COMMISSIONS AND TASKS

The commission and tasks of the bishop

The commission of the bishop in the Church with its many and varied tasks is to be permeated by the fact that the bishop is the messenger of Christ, placed in the service of reconciliation. The office of the bishop is carried out in many different fields and requires readiness for a variety of means and methods. Fundamental is the commission with its special demands, which must direct the planning of the work and its priorities.

The bishop does not stand alone in his [ In this and following sections his indicates both his and her.]

call but is together with his colleagues in the ministry of the bishop and shares fellowship in the ministry with the priests and deacons of the diocese. In his office the bishop also has a natural contact with a great number of institutions in church and society. In order to be able to apply the ministry correctly the bishop must both exercise and be accorded care and respect as a fellow human being so that everything surrounding the bishop’s work will contribute to the wellbeing of the diocese and the whole Church. In this way all are to cooperate in supporting the bishop in the task to strengthen God’s people in the task of discerning the signs of the time and of bearing witness to God’s mighty acts for the whole creation .

The bishop is called to care for, defend and lead the Church in his diocese. At the same time the diocesan bishop is coresponsible for the Church of Sweden as a whole and as a province within all Christendom. The bishop is called to his office by the people and servants of the Church in the diocese. It therefore follows that the bishop devotes the main part of his time and energy to the diocese and its church life. But each bishop is also a bishop of the whole Church, incorporated in the college of bishops with responsibility for the call of the whole Church to be light and salt in the Swedish society and, at times, also outside its borders in fellowship with the rest of Christendom.

In accordance with the tradition of the Church a primary task of the bishop is to promote and be a symbolic figure for the unity and cohesion of the Church. Within his diocese the bishop is the sign of the interdependence of the diocese and each individual congregation, both internally and with the fellowship of the whole Church. The bishop personifies the calling of the people of God to unity in Christ.

First and foremost among the special tasks within the ministry of the bishop is responsibility for doctrine. The bishop is to ensure that the apostolic doctrine and faith are communicated in their purity through proclamation and teaching and that they are confessed in word and deed. When article 28 of the Augsburg Confession speaks of the spiritual jurisdiction of the bishops it states: Hence according to the gospel or, they say, by divine right the bishops in their capacity as bishops, that is, as entrusted with the ministry of the Word and sacraments, have the following jurisdiction: to communicate forgiveness of sins, assess doctrine, reject doctrines which are contrary to the gospel, and, without human coercion but by virtue of the Word, exclude from the fellowship of the Church those whose ungodliness is generally known. In this regard congregations must unconditionally and in accordance with divine law render them obedience according to the word: He who hears you hears me. But when they teach or prescribe anything contrary to the gospel, then the congregations have a commandment from God which forbids them to obey, Matt 7: Beware of false prophets. The bishops’ responsibility for doctrine does not relieve congregations and individual Christians of the responsibility to ensure that a correct Christian faith is expressed in worship and religious life. Membership of the priesthood of the baptizedandbelieving also entails a right and an obligation to work together to preserve evangelical doctrine in its purity.

Episcopal responsibility for doctrine is exercised through the regular work of the bishop in the Diocesan Chapter and other diocesan institutions and in his activity as visitor in the congregations. At the same time it falls to the bishops corporately to study and reach decisions in doctrinal questions and through the bishops’ conference make guiding statements. This task is given expression also in the provision that since 1982, all Church of Sweden bishops are exofficio members of the Church Assembly Commission on Church Doctrine, whose duty it is to assess matters of doctrine in the agenda of the Assembly’s meetings. The episcopal responsibility for doctrine is a ministerial responsibility and cannot, therefore, be delegated, but is to be exercised in cooperation with others who are baptized.

The episcopal task of oversight is primarily exercised in connection with the bishop’s regularly recurrent visitations to the congregations. The aim of the visitation is to assess the situation in the congregation and development trends there. The bishop comes in the first instance as inspirer and adviser. The visitation provides many opportunities for encouragement and mutual deliberations about the different aspects of the congregation’s life. In addition it provides the bishop with a close contact with local church life. Through the visitations the bishop receives an overview of the spiritual life in the diocese, a valuable asset for his own strategic planning and contributions as the spiritual leader of the diocese. In this way the problems and joys of congregations, coworkers and individuals also become the concern of the bishop. The bishop holds his office in order to serve the diocese and the congregations, and as a basis for his leadership of the diocese he has to have a realistic picture of its spiritual situation.

