CORRELATES OF LAY PERCEPTIONS OF CLERGY MINISTRY STYLE

Analysis of survey data from national samples of clergy and their lay members (in the United States) revealed both convergence and divergenc e in comparisons of how clergy define their ministry style and how the ir members perceive that style. These patterns involved mostly ministr y styles characterized by use of coercive power, rational decision mak ing, ethical legalism, seeking to empower congregations, and involveme nt in social issues. Multivariate analysis indicated that the most con sistent predictors of lay perceptions of clergy ministry style were ra ce/ethnicity, clergy sex, and member sex. When clergy descriptions of ministry style were compared to the perceptions of members of their sp ecific congregation, there was a positive correlation between clergy s tatements and member perceptions. However, lay members tended to see l ess interest in their pastor either wanting power over the congregatio n or seeking to empower the congregation than was claimed by the pasto r him/herself Conversely, lay members tended to see more tendency than their pastor claimed in using rational criteria for decision making o r in being legalistic. Finally, especially among whites, lay members d escribing the pastor's ministry style in terms similar to the descript ions of the pastor him/herself occurred primarily if the pastor was a male. Clergy and lay descriptions tended to diverge more if the pastor was a woman.