paid to do it". What we must do is play our part in parish ministry and outreach as our service and obedience to Christ.
Whatever we think our minister should be like, or should be doing, it is very clear what the church and God's Word requires of them. We should always support them in prayer, intentionally.
