"A Shared Ministry" by Rev. Barbara Merritt

For 11 years now, The Rev. Tom Schade and I have been working side-by-side. That’s longer than any two ministers have served together at this parish in our 225-year history. Our co-operative ministry is also rare in the larger association of Unitarian Universalism.

When I attempt to analyze why we have had the remarkable good fortune to have been able to do this team ministry, with very few stumbles, I am mystified. Both of us have strong egos. Both of us have firm convictions and opinions. Both of us like to be in the pulpit.

Part of what has made this partnership strong is that we share very similar visions of the church. Each of us believes that at the heart of this institution is worship. We believe in the covenant of this parish, and in its enormous implications; that loving the truth and taking seriously the spirit with which Jesus lived his life will move us as a spiritual community to worship God (as we understand the holy) – and will allow us the privilege to serve our fellow human beings. Both of us have believed in the potential greatness of this church; that the best days are ahead, that we can grow and be a vital urban presence, that we can become more generous in our commitments, in our giving and in our discipleship. The other quality we share is a fairly developed capacity to laugh at ourselves, and at the many ironies of liberal religion. A sense of humor can carry you a far distance.

What you might not know are the many ways that Tom and I are quite different.

* I am a “Luddite,” a non-digital, non-technical, non-networked individual. I miss the paper newsletter terribly. I know all the great reasons we went to an electronic format: environmental, timeliness and space. Doesn’t matter. I loved the weekly folded hard copy. Tom, to the contrary, has brought the church into the present millennium. He has organized and marshaled our web site, our face book, our capacity to inform the entire congregation at a touch of a button. He has linked us to new generations and a much wider world. (We often get 900 hits on just one sermon.) He has put us on the radio and has made sure that that worship services are recorded and available

* Anger management. When I get mad, I sulk. I go silent. I rant in the privacy of my own home, and am icily polite in public. Then I hold a grudge. Tom, on the other hand, when he gets angry, he lets you know he is angry. (He has let me know, upon a few occasions, that he is furious with me.) And then he is done with it. He moves on. He gets back into “right-relationship” rather quickly. We have two very different ways of managing our feelings.

* Working styles. I believe I am more disciplined when it comes to meeting deadlines. I know that Tom is much better organized than I am, and is able to find and retrieve important information quickly.

* You might have noticed the gender difference. Having a male brain and a female brain working together on problem-solving is an excellent strategy. I tend to be more intuitive. Tom tends to be more analytical. Together, we do a fairly good job at assessing the reality in front of us.

* Experience. I have had 35 years of experience in the parish ministry and have seen a lot of “water under the bridge”. Tom, in his 11th year of parish ministry is much more in touch with new ideas, theories and innovation. A perfect example of Tom’s more modern approach occurred at the dedication of the new sanctuary after the fire of 2000. We had invited the Mayor, all the workers and engineers and craft people who had rebuilt and refurbished our building. When I thought of the best, most celebrative music for such a special occasion, I immediately dreamed of a string quartet (order, harmony and beauty!) But Tom, correctly I believe, said, “No” to the 17th century art form. He argued we needed to showcase our own gospel choir. When presenting a fresh face to the wider community, we wanted it to be as warm and as welcoming as possible. (I’ve been right a few times as well . . . but we won’t go into that.)

The point is that two brains, working together and listening to one another, offer a wider range of experience, perspective and possibility. This congregation has been lucky to have two full-time ministers. But because of my retirement and because of real financial constraints, that model of having two clergy professionals is not on the horizon in the immediate future.

I can’t describe what the future at First Unitarian might look like. But what I see right now is that the ministry of this congregation already extends far beyond two ordained Reverends.

As each layperson takes responsibility for the church’s mission, your sensitivity, experience and wisdom moves the parish forward. As individuals bring their own gifts and insights to our discussions and our work together, the church develops a particular culture: hopefully one of welcoming, encouraging and empowering. The women’s group (The Sisterhood), the various music programs, the Building and Grounds Committee, the Membership Committee, our Sunday School and our governing board, the Prudential Committee, and so many other groups within the church, are all examples of shared ministry. And Deb Wild, our Executive Director of Jericho Road Worcester, who is matching skilled volunteers in our congregation with nonprofit organizations in need, is functioning as one of our community ministers.

Tom and I have had a good run. A shared ministry will continue to lead this church into a bright future.