The Church Deployment Board of The Episcopal Church
815 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017-4594
212 922 5250
e-mail: cdo@episcopalchurch.org

This Church Deployment Office resource urges that “...any review process be undertaken only with the help of an outside consultant or skilled facilitator.” We agree. We suggest you take into consideration that your congregation will need sufficient time to allow for adequate preparation for all parties involved in the mutual ministry review.

Mutual Ministry Review: A New Resource Planned

A design team of deployment officers gathered in 2001 with staff from the Office for Ministry Development, Church Deployment Office, Cornerstone and the Anglican Diocese of Toronto to discuss creation of an enhanced, flexible model for mutual ministry review (MMR) for the Episcopal Church. The national Church Deployment Office some years ago produced a short brochure on MMR that is widely used.  CDO recognizes the need to update this resource.  Work on the development of a context-sensitive, contemporary model for MMR informed by the best practices from around the Episcopal Church and our ecumenical partners is actively underway.

One diocesan deployment officer described the importance of the MMR this way:

"My interest stems from seeing clergy trying to please lots of people, resulting in a focus on too many goals.  We need an instrument to assist clergy and lay leaders to identify key goals and assess progress towards them. There is a huge, silent majority and a vocal few.  The majority needs to be heard in order to help leaders focus on what really matters. This can allay burnout."

Another diocesan executive emphasized:

"The real issue is conversation --getting people used simply to talking regularly to one another about mission and ministry makes for a healthier congregational climate." 

The basis assumption in MMR is this:

• Though much of the ministry of a congregation relies on the priest, the priest cannot accomplish a mission alone.  The focus of an MMR is the work of the congregation.  How is the congregation doing, what is going well, what needs improvement, is the articulated mission being carried out faithfully, etc.? Review is for the purpose of congregational growth and development --it is future-focused. Lay leaders and members are along with the clergy.

Other points from the literature on ministry reviews:

•  To conduct an MMR, a congregation needs a mission statement and a list of agreed upon goals.  In a new cure, the parish profile serves this purpose.
  
•  The use of a neutral (outside) facilitator is urged.  Diocesan training for facilitators is recommended.
  
•  It is not wise to attempt to transfer performance review models from business or corporate America to the congregational context.  The relationship between clergy, vestry and congregation is one of faith and not one of profit margins.
  
• The MMR process must fit the local situation and its participants.

The design team MMR models that are suitable for annual application and also more comprehensive assessments that might be done every three to five years.  One team member has designed a quantitative tool rooted in a congregational questionnaire that would allow identification of ministry priorities, and assess progress year to year.  Diocesan executives around the church have expressed a need for a separate tool for clergy performance assessment; the latter will be explored.  Ten dioceses were invited to test MMR models over a period of a year beginning in 2003.  Once results of the pilot phase are interpreted, the new MMR resource will be put into final form.  It will be made available to dioceses through the Fresh Start program.

For information contact:

• The Rev. Melford Bud Holland, Office for Ministry Development, bholland@episcopalchurch.org
  
• The Rev. L. Ann Hallisey, Director, Cornerstone - A Ministry of The Episcopal Church Foundation, ahallisey@episcopalfoundation.org