A month ago Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University posted a job that has received more attention than any I’ve encountered this year. The job title is novel. My own research yielded 0 exact matches to the job of Ecclesial Innovator and even lacked any near matches.
available from https://jobs.tcu.edu/jobs/ecclesial-innovator-brite-divinity-school-texas-united-states
Broader Lived Context
In my attempts to process this possibility, I was reminded of a few other occasions when I was called upon to expand my thinking about ministry opportunities, including the times when
- William Vanderbloemen and Justin Lathrop shared that they were noticing an increase in previously unheard of church ministry titles (2011)
- Carol Howard Merritt offered 10 reasons why being a pastor is the best job ever (2014)
- I discovered a build your own portfolio at a local church role titled Your Dream Job in Ministry (2023)
And I was reminded of my own journey as a seminary educated person who spent nearly 20 years serving 9 local congregations. My own ministry has since expanded dramatically to include
- Serving in a number of roles that included a term I didn’t learn in seminary: social enterprise. (I have been Director of Social Enterprise, Social Enterprise Consultant, and a Social Enterprise Fellow [Adese Fellowship, Now Open! and Spiritual Entrepreneurship]).
- Shepherding White Rock Center of Hope first as Executive Director (My Ministry Journey: Another BIG Step, Surviving an Attack & Living a Hope-Filled Recovery, and Starting Year 3 at White Rock Center of Hope)and now CEO (My Ordination and Installation). This is an ecumenical ministry supported by dozens of local churches affiliated with theologically diverse denominations and traditions that cultivates hope in East Dallas by providing basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter) and personalized empowerment services.
- Spending nearly a decade as an adjunct professor primarily teaching world religions to undergraduate students.
Initial Reaction
Given the diversity of my own ministry roles I was less surprised by title or job description than were many of my colleagues. For the first several weeks after the job of Ecclesial Innovator was posted, I would see multiple comments a day on the feeds of various social media, especially Facebook. While some were from the more likely folks (disclaimer: I live 20 miles from the campus, have served multiple Disciples of Christ congregations, and have many clergy friends who are Disciples ministers and/or Brite graduates) others were from a variety of folks that I don’t believe have any personal connection to the institution.
A sampling of the comments on a post made by Brite Divinity School on Facebook announcing the role on November 1, 2023 include
- “This is perhaps harsh, but – this language is exactly the reason why so many Brite students graduate unprepared to do practical ministry.” –Nicole M. McRaney
- “The language used in this job description is part of the problem in the Church right now.” –Nancy Dunn
- “I’m a proud alum but geez…did ChatGPT write this?” –Wes Mullins
Those sharing that initial post were, however, more hopeful, including
- “This is such an intriguing, exciting position for the right person. So grateful for how Brite Divinity School continues to support ministry in so many important, innovative ways”. –Phil Snider
- “A very cool job at a really terrific school if you or anyone you know might be interested!” –Cody J. Sanders
- “Innovative? Brite Divinity may have just the job for you — near me!” –Ryon Price
A sampling of replies to those shares suggests both frustration and support. For example, consider these responses to Phil Snider’s share:
- “IDK, kind of sounds like a hail Mary to me….”Anyone out there have a clue how we’re going to move the church forward? Anyone? We’ll hire you to show us the way!” –Linda Ford
- “Ohhh, glad to see Brite experimenting like this!” –Jason Coker
- “I think the goal has merit. Jargon aside—and this job description is full of it—there’s a theological purpose to be served when graduate theological education aims to make God’s love, mercy, and justice noticeable in liberating ways. Why Brite thinks this position is necessary to meet that goal is another question. Probably one with some very interesting conversations behind it.” — David Cobb
Unpacking the Job Description
The post begins with a one paragraph job summary, which reads:
“The Ecclesial Innovator will play a significant role in the process by which Brite becomes a leading contributor to the imaginative shaping of ecclesial and non-ecclesial organizations that will operate with liberating relevance for the current epoch. This person will be involved in public engagements and network building which draw Brite into generative collaborations with Christian congregations, interfaith groups, service organizations, and community movements that reflect the transforming impact of God’s love, mercy and justice. They will also engage Brite faculty, staff, and students in ways that attune them to the demands and possibilities of the present era in North American church life. The expectation is that, among other outcomes, opportunities will be created for Brite students to enjoy the kinds of academic and service experiences that strengthen their capacity for wide-ranging vocational impact that reflects a liberal-progressive orientation. The Ecclesial Innovator will operate on an experimental basis for three (3) years, with the possibility of contract renewal for subsequent three-year periods.”
For those still reading this likely either sounds like traditional academic writing finding its way into a job description or unnecessarily fancy language used to describe the general nature of the role. Either way, it’s clear that this position is a 3 year long experiment designed to help the Brite community connect with the wider community that is engaged in meaningful and impactful work advancing God’s love, mercy, and justice for the purpose of expanding the ways in which Brite students experience their academic preparation for ministry.
Exploring Duties and Essential Functions
The next section of the posting lists the duties and essential job functions
- Exercises leadership in Brite’s collaborations with ecclesial and non-ecclesial organizations and communities. Participates in network building with such organizations, exploring cutting-edge pursuits and flourishing in these settings
- Conducts and engages others in research to build a resource bank and offer collective wisdom and models from which others may learn as they seek greater relevance in diverse communities.
