Leading a Team- Based Church

As I have been researching Trinitarian Leadership, Joan introduced me to a book that explores and describes Trinitarian leadership in much the same way that I have been evolving over the past several years. The book "Leading a Team- Based Church: How Pastors and Church Staff Can Grow Together into a Powerful Fellowship of Leaders" was written by a Presbyterian pastor, George Cladis. Cladis after aknowledging the theological contributions to Trinitarian understanding from such theological greats as Shirley Guthrie, Miroslav Volf and Jurgen Moltmann writes "My contribution as a pastor has been to look at ways to live out this theology practically in churches seeking to relate to the postmodern world." His purpose sentence could easily describe my sabbatical study and his book is an outstanding introduction to Trinitarian leadership.

Cladis focusses on the "perichoretic model of God that calls into question the traditional hierarchies of power, control and domination that have formed the basis for church leadership in the past." (p.5) By "perichoretic" Cladis is talking about the Triune God who is in constant communion and conversation with Godself in a movement of intimacy and love and equality and unity and community with real distinctiveness. His book then takes this understanding of God and relates it to leadership in the postmodern world. He identifies seven attributes that contribute to a healthy ministry team: a shared covenant, articulated vision, a life giving culture, collaboration, trust, an empowering spirit and a learning attitute. It is an outstanding book and a must read for pastors who seek a more egalitarian leadership style after the model of the Triune God. Cladis provides a nice blend of practical ministry insights grounded in solid reformed understanding of the Triune God at work in the world.