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Literature Review on Topic 6: Supervision

Supervision deals with Mana Tangata
Some of the issues surrounding the supervision of PSEs are unique to their bivocational situation others are shared by all ordained clergy. Among those which apply across the board are matters of collegiality and discipline in the denomination. Identifying a process of 'peer identification' Carroll (ref 151) treats that issue in some detail.

At the same time a PSE is by definition a volunteer in the field of ministry. Research on volunteerism (ref 053) shows that ongoing management and support of volunteers is critical for ensuring that volunteer hours are not squandered that weak skills are strengthened and that volunteers are used most effectively. Mentoring programmes which provide regular supervision are the most likely to achieve success. Programmes that do not devote specialized resources to supervising volunteers and to external communication are for the most part unsuccessful in achieving their aims. Large institutions can present particular challenges because they are traditionally hierarchical and somewhat insular.

No matter how well-intentioned volunteers are say Grossman and Furano (ref 053) there needs to be an infrastructure in place to support and direct their efforts. Otherwise they will remain at best ineffective or become disenchanted and withdraw. Unfortunately this infrastructure is not free: staff time and programme resources must be explicitly devoted to these tasks. The programme staff of effective volunteering programs reside at the intersection of busy administrators and overworked employees dedicated volunteers and service recipients. Without infrastructure all that remains is fervour. And as Marc Freedman said fervour alone is not only evanescent and insufficient but potentially treacherous.

In Bushwyler's American research (ref 036) the expressed opinions of Episcopalian bivocational clergy regarding their denominational support were more negative than positive.  (The United Church of Christ got the best report card in this respect.) Underlying most of the concerns were
  1. feelings of lack of connection and distance from denominational staff people
  2. feelings of being unappreciated and being used simply to fill openings too small for preferred full-time pastors and
  3. too little concern for their schedules in setting meeting times. 
Similar sentiments have been expressed by their colleagues in the Church of England.

Musick (ref 052) considers it worthwhile to stand back and reconsider the notion of the benefits of volunteering to the volunteer. These benefits are usually unintended consequences of behavior that is motivated not by extrinsic but intrinsic rewards. Self-discovery is not the effect of volunteering; it is volunteering itself. This may account for Bushwyler's discovery (ref 036) that the overwhelming majority of bi-vocational clergy are doing what they are doing by choice and few would choose a full-time pastorate if offered one. They were not there merely because they were not capable or qualified but because of a firm commitment to this type of ministry. And significant for Anglicanism are Bushwyler's figures (ref 036) revealing that out of all the American denominational clergy he studied Episcopal worker-priests expressed the greatest satisfaction with their lot.

Alexander revives consideration of the role of deacon which may be a particularly suitable ministry for clergy in secular employment. (ref 144) ref 145) He goes so far as to propose a change in the canons that would relieve the prerequisite for all persons ordained priest to be ordained deacon first.

If Anglicanism is a faith particularly congenial to bivocational clergy we should speculate why. This theme will be taken up in the chapter on Supervision but to anticipate that chapter the explanation may lie in the Anglican genius for clarifying ministerial roles. Another opportunity for clarifying roles exists in the Covenant document which Anglican clergy negotiate as part of the licensing process. PSEs expect their secular employment to provide a job description and a process of performance appraisal (ref 130) . The Covenants examined in this research -- they are private documents so cannot be quoted -- vary between extremes of generality on one hand and specificity on the other. Some looked more like a person description (ref 130) than a job description.

Head reference for 036 052 053 130 144 145 151