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Essential Qualities, Skills, and Competencies for

Effective Clergy Leadership
PREAMBLE
THE QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CLERGY LEADERS
 A perfecting spirituality in one’s relationship to God: Spiritual leadership requires
openness to God cultivated by a disciplined spiritual life of prayer, worship, spiritual
attentiveness, and actions of caring and justice. As clergy we must model this spiritual
journey of lifelong learning and spiritual depth throughout our entire lives.

 Integrity: A healthy clergy leader possesses honesty in communication and in

relationships, thus cultivating a growing sense of trustworthiness in the community.  A
healthy clergy leader develops an integration of mind, body, soul, and heart which leads
to a wholeness of person and acts as a firm foundation throughout life’s challenges.

A Caring Heart (Compassion):  A servant leader communicates the love of God

through qualities of genuineness, empathy, compassion, and presence.  A servant leader
seeks to empower others to grow in grace and in the likeness of Christ, claiming their call
to discipleship and to the work of service, reconciliation and social justice.

 Excellence in ministry: Excellent clergy leadership strives to provide for outstanding

ministry throughout the congregation, including quality training and equipping of others
for ministry, well prepared preaching and teaching, good stewardship of all resources,
well planned and executed worship, clear communications, and quality pastoral care.

THE SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES OF CLERGY LEADERS

 Proclamation and Formation: The clergy leader, through preaching,
teaching, liturgy, sacrament and service and/or other forms of proclamation,
demonstrates the ability to communicate and apply the gospel of Jesus Christ to
the needs and realities of the day, including prophetic witness. Effective
proclamation includes the ability to invite others on a spiritual journey and make
available the unique contribution of the heritage of The Episcopal Church,
including a combination of scripture, tradition, reason and experience.

 Leadership Skills: The clergy leader possesses the necessary skills to engage
all persons with respect: to listen, develop working teams, equip and partner with
the laity for ministry and to manage conflict in ways that lead to healthy
resolution. The leader is able to differentiate and separate personal agenda from
professional responsibility and practices confidentiality.

 Organization and Administration: The clergy leader possesses the

necessary administrative, management, listening and visioning skills to relate the
movement of the Holy Spirit to a common direction in the life of the church that
empowers the church to work within the Biblical process of disciple making for
the transformation of the world. The leader accepts, respects and supports the
doctrines, mission and administrative requirements of the diocesan and wider
Episcopal Church system.
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 Pastoral Relationships: The clergy leader takes responsibility for the
development of appropriate pastoral care including regular visitation of the home
bound and sick, as well as the training of laity to provide pastoral care and build a
pastoral care team.

 Self Care: The clergy leader possesses the time management skills that allow
for a healthy balance among work, family and self-care responsibilities. Self care
includes the ability to define and establish appropriate boundaries, to keep
personal perspective when working through conflict situations and the ability to
integrate life-long learning goals and regular continuing education into the fabric
of work and life.

 Community and Social Involvement: The clergy leader engages in

community organizations, especially those which provide assistance to those on
the margins and supports, equips and encourages others in that ministry.

 Diocesan Involvement: The clergy leaders involves him/herself by regular

attendance at diocesan events including Clergy Conference, Clericus, Diocesan
Convention, Fresh Start, Renewal of Vows, etc. and periodically takes on both
elected and appointed roles in the work and ministry of the Diocese.
Adapted from “Covenant for Vital Ministry: Clergy”, California-Pacific Annual Conference, The United Methodist Church,
permission requested and granted by Mary Ann Swenson, Resident Bishop, Los Angeles Area, The United Methodist
Church, July 10, 2008

PARTICULAR SKILLS AND COMPENTENCIES

 Proclamation and Formation
o Evidence of well prepared, well delivered sermons
o Evidence of well designed, ongoing teaching and formation program for all ages
o Evidence of well led, well planned liturgy which includes well trained lay
participation, appropriate to the season and/or occasion
o Personal continuing education to develop resources and to build competencies in
preaching and teaching
o Development and implementation of small group Christian education and
formation opportunities
o Development and implementation of annual confirmation class
o Development and implementation of a year-round stewardship program, with
annual response (pledge) campaign in the fall.

 Leadership Skills
o A well developed understanding and implementation of strategic planning
and reviewing of the ministry of the congregation
o The ability to equip and train others for various ministries
o The ability to assist others in identifying their gifts for ministry
o An understanding and application of models of leadership appropriate to
the ministry setting
o Participation in leadership in the diocese
o Development and implementation of an ongoing evangelism program
o Personal continuing education in developing leadership skills
o Leading the congregation to attend periodic continuing education
programs offered by the diocese
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 Organization and Administration

o Commitment to the life, work and ministry of The Episcopal Church
o Understands and leads the implementation of basic, healthy financial
practices including budget planning and implementation
o Timely and accurate submission of the annual parochial report
o Maintenance of thorough membership data
o Ability to use document programs including Word and Excel
o Ability to use the world wide web as a resource and tool
o Develop and implement a system of incorporating new members
o Support of the life, work and ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona
including periodic requests by the Bishop and/or the Bishop’s staff
o Evidence of a well developed system of congregational communications
o Implementation of Safe Church policies
o Personal continuing education in developing organizational and
administrative skills

 Pastoral Care Relationships

o Evidence of a well developed system of pastoral care for the
congregation including the training of lay persons to carry out ongoing
pastoral care (LEV’s, Community Of Hope, Stephen Ministries, Order
of St. Luke, Prayers Shawl Ministry, etc.)
o Periodic reporting of pastoral care work to the Vestry
o Personal continuing education in developing skills in pastoral care
o Maintaining appropriate personal boundaries in pastoral relationships

 Self Care
o Use of all annual vacation time
o Annual physical check up
o Attendance at Clergy Conference, Clericus, Fresh Start and other
clergy wellness gatherings
o Participation in a clergy colleague group
o Planning and implementation of sabbatical every seven years
according to the diocesan guidelines
o Willingness to contact the Bishop in the event of a personal, pastoral need

 Community and Social Involvement

o Participation in at least one local, community organization which
serve the needs of the poor and marginalized
o Encourages, equips and implements the participation of the
congregation in ongoing ministry in the community including service
and advocacy for social justice

Adapted from the closing prayer for ordinations:

Almighty Father, we thank you for feeding us with the holy food of the Body and
Blood of your Son, and for uniting us through him in the fellowship of your Holy
Spirit. We thank you for raising up among us faithful servants for the ministry of
your Word and Sacraments. We pray that every person who serves a deacon or
priest in your Church, may be to us an effective example in word and action, in love
and patience and in holiness of life. Grant that we may serve you now, and always
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rejoice in your glory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen