A Pastor-Congregation Covenant

When I came to Old Union Church (18 years ago in November), we established a covenant relationship between myself and the congregation, which included a series of mutual commitments to each other. Take a moment to review this covenant: am I honoring my commitments to you? Are you, as a member of the congregation, honoring yours?

Rev. de Vries: I will be diligent and hard-working.
Congregation: We will respect your need for personal and family time.

Rev. de Vries: I will prepare thought-provoking and faith-challenging sermons.
Congregation: We will provide you with preparation time, books and other resources, and continuing education.

Rev. de Vries: I will make emergency pastoral care my highest priority.
Congregation: We will inform you as quickly as possible about our needs for emergency pastoral care, such as hospitalization or death.

Rev. de Vries: I will provide leadership for the church, both personally and by supporting our lay leaders.
Congregation: We will recognize that our pastor is only one of several leaders for our church. With our elders and deacons, we will each assume our leadership responsibilities.

Rev. de Vries: I will strive continually to serve the congregation in the most appropriate ways.
Congregation: We, individually and through our Personnel Committee, will help you evaluate and set goals for your ministry.

Rev. de Vries: I will respect the traditions of the congregation, and will seek input from its members for future planning.
Congregation: We will consider your suggestions openly, and will participate in planning for the church's future.

Rev. de Vries: I will treat the manse with the same care I would use if it was my own house. I will keep the house and yard attractive.
Congregation: We will equip and maintain the manse in the same manner that we do our own homes. We will make repairs in a timely fashion.

Rev. de Vries: I will conduct my personal lifestyle as befits a disciple of Jesus Christ, as I best understand it.
Congregation: We will refrain from being overly critical or judgmental of you.

Rev. de Vries: I will receive constructive criticism openly, will strive to hear those comments non-defensively, and will take your concerns seriously.
Congregation: We will air concerns about you directly or through appropriate channels, rather than through gossip or other harmful means. We will present these concerns in a sensitive and constructive manner, with the goal of resolving any perceived problems.

All: We will all strive to bring glory to Jesus Christ through our relationship as pastor and congregation.