The Lone Ranger

“Hi Ho, Silver, Away!” That shout and the William Tell Overture marked the beginning of one of my favorite TV shows, as a kid. Yes, it was The Lone Ranger! While the masked man, always in white, trusty Colts holstered to both thighs, and the famed silver bullets sought to right wrongs he never really was alone. The original dynamic duo of Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheals (The Lone Ranger and his faithful companion Tonto) seldom did anything alone.

I do not know how many times I have heard and have given the advice to pastors, “Don’t be a lone ranger.” For some reason most of us seem to fall into the trap of believing, “If it is to be, it is up to me.” I admit, I have fallen into that trap on more than one occasion. Having served on presbytery committees on ministry (the tradition bodies responsible for the care and oversight of ministers and congregations) and serving as primary staff for that committee of many years, my observation is ministers are prone to act like lone rangers. In part, I think that is because we are not taught how to truly work with the elders on the session.

We come from seminary with a shiny new sheriffs badge pinned to our robe thinking it is now our job to “call the shots,” because “there’s a new sheriff in town.” Some continue with that attitude throughout their ministerial service. Working with the Session is an art to be developed. Too often pastors tend to see, at least some elders, as advisories rather than allies in leading congregations in greater faithfulness as disciples of Jesus.

William Arruda makes a case for “Why You Need to Hire a Coach in 2015” in an article published in Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2014/12/09/why-you-need-to-hire-a-coach-in-2015/. I highly commend the article to the reading of all who are serving as a pastor whether newly sworn in or of long tenure. Arruda states, When it comes to building your personal brand, a coach can be a powerful resource who can help you get out of your own way, stand out, and take action to achieve the things that are truly important to you. For us as ministers, we can substitute “pastoral style” for “brand” in Arruda’s quote.

If leaders in business and industry are realizing the value of coaching, why has the Church not realized it also? Some presbyteries and synods are offering groups for new pastors. Only a few are providing for pastors, especially the newly ordained, to have a coach. If we counsel ministers not to be lone rangers, why do we use the sink or swim test in the first years of pastoral service without a swim coach?

I think it would have been very interesting to sit in on the campfire conversations between the Lone Ranger and Tonto (just as it would have been interesting to hear the nightly gathering of Jesus and the Twelve). My guess is that is where they mutually developed strategies to deal with the problems and bad guys they would be facing. I can hear them holding each other accountable for what and how things went. A coach is the pastor’s trail companion as Tonto was for the Lone Ranger.

Presbyteries and congregations can strengthen the pastor’s service by making sure the pastor has a coach. I have maintained the belief pastoral tenure can be lengthened by having a coach. It is not good for pastor or congregation to have a “new sheriff in town” every three to five years. In the long run, it is less costly for a congregation, presbytery or synod to invest in providing a coach for new pastors than to constantly be in the pastoral search process.

https://www.wayostccs.com