By Justin Warner
March 13, 2024
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A Young Pastor With Lot of Energy
On our local town recommendations page, a few families were looking for a Christmas Eve service in 2023. Multiple members and friends of this church commented about how excellent our worship services are, but the big selling point was a “young pastor with a lot of energy.” Because of this selling point and a great marketing campaign, we witnessed one of the highest-attended Christmas Eve services in the last two decades. It took my breath away as I watched the church fill up to celebrate Christ’s birth and as we shared the light of Christ while singing “Silent Night.”
Young pastors seem quite marketable to many mainline Protestant churches, where we are always looking for young people. Serving in my first ordained call as a Transitional/Interim Pastor is challenging because many who share the same professional responsibility as me in the Presbyterian Church (USA) are typically at the end of their career. They may serve as a consultant with expert opinions based on their 30+ years of experience. The paradox of many search committees and church leaders is that they want a “young pastor with a lot of energy” but also want someone with a lot of experience.
The paradox of many search committees and church leaders is that they want a “young pastor with a lot of energy” but also want someone with a lot of experience.
Based on conversations with the search committee who found me, they took a chance on me and my leadership. When I walk into interviews or to a pulpit for a Sunday morning service, I get the comment, “Oh wow—you are so young.” I am younger than most of my parishioner’s children and many of their grandchildren. The younger leaders within my church are closer to my parents’ age. However, I have found my voice and ability to lead this church into the future that God prepared for them through contemplative leadership and humbly acknowledging my needs.
Contemplative Leadership
While the Jesuits have engaged in contemplative practices over the centuries, we now witness these practices in more Protestant circles. Utilizing The Ignatian Adventure by Kevin O’Brien, SJ, I find renewed hope in engaging with scripture through daily life. Successful leadership begins grounded in spiritual freedom. I start many of my meetings with staff or lay leaders with the following Jesuit prayer for spiritual freedom, which opens up the space for creativity.
O Spirit of God,
We ask you to help orient
all our actions by your inspirations,
carry them on by your gracious assistance,
that every prayer and work of ours
May always begin from you
and through you
be happily ended.
Amen.
In my daily work, I utilize practices taught by Dr. Bo Karen Lee and the newly formed Center for Contemplative Leadership at Princeton Theological Seminary to help guide my deep listening. Moving away from multitasking and becoming fully present in the moment, I can embrace holy listening as God’s voice shines through the situation. Slowing down allows me to maintain the energy necessary to lead a congregation. After much contemplative listening and finding my way to exist within and beyond the systems in this church, I see myself flourishing at being a change agent. My undergraduate degree is in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience, and understanding human behavior is central to parish ministry. The ability to deeply listen and witness interconnected behavior helps me guide this church in a successful transitional process.
Slowing down allows me to maintain the energy necessary to lead a congregation.
As we live in this peri-post-COVID-19 world, I believe all churches are encountering a season of transition. I have learned to combat the powerful forces of nostalgia and a recollection of what happened before the pandemic with the realities that we encounter today. My continued encouragement for this church is that we must live in the moment of our ministry here rather than constantly comparing ourselves to others or the past.
The antidote to anxiety within a church family is recapturing our shared joy.
The church as a whole is anxious about challenges that arise, but we see the antidote to these challenges by seeking out joy. Creating welcoming and affirming space—whether informally at a fellowship/coffee hour or formally in meetings, pastoral counseling sessions, or over lunches—has empowered me to listen and respond to this anxiety. The antidote to anxiety within a church family is recapturing our shared joy. Finding joy in ministry partnerships is much easier as a young transitional pastor. Rather than being caught up in how things used to be, I can shine new understanding on spaces where we are flourishing. I can do this because I humbly and honestly acknowledge my needs as a person and a pastor.
Humbly and Honestly Acknowledging My Needs
During a challenging season, I called one of my presbytery leaders, and he asked me the hard question: What do you need during this time? Reflecting on this last year and a half, I humbly acknowledge that I need support. Sometimes, I need support from colleagues in ministry who have served faithfully for the last 20–40 years and have wisdom to share. I also need key allies who continue to encourage me and support my initiatives and ideas. Surprisingly, I need the one person who comes up to me on a Sunday morning with a smile on their face and a handshake with statements like “great sermon” and “you’re doing a great job.” Points of encouragement along this journey.
I humbly acknowledge that I need support.
I also need trusted people who will hold me accountable—those who push back or make me think about how I handle a particular situation or topic. As a young person in ministry, I have a long way to go—and many colleagues have encouraged me to prioritize self-care. I have learned to embrace every day of my contracted vacation and study leave, to set healthy boundaries with congregation members, and celebrate a proper Sabbath rest. I continue to share with the church leaders the importance of my time away, celebrating the possibilities of rest and renewal, and encouraging others to do the same.
Young leaders are not like any generation before—many of us recognize that self-care is part of God’s call on our lives—a radical appreciation and love of ourselves—who are created in God’s image and in serving God in this world.
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Justin Warner, Polaris Catalyst
The Rev. Justin Warner is an ordained PC(USA) Minister of Word and Sacrament. He is originally from Marietta, Ohio, and holds both a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Masters of Art in Christian Education & Formation (M.A.) from Princeton Theological Seminary. He also has a B.A. in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience from The College of Wooster. He has a passion for pastoral care and thrives in creative revitalization during transition seasons. Justin and his spouse, Melany, enjoy concerts, Broadway shows, world travel, and a variety of global cuisine in their free time.