Faith
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Thinking the Faith, Praying the Faith, Living the Faith is written by the PC(USA) Office of Theology and Worship.
Thinking, praying, and living the faith is at the core of ministry in the Office of Theology and Worship. In the following videos, learn more about what thinking, praying, and living the faith means to the leadership of the Office of Theology and Worship. Discover why it matters and what difference it makes in our lives, work, and worship.
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Should there be Boundaries in Ministry?
“Form a perimeter. Nothing gets in or out!” Fans of the popular TV show “24” have heard this Jack Bauer imperative countless times in eight years’ worth of episodes. In the (television) world of anti-terrorism and crime fighting a “perimeter” is an essential protective boundary.
It is a commonplace that healthy professionals have appropriate boundaries. Medical workers wear gowns, gloves and masks to preserve their physical health. A variety of psycho-social boundaries safeguard the well-being of counselors, psychiatrists and psychologists (physicians and nurses also use these to guard their emotional well-being). Those who work in the legal field take analogous precautions to prevent inadvertent violations of the law and to limit liability in general. Professionals need appropriate boundaries.
The physical precautions physicians and nurses take are well known: gown, hand washing, gloves and masks. It’s common sense. These are also necessary boundaries. If you’re not careful, you’ll get infected. If you don’t guard yourself, the pathology of work will follow you home. Obviously, doctors and nurses need clear boundaries. They work in pathological contexts filled with germs and disease and unhealthy people. They always wear gloves and surgical masks these days. No exceptions. Form a perimeter. Nothing gets in or out!
Maybe I wasn’t paying attention in seminary in the early 80’s, but I recall hearing virtually nothing about boundaries for pastors. I’d been ordained for well over ten years (and had been engaged in ministry for close to twenty) when I first encountered the boundaries concept in the context of ministry. This novel concept thoroughly intrigued me, and I thought to myself, “I’m not sure I have a single intentional boundary in my life!” I figured I had better get some. But I must confess that over the years I have never become entirely comfortable with the idea of boundaries in ministry.
Some 15 years later I can see a variety of what can be described as “boundaries” in both my personal and professional life, and I am better off for it, although I think I had some aspects of these before I became aware of the boundary concept. For instance, I no longer allow my schedule to be dictated by the last minute whims of disorganized people who have failed to plan ahead. And I make time for regular spiritual and physical exercise. Yes, I suppose I have what technically could be termed boundaries.
When it comes to ministry, I wonder if perhaps pastors take an unknown risk when we appropriate the notion of professional boundaries from these other professions. Might we be inadvertently importing into our ministries the some of the ethos of pathology from the world of medicine and psychological helping professions, or liability from the legal profession? Here’s what I mean. If healthy people are treated as if they are unhealthy, or law-abiding people are treated as if they are transgressors (even if it is unconscious), there will inevitably be negative consequences (however unintended).
In my work I hear seminarians and new pastors talk about boundaries with some regularity. And I think what drives their concern is largely legitimate. But I have heard too many stories about pastors who are (perceived to be) unavailable, even distant from their congregations—even in emergency situations. “No, the pastor (my spouse) can’t speak to you on the phone. This is our family supper and we don’t take calls from parishioners during this time.” Set up a perimeter? Nothing gets in our or out?
The very few phone calls I’ve answered in the middle of the night from parishioners have almost always been profound ministry opportunities. And the vast majority of people who call their pastor at home during the dinner hour have a darn good reason. Sure it is necessary to observe healthy habits and disciplines in our daily routine—especially where our most important relationships (e.g., family) are concerned, we must also occasional exceptions to deal with a crisis. Because ministry is fundamentally relational, I wonder if we don’t need to critically re-think our boundary language, and even look for alternative conceptual frameworks.
For starters, I think a spiritual “center of gravity” is a more fruitful model that accomplishes the same objectives as boundaries, but with the potential for some occasional permeability when there’s a pastoral emergency.
- Posted at 5:28 p.m.
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