Kompetensi Interpersonal Paulus Sebagai Pemimpin Pastoral

Gereja sebagai salah satu bentuk organisasi organik (hidup) membutuhkan pemimpin pastoral yang mampu menjalankan tugas dan tanggung jawab secara profesional. Kemampuan dalam menjalankan tugas dan tanggung jawab tersebut menyangkut kompetensi interpersonal yang dimiliki oleh seorang pemimpin pastoral.Apabila memperhatikan dinamika kepemimpinan gereja pada saat ini, maka gereja tidak lepas dari krisis kepemimpinan, secara khusus berkaitan dengan kompetensi interpersonal pemimpin gereja. Pada akhirnya, hal ini berdampak negatif dalam pelayanan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan bahwa kompetensi interpersonal seorang pemimpin sangat dibutuhkan dalam pelayanan pastoral. Adapun metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian adalah metodedeskriptif dengan teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan metode studi literatur dan hermeneutik alkitabiah. Akhirnya, melalui penelitian ini ditemukan bahwa merujuk dari pelayanan Rasul Paulus, denganmenyoroti pelayanannya dari segala penjuru; dalam segala hal Paulus menunjukkan diri sebagai pelayan Allah yang memiliki kompetensi interpersonal. Teladan yang baik dalam pelayanan menunjukkan identitas kompetensi interpersonal Paulus sebagai pemimpin pastoral yang kuat dan berakar di dalam Kristus. Hal ini menjadikan Paulus seorang rasul yang dipakai Allah secara luar biasa serta berdampak, baik itu kepada pribadi-pribadi maupun kelompok-kelompok besar jemaat yang dilayaninya.The church as a form of organic (living) organization requires pastoral leaders who can carry out their duties and responsibilities professionally. The ability to carry out these duties and responsibilities concerns the interpersonal competence possessed by a pastoral leader. If you pay attention to the dynamics of church leadership at this time, the church cannot be separated from a leadership crisis, especially when it comes to the interpersonal competence of church leaders. In the end, this has a negative impact on service. The church, which should produce leaders who have interpersonal competence, is instead contaminated with various leadership problems; thus, impacting on service. This study aims to explain that the interpersonal competence of a leader is needed in pastoral care. The method used in this research is the descriptive method with data collection techniques using literature study methods and biblical hermeneutics. Finally, through this research, it was found that referring to the ministry of the Apostle Paul, who was highlighted by his ministry from all directions, showed himself to be a servant of God who had interpersonal competence. A good example in ministry shows the identity of Paul's interpersonal skills competence as a pastoral leader, who is strong and rooted in Christ. This makes Paul was greatly used by God and had an impact, both on individuals and on the large groups of churches he served.

The Personal Experiences of Pastoral Leaders During the COVID-19 Quarantine

COVID-19 proved to be a unique crisis for churches and their pastoral leaders as they were forced to move their worship and work to an online format. This article reports on 33 pastoral leaders in 13 states who identified surprisingly positive experiences to go with the unsurprisingly negative reality of quarantine. It would appear that COVID-19, while brutal in its methods, naturally incubated reflection and positive growth in the lives of these pastoral leaders.

Evaluating the Moral Framing of Disaffiliation: Sociological and Pastoral Perspectives on the Rise of the “Nones”

The wave of religious disaffiliation that began in the 1990s in the United States has gone from a concern of pastoral leaders to perhaps the concern of pastoral leaders. This article examines a moral framing of religious disaffiliation—where disaffiliation is seen as a symptom of larger moral struggles in society. After a review of contemporary sociological research on the phenomenon of disaffiliation, its roots and causes, the article explores the thinking of the influential Catholic bishop and media entrepreneur Robert Barron as an example of the moral framing of religious disaffiliation. Barron operates as a “moral entrepreneur” in today’s media-rich context, working to persuade Catholics to eschew certain strains of secular and liberal Catholic thinking in order to embrace traditional Catholicism as part of a moral struggle for the soul of U.S. society. Sociological theory on moral entrepreneurship and moral regulation helps make sense of his position. In the end, however, the causes and processes revealed in sociological research on disaffiliation reveal the moral framing as an inadequate construct for making sense of the actual phenomenon. I conclude by recommending a “historical-pastoral” framing of disaffiliation instead.

Christian Pastors and Alleged Child Witches in Kinshasa, DRC

Against earlier predictions, witch accusations are proliferating and flourishing in many modern, urban, and Christian environments. And they are taking new forms. One dramatic change involves who is accused, with children now often the prime suspects when misfortunes occur. Another dramatic change relates to who is consulted when witch suspicions are present. Rather than non-Christian diviners or traditional healers, many now consult Christian pastors and prophets for help in identifying witches and dealing with them. Based on a survey of 713 pastoral leaders in Kinshasa from all major church traditions, and on supplemental qualitative research, this report 1) explores the profile of accused children, 2) identifies what these children are accused of, 3) identifies what sorts of evidence are used to establish the guilt of the accused child, and 4) considers the consequences to the child of being labeled a witch. Furthermore, this report explores what it is that church leaders believe, teach, and practice in relationship to child-witch allegations—considering the role of church tradition and theological education on their patterns of understanding and engagement. Specifically, we identify and examine two broad paradigms widely present in Kinshasa churches—a “witch diagnosis and deliverance paradigm” and a “child protection paradigm.” We consider some grassroots strategies of transformative engagement engaged in by l’Équipe Pastorale auprès des Enfants en Détresse [EPED] leaders, and end by inviting African theological and pastoral leaders into a conversation about the impact of theological understandings, congregational discourses, spiritual disciplines, and pastoral practices on the well-being and flourishing of vulnerable children.

New identity stories: An alternative to suspension and exclusion from school

School pastoral leaders have halved the use of suspension and exclusion from New Zealand schools in the last decade. This article offers community re-authoring of young people’s identity stories as a further support for reducing suspensions and exclusions. It demonstrates how developing new stories of “who I am and what is important to me” can lead to a marked reduction in troubling behaviours. The article highlights the importance of invited peers, teachers, family, and community members in exploring and maintaining alternative identity claims and changed behaviours.

Leadership Development and Clergy: Understanding the Events and Lessons that Shape Pastoral Leaders

While much work has been done in understanding the developmental journey of leaders in secular organizations, there is limited empirical research investigating the key experiences in the pastoral leader's journey and the associated lessons emerging from these events. One hundred pastors were interviewed about the key events in their development as leaders. Content analysis was used to develop detailed taxonomies of the key developmental events in their careers and of the lessons that emerged from each of these events. The results indicated that, consistent with past research on business leaders, the preponderance of developmental experiences occurred in-the-trenches (32%), during times of significant transition (27%), or in personal relationships (23%), indicating that pastors develop as they are doing their work and leading on the edge of their comfort zones. Results also indicated that events were tied to predictable sets of lessons. Implications for pastors, denominational leadership, and seminaries are discussed.