Introduction
Church and state relations is a provocative topic in American society. The issue evokes intense emotions. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This First Amendment provision is designated as the Establishment Clause (“Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion”) and Free Exercise Clause (“or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”). A related and, at times, controversial aspect is religion in public schools.
In 2004, I interviewed seven public high school principals from Kentucky. Based on the outcomes of those interviews, I developed a survey instrument to investigate Kentucky public high school principals’ expectations for clergy in fostering working relationships between principals and pastors. Fifty-nine out of 199 Kentucky public high school principles who comprise the research population returned completed survey forms — a return rate of 29 percent. Based on outcomes of perceptions and expectations via the survey, I identified certain research applications in the form of guiding principals for clergy in building working relationships with public school principles. Due to my background in student ministry, I certainly intended to inform relationship building between principals and student ministers.
Chap Clark (2004) and Mark Devries (2004) argue the societal and critical problem in the United States of the abandonment by adults of youth. Their concerns highlight the need for caring and responsible adult presence in the lives of youth. Student ministers’ involvement in public schools can serve to redress this need but with the initiative of student ministers and the input of public school leaders to exercise great caution and care in the function and form of their presence on campuses. The guiding principles below seek to inform this process. These guiding principles are derived from the 2004 study of Kentucky public high school principles’ expectations for clergy in fostering working relationships between principals and pastors. Some of the principles offered may represent common sense or knowledge to some readers. If so, then the 2004 study provides some empirical support for these perceived common sense principles.
Prioritize and Practice Open Dialogue with School Principals
Public high school principals demonstrated a desire for dialogue with clergy. Such dialogue with principals requires that the student minister communicate clearly and caringly. Student ministers need to understand school leaders’ concerns relative to their presence on campus. The student minister needs to inform school leaders of his or her intentions and intended levels of involvement and interaction with students openly and honesty.
A good rule for a student minister to follow is always to dialogue with school leaders before interacting with students or before making any change in the level or type of interaction with students. For instance, a youth pastor in a small town has met with the local public high school principal about eating lunch with members of his church’s youth group once a week. This youth pastor communicated that his purpose is not to sit and eat with students who are un-churched and speak with them about their need to believe in Christ. Instead, his intention is to sit and eat with members of his youth group. Wwhen having lunch with members of his youth group, they asked him to pray aloud before they ate. At times when this youth minister has eaten with members of his youth group, certain students who are not members of his youth group, unsolicited, have sat at the same table. This youth minister’s praying aloud represented a change in conduct from what he and the school principal had discussed. Prior to praying aloud regularly with members of his youth group before eating lunch, the youth pastor needs to follow up with the school principal about this change. It is fundamentally an issue of preserving the principal’s trust. Once you loose that trust, you have lost access.
In speaking with school leaders about sponsoring a school assembly, student ministers need to provide school leaders information addressing the “what, why and how” — clear communication. If a student minister has concerns about a principal’s non-approval of a suggested activity or assembly, he or she needs to engage this principal caringly. At times, leaders will disagree. When leaders disagree, they need to employ words and express themselves in ways that communicate the other’s value and worth. Though they expressed the view that clergy have an important role in public education, public high school principals wanted clergy to be open-minded to their concerns and comments; requests and rules.
Lead with a Learner Attitude
Youth pastors need to be open-minded toward the concerns principals raise.
Kentucky public high school principles asked of clergy for such open-mindedness. Student ministers must approach principals and their school’s policies and procedures with an acknowledgement of sometimes not knowing all the facts. The youth pastor needs to be a learner because principals want clergy to stay within certain parameters in their interaction with students while on campus; therefore, youth pastors need to initiate and invite discussion about principals’ attitudes and concerns relative to their access and activities on school campuses. To learn, one must listen to others. Student ministers must express to principals their desire to listen and learn from them.
Consider Context and Carry on with Care
Certain community and public school contexts may be less sensitive to clergy presence on their school campuses. Regardless, in every public school context, student ministers must carry on with care — that is, caring about not placing the school at risk for legal action through their actions on campus. One youth pastor’s action(s) can jeopardize access to school campuses by other pastors of that community and even on a broader scale as result of legislative or legal actions in response to perceived, inappropriate or unconstitutional activities by the student minister — clergy becoming a liability. Kentucky public high school principals indicated non-approval of carte blanche access to clergy on school campuses. Principals desire that clergy function within parameters. Functioning within these parameters require initiative by pastor and principal. Not giving regard to how one’s action(s) may impact another (principal or pastor) indicates a self-serving agenda; and servanthood is not self-serving but values and builds up and benefits others.
