Passionate Steward - 10th Anniversary Edition

132 THE PASSIONATE STEWARD
relinquished to “others” who are, after all, not long-term
stakeholders in the community. Not only will this encourage
parishioners to embrace stewardship as their own responsibility, but
it will help to develop internal leaders and expertise which will
remain in the parish even after the consultant leaves.
Consultants, whether from the diocese/presbytery, or a
ministry-base external to the Church’s formal organization, have the
unique advantage of not being invested in past decisions, mistakes,
problems or points of view within the parish. Being “unblemished”
by the past allows external consultants to act, speak—and listen—
freely, and enables them to establish their integrity and authority
through the exercise of their stewardship ministry in the parish. The
appropriate consultant can and should be someone with the pastoral
sensitivity and stewardship experience to be a trusted recipient of
the kind of private information that informs parishioners’ decisionmaking
about the generous giving of their time, talent and treasure.
For the parish leader, this can be a challenging exercise in
humility. The truth is that the opinions of an “outside” expert are
frequently held in higher regard than those of the parish priest or lay
leadership. It is a failing of human nature that we are prepared to hear
from others the very same thing which falls upon deaf ears when told
us by our families and neighbors. The Hebrew Scriptures show that
Israel frequently persecuted the prophets, and Jesus himself taught that
no prophet is accepted in his own land. The need to continue to live
peaceably in a community where hard truths must sometimes be
spoken, means that parish leaders and clergy are sometimes hampered
in their ability to point out troubled areas and issues in need of
improvement. The consultant can help the parish successfully navigate
those issues which might otherwise be avoided for fear of conflict.
Choosing a Consultant
Because most fundraisers focus their energy and hone their
techniques in the more financially lucrative area of secular