"The Politics of Ministry" (Bob Burns, Tasha D. Chapman & Donald C. Guthrie)

TITLE: The Politics of Ministry: Navigating Power Dynamics and Negotiating Interests
AUTHOR: Bob Burns, Tasha D. Chapman & Donald C. Guthrie
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2018, (216 pages).

The word 'politics' has often been used pejoratively. From world leaders to local associations, people see politicians or the way of politics as a necessary evil. We may hate it but we cannot do without it. Even in non-profit organizations, there has been accusations of politics played by those jostling for power and position in the organization. Like a chess game, some individuals scheme their way into plum roles. Others play defensive to protect their place in the hierarchy. Churches are no exception. In some cases, the level of politicizing might even be most discouraging. This book helps us understand, navigate, and negotiate our way in ministry. The authors start off by saying that "politics is the art of getting things done with others." Thus, politics is not exactly a dirty word but a necessarily power dynamic to bring about positive change and progress for the organization. As politics is primarily about people, the authors anticipate four kinds of audiences:

1. The Employee or Volunteer;
2. The Hurt;
3. Leaders;
4. General Reader.

In setting the context, readers are introduced to three stories. The first story is about Brian, who was surprisingly given a more senior pastoral title. He would soon realize that he was part of an overall strategy to replace the senior pastor. The second story is about Jesus who began his ministry enthusiastically, only to be challenged continuously by religious leaders bent on overthrowing him. The third story is about Mia and Caroline, laypersons eager to serve in the Church. With wholehearted support from the pastor, they were able to start a powerful ministry of connecting with people in the Church as well as the neighbourhood. These form a small illustration of the world of politics. We learn about politics in its broader sense affect us all. They state the four shared activities in the politics of ministry:

1. Power: Perceptions of power dynamics;
2. Relationships/Interests: Understanding the different interests;
3. Negotiations: Explicit Negotiations;
4. Ethics: Ethical implications of actions, decisions, and resulting consequences.

All of these activities are inter-connected with one another. We get a good overview of the perspective of power; that power is not just limited those at the top of the hierarchy. There are other expressions of power too. There are formal and informal sources of power. A key issue is about the unequal power in ministry. In fact, there are never equal powers in any institution. We need wisdom in managing our own capacities to act. We need to learn how to steward our power resources. We need to be conscious of the impact of power on the people we work with. We need to recognize that for healthy power relationships, we must learn about the interests of others that we may use the power for the good of the body. The authors take a few tips from Andy Crouch's book, "Playing God" which is essentially about seeing power from a godly stewardship perspective. 

On the recognition of interests and relationships, we are reminded about learning how to be peacemakers by recognizing the differences and diversity of the people we work with. For people fervent on their interests tend to see the world from their standpoint. If we are able to understand their points of view, we would be better equipped to build bridges of understanding. How people of various interests come together should be something to take note of. An important exercise is to diagnose these different interest areas. There is a chapter dedicated to the "Personal Interests" to show us how such interests could be the primary drive of people. We use four types of filters to discern our self-awareness and how they impact our relationships with others. 

Negotiation is the key part of the politics of ministry. In order for organizations to have a fruitful way  of working together, we need to streamline and improve our negotiation skills. Here again, the authors show us four unique actions about how people bring their own specific interests; promote their interests among people; using power they have to promote them; and how these affect the larger community. There is an interesting chapter about how people of lesser power and position negotiate with the higher ups. 

The final part of the book deals with the ethical implications of the use of power and politics in ministry. The main point is that whatever we do must be to the glory of God. Negotiating from a position of weakness is something that helps us be more dependent on God rather than our own sources of power. 

My Thoughts

This is a unique book that covers much more ground in the politics of ministry when compared with Andy Crouch's "Playing God," the latter focusing more on power play. I am glad that the work does not replace but builds upon the concepts and ideas about power. Not only that, we get a better idea of the process from personal to organization; and from the community to the society at large. It is helpful to know that Burns, Chapman, and Guthrie write to a wide variety of audience. This is simply because politics affect all members. No one is immune. After all, policies laid down will affect us one way or another. Rather than to avoid politics altogether, even though we cannot run away from it, we ought to exercise our creativity and wisdom to tackle it in a discerning and ethical way. This starts with understanding what politics is about; why it is necessary; the power players; and how the whole gamut of political negotiations play out in the organization. Instead of presuming that politics only happen in the world outside, we should not be afraid to honestly admit that politics also happen within the four walls of our churches and non-profit Christian agencies.

What I like about this book is that the authors are not afraid to deal with a topic often considered as taboo in many circles. They are spot on when referring to politics as the art of negotiating the settlement of interests. We are all called to do that from time to time, in different capacities. The authors give us a good spectrum of people on how they have been impacted by politics. The four cells of negotiation strategies give us a good overview of the complex relationships involved. Of specific interest is the fourth quadrant called "Cell 4" which is about people having unequal power and conflicting interests. Come to think of it, aren't we all in that cell for the most part? For there are always different sources and kinds of power. There are also multiple interests that conflict. That is because we are all different and we come with varying degrees of experience. That is why I think chapter 9 is the most eye-catching chapter of all as the authors try to help people in this cell 4 to negotiate productively and constructively. With guidelines and tips for people with more and less power, we get a book  that helps us discern what strategies are best for any situation.

The trouble with many ministry and lay persons is that they are too shy to even talk about power and politics. As a result, whenever there is conflict, their two main options are to fight or take flight. The authors in this book nuance the approaches even further, giving us not just the passive or active options, but a few other thoughtful approaches like: delegating the decision making to others; direct the discussion in another way; letting others take command; and so on. Not only that, they help us understand how politics can be an opportunity to exercise true spiritual leadership. That is to lead by considering how our decisions, activities, programs, and various changes impact others and how we can serve their interests. This is a powerful resource for leadership and anyone in any form of ministry.

Bob Burns is Adjunct Professor at Covenant Theological Seminary as well as senior associate pastor at Central Presbyterian Church (St. Louis). Tasha D Chapman is Professor of Educational Ministries also at Covenant Theological Seminary. Donald C Guthrie is professor of educational ministries at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.