Reading Between the Lines: Navigating Church Politics with Insight and Wisdom

Lewis Center for Church Leadership

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Lewis Center for Church Leadership | September 17, 2024

Many of us spend a lot of time working on practical leadership issues so that we can improve things like our communication skills or time management. Being a leader also requires preparing for intangibles like dealing with the politics of ministry situations. Not U.S. government politics, but the everyday politics you encounter in any work arena. In these situations, leaders are left trying to interpret or read between the lines when various individuals share information. For instance, it is not unusual for a pastor dealing with choir issues to receive conflicting and incomplete information from various parishioners while trying to figure out the best way forward. In the pastor’s mind seeking good music on Sunday may seem straightforward. Others may share the goal of good music, but the issue is politicized because of individuals’ relationships to the director, organist, or to certain choir members, etc. Leaders must pick up clues to read between the lines in these instances. Here are a few ideas that can help you understand the unspoken language of church politics. 

Pay attention to what is left out because there may be more to a story than folk are comfortable sharing. 

1. Listen to what is said and not said. 

As a leader it is important to listen to what people say. We sometimes edit what individuals say in our minds, but we should avoid doing so. Many parishioners will choose their words carefully when responding to hotbed issues so as not to lie. Carefully listening to their responses will help you notice what is said and see if a pattern develops due to various parishioners omitting information. If you ask, “Why have we not elected new financial officers in years?” Parishioners often respond with things like “We have paid all our bills on time,” or “The church is doing well financially.” Notice how their responses do not answer the question. This should be an indication to you as a leader to want to learn more, but also a warning to proceed carefully. 

It may seem strange to listen for what is not said, but it is also critically important. Because parishioners typically do not want to lie, they will only state what they feel comfortable saying. If you are a new leader of a congregation and notice a pattern that every three years a new choir director is hired, this may raise a red flag. In talking with people, you notice no one names why the choir directors left. Pay attention to what is left out because there may be more to a story than folk are comfortable sharing. 

2. Observe body language, tone, and emotions. 

In addition to listening for what is said and unsaid, it is also important to observe body language, tone, and emotions to read between the lines. Pay attention to whether or not people are making eye contact, their tone of voice, facial expressions, posture, and movements. Is their posture upright and open with good eye contact or are their arms and legs crossed and their eyes avoiding eye contact? Is their jaw clenched, brow furrowed, or are they relaxed? When a person is speaking, consider whether or not their body posture, tone, and words are in alignment. Observing body language, tone, and emotions can provide helpful clues for reading between the lines.  

3. Understand relationships. 

Reading between the lines requires understanding relationships in your church setting. In both small and large congregations, who is related to whom? What is said and not said is often based on family connections that may not be obvious. Learning not only obvious relations, but in-law relationships, second and third cousins, etc. is important. It is important to know when family issues arise, and squabbles occur. All these things play into the everyday politics of the local church.  

4. Know the power players. 

Reading between the lines also requires knowing the power players. These are the individuals, who may not be directly connected to an issue, but yield influence behind the scenes. The power players may not speak up in a group setting but wait until the right time to talk with you more privately. Again, it is important to listen to what these individuals say and do not say. Garnishing their support can be helpful moving forward, but you must be careful that they are supporting you for the right reasons. You do not want a misunderstanding where other parishioners believe you endorse or respond to anything and everything from the power players. 

Church politics can be a tricky, intangible element of leadership. Learning to read between the lines can help you navigate these political hotbeds. Pay attention to what is said and not said. Have a good understanding of relationships and know the power players related to a particular situation. All these skills will help you to read between the lines. 

Related Resources 

F. Douglas Powe, Jr., is director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership and holds the James C. Logan Chair in Evangelism (an E. Stanley Jones Professorship) at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. He is also co-editor with Jessica Anschutz of Healing Fractured Communities (Palmetto, 2024) and coauthor with Lovett H. Weems Jr. of Sustaining While Disrupting: The Challenge of Congregational Innovation (Fortress, 2022). His previous books include The Adept Church: Navigating Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Abingdon Press, 2020); Not Safe for Church: Ten Commandments for Reaching New Generations; New Wine, New Wineskins: How African American Congregations Can Reach New Generations; Transforming Evangelism: The Wesleyan Way of Sharing Faith; and Transforming Community: The Wesleyan Way to Missional Congregations.

Jessica L. Anschutz is the Associate Director of the Lewis Center and co-editor of Leading Ideas. She teaches in the Doctor of Ministry program at Wesley Theological Seminary and is an elder in the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Jessica participated in the Lewis Fellows program, the Lewis Center's leadership development program for young clergy. She is also the co-editor with Doug Powe of Healing Fractured Communities (Palmetto, 2024).