Dear Disciple of Christ,
If you’re a member of the congregation I serve, Shepherd of the Woods Lutheran in Jacksonville, Florida, you’re aware of a program we’ve participated in called “vicarage.” Every pastor is required to go through that year of “internship” though not every congregation serves as a vicarage site. That program was developed after World War Two. Quite a number of soldiers “met God, or developed their relationship with Him, while in a fox hole.” Returning from the war quite a number entered studies to become a minister. At first, a vicarage year, where a seminary student assisted at a church under the supervision of an experienced minister, was an option. But with more seminary students available and an identifiable benefit of a vicarage in preparing future ministers to serve in a church, it became a requirement of all future pastors. It allows the “rubber to hit the road” and future pastors learn how to deal with real life beyond the theories of church life studies. This weekend the members and visitors to Shepherd of the Woods will be able to meet a vicar who will be serving at our church this next year. He will be the 10th vicar serving at our church.
Vicarage sites have serious responsibilities in providing opportunities for vicars to experience as many aspects of church life as possible and provide support in terms of some income and lodging. But for me as supervisor for vicars, it did not begin in 1997 in Florida. In our small church in Brooklyn, we had our challenges laid out before us. We had financial challenges, and property challenges (one building built in 1923) and challenges of the setting itself. But, at the time, Brooklyn (one of 5 boroughs in the city of New York) had 2 ½ million people and many opportunities to serve. In some ways, that setting is where I began to recognize the connection between challenges and opportunities. For our little group of disciples, the numbers were daunting (25,000 Brooklynites for every member of our church). But at the same time, those were phenomenal opportunities for us to reach out to and care for people each and every day. We had lots of ways to develop programs and practices to deal with our daily interactions with neighbors.
Perhaps the most unusual was the offer we made to the national church body, that we would be happy to receive a Vicar! We were a really little church offering to provide a place for a future pastor to put into practice what they had learned in seminary. AND, the synod provided one! We found a member willing to provide a bedroom in their house and we gathered some funds to pay a small stipend. The synod believed it would be a great setting for a future pastor to practice their pastoral work and we agreed.
I was really excited for the prospect and really shocked and disappointed when I got a call from the seminary shortly before the vicarage was to begin. They indicated the candidate for our location changed his mind and was declining the opportunity. With their permission, I called him to discuss his questions and issues. He had a number of concerns that were easily addressed (he was not from a “big” city and was feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of living in the Big Apple). So, after a brief discussion, he reversed his decision and indicated his willingness and excitement in serving at Trinity.
That was a learning moment for me since his vicarage did not work out. I learned that it is always best to accept where a person is and not try to force something into them or out of them. This is perhaps where my mantra, “What we “get” to do is essential and not what we “have” to do.” He agreed to come in theory, but his heart and soul was not in the ministry. I did what I could to help him connect to the members, the ministry and the joy of serving the Lord as a pastor, all to no avail. His office was across the chancel in church and many times when I came to his office, he was simply sitting there, doing nothing in particular. He stayed a few months before leaving our church and his vicarage and leaving his process for becoming a pastor (he is not a pastor today)
That is another blessing of a vicarage. Not only does it provide help to a local congregation, it gives training to future pastors but also helps those who are not called to pastoral ministry recognize that as well. Being a pastor is a specific call and it certainly is not for every disciple. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians (4:11-12), “And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Notice the variety of ministries and the fact that “some” were called each of the ministries “for the building up of the body of Christ.” It is important that a person not try to live out a ministry that God has not given them since it will be detrimental to them and their faith and to a community of faith. Not only did the vicar learn a lesson, so did I.
I pray you are constantly listening for the voice of the One who calls each of us into ministry (remember Eli and Samuel from the Old Testament lesson – God calling four times to get Samuel’s attention). I pray each of us is attentive to His call each and every day that what we say and do glorifies Him.
Peace in His service,
Pastor Johnson