The rural deans are the bishop’s closest coworkers in the task of oversight. With a mandate from the bishop they can perform special dean’s visitations. The rural deans are appointed by the bishop to be his representatives in a deanery. An important aspect of the bishop’s task of oversight is personal contact with the priests in the diocese, which is a part of the function of being pastor pastorum.

Certain leadership tasks related to both the diocese and the Church as a whole belong to the bishop’s ministry. Some of these are legally specified official duties, such as chairmanship of the Diocesan Chapter and the Diocesan Board as well as participation in the Church Assembly and its Commission on Church Doctrine. Others have the character of customary right such as the membership of the Bishops’ Conference. Leadership responsibility can sometimes also be exercised outside the traditional functions. This requires a special sensibility on the part of the bishop and a readiness to intervene precisely as bishop even in unique situations. Between the bishop’s responsibility for doctrine and for leadership the boundaries can be indistinct. To exercise responsibility for doctrine is often characterized as guidance while the leadership task often raises problems of a doctrinal nature.

The task of ordaining is exclusively episcopal. According to the order of the Church of Sweden and to general ecclesiastical tradition, ordination to the ministry of the Church is reserved for the bishop. It is of great importance for the Church that the bishops correctly discharge their right and duty to examine, accept and ordain servants of the Church for the congregations. The bishop’s tasks in relation to doctrine, oversight and leadership converge in the task of ordination. The bishop has to examine the candidates with respect to both doctrine and suitability for service, and the tasks of leadership and oversight also come to the fore during contact with the candidates, which is to precede the ordination itself. Although the bishop is assisted in this task by others in the diocese and the Diocesan Chapter has to examine and accept the candidates to the ministry of the priest, it is the bishop who makes the decision to ordain and who carries the responsibility for the ordination. In doubtful situations it can be correct and even most merciful to refuse ordination out of concern both for the congregations of the diocese and the candidate. There is no right to ordination to the ministry of the Church which could be brought to bear against a decision to refuse ordination. The bishop therefore has the liberty to say yes or no.

It is the bishop who performs the ordination and leads the ordination service. But the ordination is not solely the bishop’s concern. The ordination of men and women to the ministry of the Church is a concern also for the congregations and the whole Church. Since ordination is an act of prayer by the Church, the congregation participates in the ordination prayers and also in the blessing through the laying on of hands. According to general church practice, the ordination continues with the celebration of the eucharistic meal of fellowship and unity. In the present Service Book an alternative is available in which the ordination is carried out in the context of a service without eucharist.

Together with the bishop’s various duties there is also a responsibility for administration, though the diocesan office and the rural deans carry part of this burden. A skilful administrator as well as a bishop who has a limited interest in such tasks, must be able, with wisdom and trust, to delegate those matters which are not direct functions within the episcopal ministry.

The commission and tasks of the priest

In the Church and the congregation the priest is entrusted with the commission to be the servant of the divine word, Verbi Divini Minister. The work of the priest in all its different aspects must be permeated by the fact that the priest is the messenger of Christ, entrusted to administer the mysteries of God. The priest is set apart to give the people of God what they need to be cleansed and to become mature in faith , which in the first instance means to proclaim the Word of God rightly and to administer the sacraments as instituted by Christ.

It belongs to the basic conditions of the priest’s ministry that the commission is richly differentiated and that ways of working, means and methods change with different tasks. But even though it is an individual appointment, the priest is not alone. Also in those instances when the appointment is not directly related to a congregation, the priest nevertheless belongs to a congregation and participates in the ministerial fellowship. In his commission the priest is expected to work together with superiors, coservants and elected coworkers. In this context the priest is to exercise endurance in the service of reconciliation by promoting and testifying, in word, deed and manner, that all have been called to edify the people of God and to serve the kingdom of God.

Priests can hold different types of appointments. The majority are priests in a congregation and serve as rectors or associate ministers. In a pastorate, which consists of one or more parishes, the vicar organizes and is responsible for pastoral care. A group of pastorates forms a deanery, which is an administrative unit between diocese and pastorate and which has lately been given a more important role as an agency for consultation and coordination of common concerns. The deanery is led by the rural dean, who is appointed by the bishop on the basis of a consultative ballot among the priests in the deanery.

