A Roman Catholic View of Collaborative Ministry
Malcolm Grundy
The Roman Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has produced a
report on Collaborative Ministry called The Sign We Give.(1) They have been
trying to wrestle with relatively new concepts of a clergy and laity deliberately
working together in diocesan and congregational life. Coming from a more
overtly hierarchical background this is a publication inspired by a freshness of
approach.
It begins with a reflection on Vatican II where the foundation of
collaborative ministry was laid when emphasis was given to the place
of lay people in the life of the Church. While agreeing that
collaborative ministry is hard to define they begin with the concept of
communion ‘the ability to co-ordinate all the gifts and charisms of the
community, to discern them and put them to good use for the
upbuilding of the Church in constant union with the Bishops. ...
Collaborative ministry is not only the focus for growth or
renewal in the Church today. Rather, it is one way of
expressing how the church renews itself’ (p.13 and is itself a
quotation from Pastores Dabo Vobis, Pope John Paul II, 1992)
The report concedes that some parishes have learned their lessons by going
directly for a collaborative approach, while others have begun by working
with particular community groups or by listening to those with special
concerns such as that of women in the Church. In all this there is an
important overlap between priestly formation, inservice training, and the
movement from an authoritative to a collaborative model of working.
1
In the section Collaborative Ministry: Experience and theology there are
some helpful attempts at the necessary ingredients for a definition (p17)
 Collaborative ministry is a way of relating and working together which
expresses the communion which the Church is given and to which it is
called.
 Collaborative ministry brings together into partnership people who, through
baptism and confirmation, as well as ordination and marriage, have
different vocations, gifts and offices within the church.
 Involvement in collaborative ministry demands conscious commitment to
certain values and convictions.
 Collaborative ministry begins from a fundamental desire to work together
because we are called by the Lord to be a company of disciples, not
isolated individuals.
 Collaborative ministry is committed to mission. It is not simply concerned
with the internal life of the Church. Rather it shows to the world the
possibility of transformation, of community and of unity within
diversity.
Here is a theology of collaborative ministry through the concepts of service
based on baptism and confirmation to which all are called - and which are
reflected in worship and in action. “Those who do participate actively begin to
discover this theology by doing so. For many others, it continues to remain a
closed book.”! There is an instructive two-way dialogue which is always taking
place between church and world.
The question of authority is faced in two ways. That of the authority of all the
baptised and the authority of orders or office within the Church. As
collaborative ministry gets into the bloodstream of a congregation there will
emerge new images of leadership. The authors were attracted to the idea of
leader as “moderator of the aspirations, plans and priorities of a community,
always holding the common good before them.” The primary task of the priest
is to enable communion to grow rather than ‘to run the parish’. There are
2
important concepts here for all denominations.
The ‘nots’ of collaborative ministry are also outlined,
- not strong lay involvement but little collaboration.
- not just lay people having parts in the liturgy.
- not changed structures without consultation in decision-making
Spread throughout the rest of the report are pointers to the essentials of good
practice,

Collaborative ministry does not happen just because people work together
or co-operate in some way. It is a gradual and mutual evolution of new
patterns.

Collaborative ministry is built upon good personal relationships.

Collaborative teams, where personal relationships are important, highlight
the importance of emotional maturity.

Collaborative parishes and teams generally place a high priority on
developing a shared vision, often expressed in a mission statement, or in
regularly reviewed aims and objectives.

The courage to face and work through conflict, negotiating until a
compromise is found, and even seeking help in order to resolve it, are not
weaknesses but signs of maturity and commitment.

The desire for shared decision-making is the natural outcome of working
collaboratively.

Some decisions, especially those that set policy or touch on matters of
critical importance to the community, can be shared widely and arrived at
by consensus.

Fear among priests and lay people that collaborative ministry will leave
them little to do is a major barrier.

Lack of continuity in ministerial appointments can frustrate collaborative
ministry.

Those working in collaborative teams have to recognize personal and
professional boundaries and reconcile these with differing individual
situations.

It is increasingly recognized that men and women characteristically have
3
different ways of communicating and can easily misunderstand each
others’ needs and intentions.

Teams need to work very hard at how they communicate, and enable
different members to take responsibility for what they think and feel.
Notes
(1) The Sign we give, Report from the Working Party on Collaborative
Ministry, Catholic Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales, Matthew James
Publishing 1995
4