Are we witnessing more challenge and struggle in the church these days? Many denominations indicate that more energy goes into facing disturbing relationships and patterns in congregations while clergy shortages show up almost everywhere. "Analysis and Help" literature gives a clue in titles and material that respond to current conditions such as Clergy Killers, How to Create Healthier Congregations or Church Conflict. In a broad perspective mainline churches appear to be facing a phenomenon that is not "religious" but something larger is showing up in all institutions.

The late Rabbi Edwin Friedman refers to a theory that describes societal regression, a concept which is part of natural systems thinking from the late Dr. Murray Bowen, a pioneer in developing a new lens on human behavior. Societal regression suggests we are living in a time of increased terrorism, fundamentalism, cults, litigiousness, and violence. Such times exhibit more free floating anxiety provoking a climate more challenging to leaders, that is, leaders as parents, pastors, and presidents.

From a community perspective, the congregation and its leaders are located or positioned between families in society and society at large. Much of the anxious emotional processes in society and in families often becomes displaced into the church. Emotional processes play out in institutions and the church becomes an arena for the forces to work their way into human functioning especially in the way people treat each other. More pressure and burnout start to surface among clergy particularly in contexts where some are more vulnerable to the reactivity that materializes in a congregation. On the other hand, many clergy and congregations continue to handle challenge and struggle in problem solving and creative ways. Overall though, there seems to be an increase in the level of reactivity, blame, opposing groups, and desire for quick fixes.

Part of the irony for the church, I believe, stems from at least two factors. First, because the church or synagogue is positioned between families and society, the position of spiritual leader may be unique from a systems point of view. The clergy position has the following emotional coordinates: 1) The pastor is positioned in a setting where more than one generation meets and interacts (multigenerational context), 2) He or she lives and ministers with these generations over time, 3) the ordained leader ministers to people who are getting on with their life and with those who seem to draw more of life's troubles--all in the same congregation, 4) the clergyperson has unique and natural entry into family and institutional rites of passage such as death, birth, marriage, graduation, divorce, retirement, baptism, confirmation, and geographical movements, and 5) The pastor happens to be the spiritual leader. It is difficult to match these coordinates in the emotional field of life and relationships.

Second, research presented by Dr. Nancy Ammerman, sociology professor at Hartford Seminary, is striking. In an effort to discover what institution in our society best prepares responsible citizens in a democracy the results were unanticipated. The congregation comes out as the most effective place for children and adults to grow into mature community citizens. The congregation still values individuals and families. People have a place over time. Members are exposed to the arts, to other generations, to a place where "transcendence" happens. Members can grow into discernment of "what is good," and "what is not so good." There is more continuity and less brokenness than in society as a whole.

As the church faces increasing change and evolution in our knowledge of the universe it will have the opportunity to sharpen its relevance and life promoting perspective. It will address what needs to change and what stays the same. The family model, or as some call it, family systems thinking, is a paradigm shift in facing the complexities and conditions of our time. It offers a new way of thinking about human relationships that takes into account central developments in the contemporary sciences. The focus is on strengths and the importance of how relationships affect our thinking. Natural systems thinking connects us to our biblical roots without becoming another technique or fad. It considers forces beyond the individual that impact the individual. Systems thinking, while not the "final word" allows us to face challenges of the human condition in a more integrated and comprehensive way.

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As one listens to clergy, according to Rabbi Edwin Friedman, it becomes clearer that the stories told are similar whether the person be a priest, nun, minister, rabbi, or pastor. What seems to unite us in the church at this level is not necessarily our theology, but the common experience of dealing with the human phenomenon, particularly our families, our congregations, and our personal lives.

From a natural systems perspective, the family in some form is the ecumenical experience we all have. This goes beyond culture, gender, race, and many conventional dichotomies. Families anywhere face the same emotional process, which connects us across generations. Murray Bowen saw life as interconnected, grounded in creation along with all forms of life. In his search for a science of human behavior, Bowen developed a way of thinking that has universal appeal, depth, and integrative power beyond conventional cause-and-effect thinking in the "post-modern" age. The theory promotes maturity and management of anxiety. It focuses on strength rather than pathology. It takes into account a large picture of relationships while providing for individual variations. The theory offers strategies based on one's "being" rather than learning "technique."

The natural systems approach to clergy leadership and family issues is not learned in a conference, from a book, or through brief study. It is "organic" to the day-by-day process of human relationships. Learning this way of thinking relies on a more traditional mentoring, coaching style. In this sense it cannot be packaged or cloned. It is a maturity venture which often leads to better functioning, clearer boundaries, less stress, taking personal responsibility, and more resiliency.

As interest grows from those who begin to hear this way of thinking, leaders working on their own self-differentiation are offering an alternative way of thinking alongside conventional approaches. As the marketplace puts out a variety of products to address the "family" issue, natural systems theory can become a key in preparing clergy, parents, and presidents for their own family work and leadership. Resources are available to help leaders in times of increasing planetary demands and family challenges.

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1. The context of the church today signals profound challenges for leadership. Markers include speed in change, information explosion, limited resources, population pressure, instant communication, family disruption, and other factors influencing possible regressive conditions. No one factor is determinative. The confluence of societal and family issues affects our institutions, particularly the church.

2. The church is positioned between the family and society. Clergy are leaders in this position. Clergy represent and serve their traditions. They function humanly as theological and emotional leaders.

3. Church leaders and seminary faculty have expressed concern about the functional maturity of seminarians and parish clergy. It appears all denominational leaders are unified in dealing with growing conflicts and relationship dilemmas of their clergy. Bishops and judicatory heads currently spend a good deal of energy "matching and mending" congregations and clergy.

4. Clergy as leaders of congregations appear to be distributed on a continuum from long term effectiveness to repeated conflict and shifting from congregation to congregation. Congregations can also be seen on a continuum of variation in their ability to work with clergy leaders. In this matrix many observers claim that stressors are increased due to increased complexity of demands, diversity of forces in the environment, and those factors mentioned above.

5. Many of the consulting resources available for clergy are mostly based on managerial, technical, administrative, and other conventional models. For example, some publishers have rich and responsive catalogs of books, papers, and programs to help clergy and congregations. Much of this is excellent and relevant. However, a systems perspective offers another way of thinking about leadership and family emotional process. Names associated with what can be called "family process and natural systems" are Murray Bowen, M.D., Edwin Friedman, D.D., Michael Kerr, M.D., and others.

6. Many clergy (and seminary faculty) are drawn to family systems thinking particularly as it is applied to clergy leadership. A postgraduate clergy leadership seminar in the past ten years in the upper Midwest has been offered in which theory and practice are addressed. Clergy meet once a month in a "nonpolitical" setting where theory is represented along with participant cases taken from their congregation or work system, a family under their charge, or their own family.

7. The process of bringing theory, theology, and practice into sharper alignment requires an ongoing commitment over time. It is a low-key format where clergy may step aside to exchange experiences and reflect on their own functioning within the congregation's emotional system.

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