But regardless of whether the figure is closer to twenty or forty, I do think it’s one of the costs of having a lay clergy who also have careers to keep up with– that they end up spending a lot of time away from their families.

But if time away from families is the only consideration, then it does put a wrinkle into the “professional clergy” discussion. When I was a ward Relief Society president, I spent about as much time away from family as my husband did as bishop. For him, being stake clerk was more time consuming than serving in a bishopric.

And yet RS presidents and clerks do not fall under a definition of “clergy” that most outside the church could relate to.

I don’t know if the bishops working forty hours a week figure is accurate– I pulled that from a vague memory of a study I’d once seen on the subject. But regardless of whether the figure is closer to twenty or forty, I do think it’s one of the costs of having a lay clergy who also have careers to keep up with– that they end up spending a lot of time away from their families. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t also professional clergy who work eighty hours a week, of course. (That’s actually one benefit I can see to having celibate clergy, though I generally see more disadvantages than advantages to that system.)

The question of training, particularly how it relates to spiritual guidance, is an intriguing one. As AmyB and others have noted, sometimes bishops have been inappropriately cast in the role of psychotherapists, based on the assumption that such training isn’t necessary if one is listening to the Spirit (though my impression is that this attitude is becoming less common, thankfully). I can’t imagine anyone suggesting that bishops perform heart surgery based on their access to the Spirit. But I think this raises interesting questions–in what areas do we see formal training as necessary, and in what areas not? Are there times when spiritual direction can substitute for such training, so to speak?

Anyway, I should say that when I describe to others the way we do things, it sometimes sounds crazy even to me. Yet I also think that on the whole, it works remarkably well.

And there is a LOT of training in the first few months of the call (which is why it can be overwhelming at first until that all shakes out), and then ongoing training and regular visits with the stake president. So it’s not like anyone is left alone to figure it out.

Huh. It’s just occurred to me that we could make bishops’ and stake presidents’ tenures much easier by giving them a training period supervised by their predecessors…

I totally agree. Thank you for the soapbox. It’s a personal one of mine as well.

As to my source for the 20% number, it was from a professor who trains therapists at a large state university and who also has a private practice. His point was that he keeps seeing the same people over and over again, and that often he is able to help in ways that are only marginal at best. He was frustrated because his best efforts were often futile. I don’t think he was devaluing professional training so much as recognizing the intractable nature of some of the problems we humans find ourselves in.

I agree with the points you make about bishops and counselling. But it is a difficult challenge to decide where being a friend and confidant stops and where therapy begins. And of course we often have unrealistically high expectations. Since the bishop is inspired, shouldn’t he know the answer to my problem? That attitude is very common, and needs to be curtailed.

I’m a little curious where you are getting the 20% number with professional marriage counseling, and on what “success” is based. It’s a personal soapbox of mine, but I don’t think bishops should be in the counseling business- most of them don’t know enough to know what they don’t know and where they might do considerable damage. In addition, they are bound by no code of ethics and have little training as to what would be ethical behavior in a counseling situation. Stepping off soapbox now. Sorry.

The question of training is indeed interesting. It’s my impression that a very large part of a bishop’s job is administrative. It seems different than the job of a pastor or minister of a congregation- who I think are more trained in knowledge of scripture, theology, etc. My only point is really that I wonder if we are comparing apples and oranges.

I had a childhood experience much like the one you describe. It was explained to me that people in other denominations “call themselves” to be ministers, and in my imagination I envisioned a man sitting in a chair, raising his hands to place them on his own head, and pronouncing a blessing for himself, lol.

I find it admirable in every way that people feel called to dedicate their lives to the service of God. The problem arises from the two definitions of the word _vocation_. It can mean not only a calling from God, but also a job, an occupation. I have a friend whose pastor left for a larger congregation (read: pay raise), and he was on the search committee to find a new shepherd for the flock. They advertised, solicited resumes, viewed videotapes of the candidates preaching, and interviewed the finalists. They extended an offer to their favorite candidate, and after some haggling over pay, sick leave, and benefits, he finally accepted. It was a lot of work, and my friend expressed envy for the Mormon way of doing things. My first impression was that it is terribly crass for a person who purports to be called of God to make decisions based on who offers the best 401(k) plan. But on the other hand, if God’s will can manifest itself through the muzzle of Balaam’s ass, why not through the invisible hand of the marketplace? They are happy with their new pastor, and I am happy for them.

The question of training is interesting. My guess is that there is not much of a difference in the quality of pastoral care when we compare professional and lay clergy. For instance, I’ve been told that professional marriage counselling has a very low rate of success, less than 20%. It is hard to see how someone with no training at all would do much worse. And usually, people who get called to positions of responsibility in wards have already had lots of on-the-job training serving in presidencies, as missionaries, and so on.

I’m grateful for the Catholic priests, the Mormon bishops, and the Protestant ministers who have in various ways helped me hear more clearly the voice of God in my own life.

Me too.