Look for Common and Middle Ground with School Leaders
Kentucky public high school principals (i.e., respondents in the study) indicated they believe middle ground exists relative to clergy activities on campus. Student ministers need to initiate dialogue with public school leaders on what constitutes that middle ground. Study respondents demonstrated value for clergy, hence, value for the ideas and interests of clergy. The student minister also must value the ideas and interests of public school leaders. Respondents reported sharing common goals with clergy. Understanding the common goals that principals and pastors share can lead to understanding the middle ground on which clergy can operate in their contact and conduct with students on campus.
A Youth Pastor Gains Voice and Value Through His Words and Ways
The words one speaks signify his ideas and feelings — attitudes. Public high school principals are clearly sensitive to the issue of clergy violating parameters in matters of clergy content and conduct with students: what they speak about and how they speak with students. Gangel and Canine in their discussion about nonverbal communication assert that one always is communicating and cannot help but to communicate. In speaking about communication in general, Gangel and Canine write, “The issue is not whether you will communicate, but how you are communicating” (Gangel and Canine, 1992, p. 84). Student ministers’ attitudes and actions can build or bust principals’ trust in them. Most respondents agreed that building trust is the leading aspect that fosters working relationships between pastors and principals.
Consider a Love Response, Not a Legal One
Clergy need to reflect on their paradigm of responding to issues relative to religion in schools and seek open dialogue with public school leaders about such issues. Public school leaders want open dialogue with clergy. Such open dialogue can lead to finding middle ground. When clergy feel that an infringement on religious freedom is being violated in the public school setting or perceive that unfair treatment by school leaders of clergy exists, clergy need to prioritize positive and private dialogue with public school leaders about their concerns. Conflict represents an opportunity for growth in relationships. When one initiates resolution of conflict with another, he or she communicates value for the other person and their relationship. Valuing others via one’s attitudes and actions is the loving thing to do. Personal relationships and friendships are jeopardized if feelings of value and worth are not engendered. In light of the attitudes Kentucky public school principals exhibited in terms of non-opposition to clergy presence on school campuses and non-approval of carte blanche access to clergy, they are open to finding middle ground on issues which concern clergy. Haynes and Thomas observe, “Too often (and too quickly) in disputes about religion and public education, lawyers are called and lawsuits filed. Communities are further divided, and support for public education continues to erode” (Haynes and Thomas, 2002, p. 61).
Live the Life of Love Before Others
Youth desperately need to see adults modeling love in their relationships. Many public figures exemplify disharmony and dysfunction in their relationships with others. As clergy seek to instill in principals a sense of value and worth through their attitudes and actions, they model servanthood. Servanthood toward another is love. Servanthood by spouses can heal marriages. Servanthood in professional, political and personal relationships can promote dialogue, listening, learning and problem solving. One is a better individual when he or she has a servant attitude. Society is better when members have servant attitudes, and clergy and school leaders share the common goal of growing a better society.
Show Gratitude for School Leaders
Public school leaders desire the support of clergy. Like clergy, public school leaders want students to become better individuals and work toward that aim. When clergy harshly criticize public school leaders, public school leaders can feel under-appreciated because they share a common concern and care with pastors for youth: to produce better individuals and a better society. As student ministers express gratitude for public school leaders, they acknowledge school leaders’ importance and value; they acknowledge and affirm the partnership between clergy and school leaders. Kentucky public high school principals reported viewing themselves as partners with clergy.
Conclusion
It is my hope that this discussion will contribute to necessary dialogue among Christian, evangelical leaders about their attitudes and approaches toward public school leaders. Working relationships between schools and churches can exist foster learning contexts for school leaders, students, parents and pastors. Pastors need to be teachable and nonjudgmental. Striving for such working relationships represents one aspect of a broader strategy to serve students and families and the community. As leaders of his church seek to serve schools in their community, they communicate their concern and the concern of Christ in a manner that is cooperative and nurturing because it is the heart of Christ which compels our hearts to serve the people around us.
Bibliography
Clark, Chap. (2004). Hurt: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
DeVries, Mark. (2004). Family-Based Youth Ministry (2nd ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Gangel, Kenneth O. (1989). Feeding and Leading. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
Gangel, Kenneth O., Canine, Samuel L. (1992). Communication and Conflict Management in Churches and Christian Organizations. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Haynes, Charles C., Thomas, Oliver. (2002). Finding Common Ground: A Guide to Religious Liberty in Public Schools. Nashville, TN: First Amendment Center.