In the Church of Sweden there are also a number of special appointments for priests. A considerable number of priests serve in hospital chaplaincies, in schools, in prisons and military units. Others are responsible for educational and planning tasks within the diocese or the departments of the Church at national level. Many priests work in the Church of Sweden Abroad (SKUT), in Swedish congregations abroad, in Seamen’s Churches or at larger tourist resorts in foreign countries. Other priests, again, serve in the African, Asian and Latin American churches, being sent by the Church of Sweden Mission (CSM) or the Swedish Evangelical Mission (SEM) after having been called by the local churches. There are also a number of priests who serve outside the official clerical organization, for example in schools, social institutions and voluntary agencies. The ordained pastors of the SEM should be mentioned in this context.

Being the servant of the Word of God, the priest has proclamation as a main task. This task is exercised in the first instance by preaching, but also in other ways. The proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ must characterize all the work of the priest, whether this is to preach in services or not. The priest’s contacts with people and care of souls, spiritual conversation with individuals are also aspects of proclamation. The methods and technique of proclamation can differ on different occasions and with different personalities, but it must always centre around the Holy Trinity and proclaim salvation through Jesus Christ. In the sermon the priest is to preach the word of God purely and clearly, as it is given through revelation in the Scriptures and witnessed in the confession of our Church, with no additions or distortions, with concern for the spiritual growth of the people. In this regard the priest must always strive to mete out law and gospel in just proportions as admonition, guidance, comfort and encouragement. A considerable part of the priest’s time must be set aside for preparation of sermons, which, in turn, requires the priest’s own theological and spiritual deepening. Preaching, the difficult art of reaching people with the message, is a sort of handicraft which demands constant practice. This requires not only a constantly deepened theological insight, but also knowledge about current affairs and about people’s manner of thinking and reflecting. Clearsightedness and outlook are important prerequisites for the priest’s personal maturity and deepened anchorage in the faith of the Church. Into this faith the priest is to lead the congregation by means of preaching.

Fellowship in faith finds expression in fellowship in worship. There the priest has the liturgical task of leading the congregation’s prayer and adoration. However, the liturgy is not by its nature an exclusive task for the priest but a concern for the whole congregation. The congregation participates in creating the liturgy and it is the task of the priest to stimulate active involvement by the congregation in the liturgical proceedings. Between the liturgy’s two subjects, the priest and the congregation, with their different liturgical functions, the liturgical drama of the service is performed. The liturgy is also a proclamation of God’s mighty deeds and of Christ’s presence in the midst of his people. The priest, as the fellow servant of the congregation and not as its guardian, is to lead the liturgy in such a way that it becomes living and meaningful.

The liturgical life of the congregation is carried out in accord with the Order of Service in the Church of Sweden. One of the distinctive features of the Church of Sweden Service Book of 1986 is its ambition to activate the congregation as a liturgical subject. It is therefore presupposed that the congregation should be involved in the preparation of the service, for example in formulating the intercessory prayers. Similarly, cooperation is presupposed in the selection of the church music in the service. The priest, as leader of the service, has the main responsibility of ensuring that opportunity is given for joint preparation. Adequate time must be reserved for this. The longterm planning of the liturgical life in the congregation, together with church musicians, churchwardens and Parish Council, should lay the basis for the more shortterm planning of individual services. In this coordination the priest must ensure that the coworkers are acquainted with and well prepared for their liturgical functions. For this reason it is essential that the priest himself is well prepared and conscious of the fact that the performance of the service requires of the priest that he has practised the routines and achieved technical skill as well as spiritual concentration and inspiration.

The priest also has a task to teach. This is an obvious consequence of the commission to be servant of the divine word. The task of teaching also has different aspects. The direct teaching takes place in the sermons, in confirmation classes, Bible groups and study circles. But the indirect teaching task, which permeates all of the priest’s work in its various forms, is no less essential. It is therefore hardly possible in detail to indicate or delimit those of the priest’s tasks that relate to teaching. In the purely pedagogical task, many parish priests nowadays receive help from persons in special positions, such as parish pedagogues and parish assistants, but it is still the priest who carries the main responsibility for the congregation’s teaching of the Christian faith. This part of the work in the congregation is especially significant, and it is of the greatest importance that priests, Parish Council and those responsible for planning deal with educational matters with care and develop adequate resources for this work. The congregation must take responsibility for the instruction which is necessary to follow up baptism, and they must communicate an adequate and solid knowledge of the faith to children, youths and adults.

