Fenhagen Reflects on Expanding Cornerstone Project
Episcopal News Service. November 21, 1994 [94190]
Lindsay Hardin Freeman
For 25 years, the Rev. James C. Fenhagen's ministry has focused on the health of the Episcopal Church, particularly that of its clergy. When he steps down on January 1, 1995, from his work as director of the Cornerstone Project, he can look back on a transformation of that national seven-year project from clergy wellness to congregational wellness.
Such a transition is the logical next step, he believes. "Clergy do not work in isolation," he said. "You can't talk about clergy wellness apart from the congregations and bishops with which they work. To me it is a natural expansion, not a change in direction, but rather a move toward a more holistic approach."
The author of five books and numerous articles on spirituality and ministry including Mutual Ministry, a popular treatise which explored dynamics between laity and clergy, Fenhagen, 65, served as president and dean of General Theological Seminary for 14 years before joining Cornerstone in 1992. He notes with pride that Cornerstone, through a variety of programs and resources, has involved some 4,000 clergy.
"Our biggest accomplishment was that we were able to reach as many clergy as we did," he said in a recent interview. "The project started off slowly and rather deliberately, but now seems to be a large ball that is really gaining momentum, involving clergy from all parts of the country."
In the past seven years, Cornerstone, sponsored by the Episcopal Church Foundation, has underwritten research on clergy development, funded some 30 pilot projects and refined them for use across the country, published theological reflections on the nature of ministry, and worked with a variety of organizations to build a stronger network of support for Episcopal clergy -- all with the goal of developing and maintaining a healthy church.
The enlarged emphasis of the project, said Fenhagen, will mean that congregations as well as clergy will have a range of resources with which to strengthen their common life and mission. He expects that future Cornerstone staff and field associates will work with diocesan and provincial leaders to determine what specific needs exist, and then tailor resources to be most helpful.
In his work with Cornerstone, Fenhagen has traveled some 200,000 miles and visited over 30 dioceses, serving as chaplain, teacher, consultant and, surprisingly, pastoral counselor. In those travels, he said, the health of a diocese is often quite apparent.
"I have discovered that you can go to a clergy conference and right away pick up a sense of well-being or the absence of it," he said. "In some dioceses, you immediately sense isolation and competition. In others, there is a sense of camaraderie and care for one another. Bishops have a lot to do with setting that tone and so does the maturity of the clergy themselves."
Although the majority of clergy "express a high degree of satisfaction in what they do," he is struck by the degree of isolation and guardedness that persists. "You can pick it up everywhere."
Such discouragement, he believes, comes from stress faced by clergy as the church changes. "You see that people are tired, tired of dealing with conflict, and affected by the fear of job loss. They are more concerned about their own vulnerability, for even a change in vestry could effect their firing."
Fenhagen believes that clergy and laity evaluate the job of a rector or vicar by different standards. "A lot of lay people measure clergy by the same basis you would measure a chief executive officer. You either run a good organization or you don't. On the other hand, most clergy measure their skills as a teacher, pastor, preacher, with administration and management coming second."
When asked how a priest or vicar should measure his or her own effectiveness, Fenhagen cited the importance of strong self-esteem. "Clergy must pay attention to their own needs and spiritual life," he said, " and carve out an identity not dependent on meeting everyone's expectations."
Fenhagen is currently writing his sixth book, Ministry in Transition: Ordained Ministry in the Episcopal Church, A Case Study for Change. Scheduled for publication in the fall of 1995 by the Alban Institute, the book delves into a variety of ministries within the church, including those of bishops.
One striking chord within the manuscript is Fenhagen's reflections on the ways in which laity relate to the church. He makes a distinction between those he calls disciples and those he calls members.
"Discipleship comes when you discover that you have shifted from going to church to being the church," he said. "You begin to thirst for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ fed through prayer and disciplined study, and you see yourself in the world as a reconciler and healer."
On the other hand, he observed that it is still possible to be "an active member without any of the disciplines of discipleship. This group includes those who see the church with a consumer mindset and who are apt to misuse power very easily. This has the same effect as that of clergy who use power to meet their own needs rather than to empower others."
Fenhagen believe that small groups within the parish are the key to developing a deep spiritual life. "I don't believe a person becomes a disciple apart from small group experience, for that is where faith is ultimately deepened, that is where the church invites people into discipleship."
While crediting his work with Cornerstone as one of the most fulfilling times in his career, Fenhagen speaks highly of all his years in the ordained ministry, including serving as rector of three parishes in Maryland and Washington, D.C. "I've loved the ministry," he said, "and the opportunity to be with people in real intimacy, real crisis, real pain and joy. You really feel like your life counted for something."
Yet Fenhagen also knows such dedication can be costly. "I learned to make a differentiation," he said, "between work as the priest and my own personal life. I learned to embrace my ministry as a priest and then put it down as I embraced my ministry as a husband and father. If you get locked into any of those roles, ultimately you will bur out. The demands are never ending unless you are able to say no to them."
Fenhagen looks forward to spending more time at home in South Carolina with his wife. He plans to continue writing, and will work for Cornerstone two days a month next year to ensure project continuity.
When asked what his greatest worry for the church might be in the years ahead, Fenhagen said, "that we will not be able to move beyond our limited vision and our need to be right might prevent us from moving beyond the obvious. We sometimes get so stuck in the old ways that we don't dare believe there is a new truth beyond what we can see."
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