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No Longer Servants, but Friends: A Theology of Ordained Ministry
The time has come, Edward C. Zaragoza argues, to lay a new foundation for how we understand ordained ministry. He begins by reminding us that, on the basis of the priesthood of all believers, clergy are ministers with, rather than servants of, the congregation. Building on the horizontal nature of this relationship, he suggests that we begin to think of a friendship model of ministry. In this model the authority of the ordained arises not from the quality of their service to the congregation (a service which can too easily lead to subjugation or superiority), but from the fact that the church has set them apart to minister with and among them, carrying on their own ministry of prayer, proclamation, and teaching, in ways that enhance and facilitate the ministry of the whole people of God. In this timely and constructive theological analysis, Zaragoza offers a new paradigm for understanding the function of ordained ministry in the life of the congregation. After presenting a critique of the “servant leadership model” and explaining the risks inherent in it, the author presents a “friendship model” of ordained ministry and explains how this model arises from and takes place within the context of the whole people of God.
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1999
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April 16, 2024
“...whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26b).
Jesus' charge to become servants has been the definition of Christian ministry, especially the work of the ordained clergy, for millennia. Even more important has been Jesus' own acts of service, including washing the feet of his disciples (John 13). Servanthood as the life of discipleship seems so obvious that few have ever questioned it. Edward Zaragoza takes on the formidable task of making the case against servanthood directly.
Personally, I do not want to throw out the biblical language of servant so quickly. Nonetheless, I found the book, “No Longer Servants, but Friends,” very helpful. Many clergy try hard to please their parishioners, and they justify their co-dependency with Jesus' words on service. Being a doormat, however, does not honor the Christian calling. Likewise, being the pastor who does everything for everyone accomplishes nothing except a congregation of the spiritually immature. We are not the Messiah, and the clergy must never forget it.
In the best part of the book, Zaragoza offers a necessary critique of “servant leadership.” Interestingly the concept was never rooted in Scripture. Instead, Robert Greenleaf based the idea on a character from a novel by Hermann Hesse. At best, Jesus is not the source of “servant leadership” but merely illustrative of the idea. At worst, “servant leadership” is merely one more cynical technique for leaders to get their way.
To replace these misunderstandings of “servant”, Zaragoza offers another biblical image. In John 15:15, Jesus tells his disciples, “I no longer call you servants...Instead, I have called you friends...” Friendship becomes the new paradigm for the church's ministry. The Church and her ministries mirror the relationships found in the Godhead--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Church's practices especially Baptism and the Lord's Supper define the concept of “friendship” in the Church. Zaragoza goes so far as to suggest that “friendship” become another mark of the Church alongside the traditional ones of Word and Sacrament. In other words, the practice of friendship is necessary evidence for the presence of the Church.
The book did leave me wanting more in some areas. The author decries treating people functionally, yet he was willing to speak of the persons of the Trinity in functional terms such as the job description of Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. A deeper biblical exploration of the concept of friendship would also have been helpful. Analyzing the limits of “servant” as a model for ministry was an important service to the Church. Suggesting the limits of “friendship” could be helpful as well. In a culture where parents try to be friends to their children, where friendships can have “benefits”, and where friends are reluctant to hold each other accountable, how is friendship in the Church different? Nonetheless, the book provides a good introduction to a new way of thinking about ministry.
Jesus' charge to become servants has been the definition of Christian ministry, especially the work of the ordained clergy, for millennia. Even more important has been Jesus' own acts of service, including washing the feet of his disciples (John 13). Servanthood as the life of discipleship seems so obvious that few have ever questioned it. Edward Zaragoza takes on the formidable task of making the case against servanthood directly.
Personally, I do not want to throw out the biblical language of servant so quickly. Nonetheless, I found the book, “No Longer Servants, but Friends,” very helpful. Many clergy try hard to please their parishioners, and they justify their co-dependency with Jesus' words on service. Being a doormat, however, does not honor the Christian calling. Likewise, being the pastor who does everything for everyone accomplishes nothing except a congregation of the spiritually immature. We are not the Messiah, and the clergy must never forget it.
In the best part of the book, Zaragoza offers a necessary critique of “servant leadership.” Interestingly the concept was never rooted in Scripture. Instead, Robert Greenleaf based the idea on a character from a novel by Hermann Hesse. At best, Jesus is not the source of “servant leadership” but merely illustrative of the idea. At worst, “servant leadership” is merely one more cynical technique for leaders to get their way.
To replace these misunderstandings of “servant”, Zaragoza offers another biblical image. In John 15:15, Jesus tells his disciples, “I no longer call you servants...Instead, I have called you friends...” Friendship becomes the new paradigm for the church's ministry. The Church and her ministries mirror the relationships found in the Godhead--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Church's practices especially Baptism and the Lord's Supper define the concept of “friendship” in the Church. Zaragoza goes so far as to suggest that “friendship” become another mark of the Church alongside the traditional ones of Word and Sacrament. In other words, the practice of friendship is necessary evidence for the presence of the Church.
The book did leave me wanting more in some areas. The author decries treating people functionally, yet he was willing to speak of the persons of the Trinity in functional terms such as the job description of Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. A deeper biblical exploration of the concept of friendship would also have been helpful. Analyzing the limits of “servant” as a model for ministry was an important service to the Church. Suggesting the limits of “friendship” could be helpful as well. In a culture where parents try to be friends to their children, where friendships can have “benefits”, and where friends are reluctant to hold each other accountable, how is friendship in the Church different? Nonetheless, the book provides a good introduction to a new way of thinking about ministry.
Displaying 1 of 1 review