The task of providing spiritual care has to do with the basic deportment of the priest. By the manner in which he expresses the fact that he is both priest and ordinary human being among the people, the priest has to create such confidence for his ministry that it invites people to approach him in matters of spiritual care. The priest is called to exercise his call pastorally. This means that he must be conscious that he is to be a shepherd for the flock and to serve it in such a manner that the voice of Christ becomes recognized. The pastoral capacity for sensitive listening and objective and tender care must also be trained. This is most readily achieved when the priest pays attention to the nurture of his own soul. The task of providing spiritual care will be enriched through the experiences of receiving spiritual care. A priest must realize that the one who exercises spiritual care must be equally ready to be given spiritual care. This pastoral attitude shall mark the preaching, liturgy and teaching and not least the contact with those persons who seek the various services the Church offers. It is very difficult to assess a given situation and find the right words for examination, comfort and guidance. It is therefore essential, in matters related to spiritual care, that the priest does not depend mainly on his own wisdom and ability but always attempts to convey the Word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. To be a guide in spiritual matters is not the same as to be a psychologist or a therapist, even if insights in psychology and dialogue techniques are important for the priest. It is important for a guide in spiritual matters to recognize psychic and somatic types of illness in order to be able to help in an adequate manner. At the same time the priest must refrain from encroaching on to the medical field and should instead arrange contact with those with psychiatric expertise, when this is warranted.

Specialized spiritual care is exercised through confession and private conversation. Many are not aware that private confession still remains in our Church and it is therefore urgent that information regarding the availability of this form of spiritual care is spread.

With the priest’s commission there follow with necessity a number of administrative tasks. It is important that these are carried out with care. At the same time they must not be allowed to dominate and so become a hindrance to the basic tasks of the priest. To the position of vicar a number of leadership tasks are bound and in large pastorates these can become demanding both in the time they take and what they involve. It is important for priests and especially for vicars to be able to plan and make use of their time correctly and to be willing to delegate duties to coworkers. As organizer of the work the priest must always seek to encourage the coworkers and to distribute the tasks, taking into consideration their varying personal qualities. Administrative duties can become extensive also for priests with special appointments. Just as for the priests in the congregations it is essential to consider the demands of their priestly call and thereby make the correct priorities among the several tasks.

The commission and tasks of the deacon

The commission of the deacon with its many tasks is to be imbued by the fact that the deacon, as the messenger of Christ, is steward of the gift of service. The commission of the deacon, like that of the priest, is richly differentiated and requires various competences which always converge in the task of serving. Even when the deacon has a certain professional training as a basis, he must be prepared to perform different kinds of tasks within the framework of his commission in the Church and to alternate between different forms of work, means and methods. The basic commission for this ministry, to serve people for the sake of Christ and in the spirit of Christ, should always guide the deacon in planning work and deciding priorities. The deacon must always bear in mind and make plain to others the overriding task to be a sign of merciful kindness in congregation and society.

As is the case for the priest, the deacon carries out his commission in the fellowship of the Christian congregation. Within the ministry of the Church, the deacon is part of the fellowship not only of other deacons but also of bishops and priests. It is the duty of the deacon to cooperate with these in his tasks, as well as with employees, voluntary coworkers and elected representatives in the congregation. In so doing the deacon should strive to show human concern and respect and is in turn entitled to expect the same from others.

Most deacons serve in congregations. They engage in different tasks related to their basic training and personal gifts. In their service in the congregation the deacons cannot normally be very specialized as their tasks must cover a broad and varied spectrum. It is, however, important both for the deacon and the congregation that the knowledge and skill which has been acquired during the period of professional training is utilized. More specialized positions within the congregations will be found, for example, at diaconal centres and in the hospital work of the church. There are also deacons who work in special positions with social and pedagogical tasks at diaconal institutions and other central church institutions.

