Restoring Lutheran Interdependence
Don’t pay the deans
In days long gone by, the deans of a synod served uncompensated. It was their leadership contribution to their Church. In today’s ELCA, at least in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, the deans are paid. Not much—but even a penny is influence.
Deans are supposed to serve a cluster of congregations as liaisons between the regional office and the congregation. Unpaid, they represent the congregations. Paid, they are arms of the synod.
Consequently, the congregations have very little access to the regional office except through the clergy — if they have clergy. The interdependence that defines the Lutheran church structure depends on communication between the congregations and the regional office and national church, which the cluster/conference and dean system is supposed to facilitate. With the leader of the clusters on the synod payroll, the integrity of the system is compromised. Forums for the interchange of interdependent thinking are muzzled.
When a dispute occurs, where can the congregations turn? Nowhere!
And so disputes, which the Church could and should handle themselves, spill into the secular courts.
It is an ethical dilemma that is largely unrecognized. Without an independent intermediary, this is unlikely to be addressed.
Recommendation: Don’t pay the deans. Allow them to be the voice of the congregations — as they are supposed to be. It won’t hurt them to serve the church the way they expect lay people to serve the church. It would help reestablish trust — and interdependence.