- Develops and promotes innovative practices in Christian mission and outreach that are guided by liberal-progressive values.
- Explores and explicates the notion “Next Church” and helps Brite leaders identify and pursue what is required for Brite to become “Next Brite” for “Next Church,” enabling our institution to become better able to prepare persons for effective leadership in such settings.
- Engages Brite faculty, staff, and students formally and informally in ways that attune them to the demands and possibilities of the present era in national and ecclesial life so that there can be relevant well-informed and strategic engagement at different social and political levels that is guided by liberal-progressive values.
- Teaches courses and offers seminars/workshops in “New Church and Communities,” as determined by the Dean, faculty planning groups, Director of Lifelong Learning and Director of Center for Theology and Justice.
- Collaborates with relevant Brite personnel to fashion an administrative structure that enables the pursuits of ecclesial innovation to become integrated into the Long-Range Plan and woven into Brite’s institutional fabric.
- Authors articles, blog posts etc. for publication in relevant print and online sources likely to be sought by persons engaged in “Next Church” efforts.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
David Cobb, a chaplain who formerly served as the pastor of multiple Disciples’ congregations, thoughtfully reviewed the job description and, in response to Phil Snider’s share mentioned the need for the duties to be measurable. In doing so, he grouped them into three categories and provided some commentary:
- Duties 1, 5, and 7 could be grouped together as “Designated Extrovert: be visible and connected both outside and inside of Brite.” Meeting the requirements of such duties may look quite different to an employee that it does to the employer, so, again, if I were an applicant, I’d be asking for clarification about how these duties are going to be evaluated. And if the answer comes back, “you tell us,” I’d have to decide if the position is worth the risk of moving my family. Of course, it may be that the ideal Ecclesial Innovator candidate is the one who relishes the risk and then shapes the position in ways that can’t be anticipated.
- 3 and 4 (and to an extent 5) look more like ideological aspiration. They’re not so much measurable duties or functions as apparent code that says white evangelical Christian nationalists need not apply. I have no objection to such pre-screening, but ideological leanings aren’t measurable functions or duties where one can meet or exceed expections. These duties/functions feel more like ideological requirements than measurable functions of the job.
- Duties 2, 6, and 8 appear to be measurable (potentially), since they involve publication and coursework. Courses in a university come with evaluation methods. But what will count as research in duty 2, and how will it be differentiated from blogging in duty 8? “Conducts research” is rather more specific than “engages others in research.” What will successfully count as a “resource bank,” and who are the “others” who use it? If I were interviewing for the position, these are things I’d like to ask.
To add to Cobb’s analysis, I’m left wanting to know
- The origin story of the role and how it has shaped this listing, including specific outcomes required by the role’s primary funding source
- A breakdown of these tasks by time the Ecclesial Innovator is expected to devote to each, ideally expressed as a percentage
- Reporting structure and actual authority vested in this position
And, I exit this section refreshed as the type of work to be engaged in to accomplish the overall job description is more clear. And, because the lack of specificity and metrics surrounding these duties is appropriate for an innovative role that has never existed. I’m hopeful that another duty can be negotiated that would include a seat at the table in shaping such.
Considering Required Experience and Education
The list of required experience and education contains only four items:
• A Master of Divinity (MDiv) or related Master’s degree.
• Experience serving as a consultant to individuals, groups, churches and other organizations.
• A proven track record in developing an innovative outreach ministry (new congregation, revival of a moribund church etc.) and sustaining it for at least 5 years.
• Demonstrated experience in serving broadly diverse communities, including those that privilege minoritized and/or marginalized people.
Everything here is straightforward and opens the role to a broad and diverse applicant pool except the time requirement attached to the third item. As a serial innovator I can assure you that I’ve moved on before the 5 year mark again and again. Now, if the expectation is that the organization continued the good work for 5 years and that it yielded the desired outcomes, then I’m more okay with this consideration. Alternatively, if one must have engaged in major innovation enough times to have a proven track record of such (say 4 or 5 times?) and stayed at least 5 years each time (say an average of 7) then one would need to bring 28 to 35 years not just of ministry experience but of innovative ministry experience to be minimally qualified for the role. If I were invited to make edits I would simply strike “for at least 5 years.”
Finally, one item is listed as preferred under experience and education: a doctoral degree in a theological or related field.
This makes complete sense to me for a role in higher education and with such broad networking, researching, and teaching responsibilities. And, smartly, by making it preferred it enables the search committee to consider well qualified folks who lack a terminal degree.
So What?
Having given considerable thought to the role, I’m now left to answer the question I posed: “Is the role of Ecclesial Innovator the best job ever or an unfortunate job title?”
I think the answer depends upon the person.
For the individual selected as in inaugural Ecclesial Innovator the role will build upon their life’s work and offer new resources to expand its scope. And, for this person it will hopefully feel like the best job for them for this season of their ministry.
For everyone reading the job description the role will stroke different people in quite different ways as I explored above. Some will express disappointment with the job title and, I suspect, that will occur much more frequently than people reading the full description and then thinking the role itself is unnecessary or unhelpful to the larger work of Brite.
As for me, I’m a fan. When more resources are devoted to ecclesial innovation in our seminaries and when more ministry partners are included in this effort, everyone benefits.