A good number of deacons serve mainly in health care and social services under a responsible authority other than the church. It is important that also these are incorporated in the fellowship of the congregation and the ministry. Deacons in community service are evident witnesses to the presence of the Church. Their experiences are of great importance in enabling the Church to understand where her diaconal services are most needed.

The commission of the deacon is to give people assistance in different ways and in changing situations. This means that, by his presence among people and concern for them, the deacon emphasizes the presence of the Church and Christ himself. The fundamental basis of the diaconate is the task to give assistance to fellow human beings with a clear understanding of what the circumstances and situations at hand require. The constant effort of the deacon must be, without distinguishing between individuals, to recognize and serve Christ in his neighbour and thus be a Christ to his neighbour. The task of giving assistance cannot be specified in detail but is determined by the various turns of events in the lives of people. The commission of the deacon therefore requires great sensitivity and clearsightedness, conscientiousness and energy. The deacon must be well informed about the resourses available in the Church as well as in the community to be able to provide realistic and effective help in various situations of need. In this regard it is important that the institutions of the Church and the community are able to cooperate.

In the congregation the deacon has a special task to inspire to the service of Christian love. It is the congregation as a whole which is responsible for seeing that their faith becomes active through love among their fellow beings and this responsibility cannot be committed only to the deacons. Their task is to organize and lead that Christian service of love which is a natural expression of the life of the congregation.

From the earliest days the deacon has also had tasks of teaching. This function of the diaconate has received a strengthened importance in our own time when concern for people requires new efforts to enable them to know and grow in the Christian faith. For this reason it is said in the ordination of deacons that the deacon shall give nurture and teaching in the faith . In one sense the whole activity of the deacon is instruction about the Christian faith in its implications for our common human life. But in addition to this, there is also specific pedagogical work to be done, particularly by deacons who have a basic pedagogical education. Deacons with another specialization in their basic education can also be given pedagogical tasks in the life of the congregation. In such cases the deacon is still primarily a steward of the gift of grace connected with serving to those who wish to come closer to the lifegiving springs of faith by enhancing their knowledge. The teaching task of the deacon is thus not limited to diaconal matters but concerns the whole Christian faith and interpretation of life. In this way the deacon shares with the congregation an obligation to offer children, youths and adults sound knowledge about the basics of the faith.

The liturgical tasks of the deacon are often discussed. In the Reformation tradition there is a certain suspicion of the liturgical function of the diaconate. This is understandable considering the Reformers’ violent reaction against the development of the diaconate during the Middle Ages. At the same time it is also essential to evangelical doctrine that there is an inner connection between the service of worship as the focal point of the congregation and the function of the Christian service of love among people. The life of the congregation originates in and finds its strength and inspiration from worship.

Consequently, the diaconate has its place in the liturgy. The connection between the congregational fellowship (koinonía), the serving (diakonía) and the service of worship (leitourgía) has existed since early Christian time. The deacon is given the commission in the ordination to be a sign of merciful kindness . This must find room for expression in worship. Two suitable occasions for this would be when the sacrament of the altar is distributed and in the general intercession of the Church. The deacon also has a role to play as a servant of the congregation in connection with other ceremonies of the Church. The deacon could take care of personal contact with those who request the services of the Church, for example at baptisms and burials. When such a contact has been established it is natural that the deacon should take part in the ceremony itself in a suitable manner.

Certain administrative tasks go with the commission of the deacon. The task of giving assistance often entails contacts with various authorities and institutions and it is natural that the deacon should follow these up. Even in such cases the deacon must always perform his tasks with consideration for the situation and the conditions affecting the individual person concerned. The deacon must never relax in human and personal concern for the individual when in contact with the bureaucracy of society. Often the work of the deacon also entails financial administration, for example of funds which have been provided for charitative activities. Discussion groups, home visitation groups, study circles and other educational work as well as planning for training activities require administration. The deacon can also be available to make presentations and engage in discussions in various executive and administrative agencies of the congregation concerning responsibilities within the area of diaconal responsibility. Tasks such as these can often become quite demanding in time. Nevertheless, they have to be performed. But the deacon, too, should be willing to let others perform tasks which can easily be delegated. Particular conditions that have been set up for that special service will of course apply for deacons in specialized services. Wherever a deacon carries out his commission, the main concern is the call to mutual service for the upbuilding of the Church of Christ.