Relating to Conference Administration

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Relating to Conference Administration

While it's true that you will spend most of your time working directly with and for pastors, the fact remains that you work for your conference's administration, particularly the president. In almost every case, your president will be your immediate supervisor, and the freedom to engage in your work is quite dependent on him or her.

Nothing will substitute for maintaining a consistent relationship with your president! And don't be shy about being the one to initiate and sustain it. Remember that your president has many people wanting his or her attention at any one time, and they will not know you need to speak with them unless you let them know. They would much prefer to be "bothered" by you than to have a situation blind-side later on that you knew about.

There are a number of important aspects to relating to conference administration. Among them:

 Boundaries & Freedoms

 Committee Assignments

 Confidentiality Issues

 Advocating for Pastors

One area in which you can quite helpful to your conference administration, if they will let you, is to function as their pastor. While they will have a membership at some local church and will technically have a pastor, in reality it is quite difficult for a local pastor to truly be a pastor to their boss. He or she is your boss, too, but you will find that you will relate to your president and other officers differently when you are in the office as opposed to being a field worker. Given your pastoral bent (one of the prime reasons you were chosen to be a Ministerial Director), you will find that you can nurture a pastoral relationship with your president. Just as for pastors, conference workers need a safe place to express their own dreams and frustrations and needs.

Most presidents will be very cautious about sharing things with you, but if you nurture the relationship and prove yourself worthy by your actions and demeanor, you may well find the officers for whom you work to turn to you for some spiritual understanding and care. If you are offered this privilege, hold it carefully and be extremely confidential about it. Ministry to leaders can be tricky, but they are in as much need of the power of the body of Christ as any member.