The Presbyterian Outlook

News and Articles from the The Presbyterian Outlook

Register Login Donate Subscribe

Top Search/Contact Area

  • Be A Fan

  • Follow Us

  • Photos

  • Pin It!

    • Home
      • About us
      • Advertise with the Outlook
      • Submissions
    • Presbyterian Hub
      • Editorials
      • Outlook Features
      • Digital Issues
      • Editor’s viewpoints
      • What’s right?
      • About People
      • Calendar Check
    • News +
      Current Affairs
      • Outlook Reporting
      • Presbyterian News Service
      • Religion News Service
      • News from other sources
    • Ministry + Theology
      • InSights Opinions
      • Benedictory
      • Guest commentary
    • Faith + Culture
      • Book Reviews
      • Those with ears to hear (music reviews)
      • He/She Said
      • Movie Reviews
    • Ministry Resources
      • Outlook Standard Lessons
      • Outlook Horizons Studies
      • Looking into the lectionary
      • Bulletin Inserts
      • Webinars
      • Hymns
    • Outpost Blog
    • Classifieds
      • Classified advertising

    The Whole Church:  Congregational Leadership Guided by Systems Theory

    December 2, 2019 by The Presbyterian Outlook Leave a Comment

    Kenneth Reeves
    Rowman & Littlefield, 280 pages
    Reviewed by Erin Keys

    There are a number of books on congregational life that claim to “think systems,” but not all of them actually do. Systems theory, or, more specifically, Family Systems Theory – the theory developed by Murray Bowen, a psychiatrist interested in developing a science of human behavior – is inherently complex and difficult to explain outside the behemoth of Bowen’s own textbook on the subject. Often one needs to study the theory for a number of years to truly begin to understand how to apply it to life and work. For this reason, many of the “systems” books available to ministers are not representative of a true systems approach to congregational leadership because they do not take the time to unpack the theory in its entirety. Thankfully, Reeves’ book does not fall into this category.

    Reeves clearly states that he is offering insight into congregational leadership that is only guided by systems theory, and this is evident in the book. Useful ideas from Family Systems Theory are highlighted (triangles, differentiation of self, the challenge and reward of learning to see the system as a whole versus an individual perspective) and their practical application to church life offered. Throughout the book, Reeves manages to walk the thin line between offering too shallow an explanation or one that is too in-depth to maintain the attention of someone who may be new to systems ideas. This is not easily done, and there were numerous places in the book where Reeves’ insights were useful in helping me see situations in my own context in a better way. Specifically, the chapters on diagnosis, change and preaching are excellent portals for helping a minister shift perspective around some of the more challenging aspects of congregational life.

    What could have benefited this book would have been more emphasis on the essential tenet of Family Systems Theory, which states that work toward differentiation must involve direct engagement with one’s own family of origin. I was surprised Reeves did not mention this in his chapter, “Working on Yourself,” as that would be the most natural place to include it. The serious student of Family Systems Theory will know that no effort toward differentiation within one’s congregation is lasting without connecting it back to the minister’s family. This is an unfortunate oversight and the chapter on “Working on Yourself,” tends to focus on more on the routine ideas of self-care as opposed to truly working on self.

    Nonetheless, readers interested in learning more about systems thinking will find in this book a helpful primer by which they can begin to play with systems ideas in their work and, if interested, start to explore them in more depth by reading the works of Bowen or Rabbi Edwin Friedman. The practical tips, real-life examples and ability of Reeves to get outside of his own systems enough to provide clear thinking about them can be a very useful tool in helping any reader of his book to do the same.

    Erin Keys is the minister of Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.

    ShareShare on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email to someone
    email

    Book Reviews Tags: More News - Homepage

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    Related Posts

    • The Dignity of Difference: How To Avoid The Clash of Civilizations

      by Jonathan Sacks (New York: Continuum, 2002 with four reprints; ISBN 0 8264 6850 0)   If you are concerned about the world, and wonder if there is any hope for the crises and complexities of our times, and if you care about faith and relationships around the globe, this…

    • The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Speech that Inspired a Nation

      by Drew Hansen New York: Ecco,  293 pp. It has been 37 years since an assassin's bullet tragically ended the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. A stone marker at the base of that balcony on the grounds of what is…

    • The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words

      By Ronald C. White Jr. (New York: Random House, 2005. Pp. xxiii, 448. $26.95) Ronald C. White's new book is a thorough and engaging study of the rhetoric of Abraham Lincoln's major speeches and public letters. The focus on language is clear throughout: White argues that Lincoln carefully crafted his…

    Current Issue

    • December 9, 2019
    • November 11, 2019
    • October 21, 2019
    • October 7, 2019
    • Subscribe
    • Give a Gift
    • Read Online
    • Most Commented
    • Most Popular
    • What is the future of Stony Point Center?  Mission Agency Board to consider $10.3 million proposal A group within the Presbyterian Mission Agency considering the future of Stony Point Center is recommending spending at least $10.3...
    • Will Stony Point Center become a mission arm of the Presbyterian Mission Agency? A look ahead at this week’s PMA board meeting The leadership of the Presbyterian Mission Agency is proposing a new focus for Stony Point Center— moving from the current...
    • Board announces changes involving PC(USA) administrative services The board of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation met in closed session Jan. 16 and later announced it had...
    • Prayer for El Paso Enough, Lord God, enough. Rend our hearts and restore your goodness and mercy in our land. Through you, all things are...
    • Rachel Held Evans, Christian writer of honesty and humor, dies at age 37 (RNS) — Rachel Held Evans, a popular progressive Christian writer and speaker, died Saturday morning (May 4) at age 37...
    • Hymns for Advent and Christmas (Year A) Presbyterian hymn writer, Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, composed Advent hymns based on the lectionary Scriptures set to familiar Christmas tunes and other...

    Keep the Faith

    Sign Up for Updates and Breaking News in your inbox

    Facebook

    Tweets by presoutlook
    Follow Us

    View Stories From

    • Presbyterian Hub
      • Editorials
      • Outlook Features
      • Digital Issues
      • Calendar Check
      • About People
        • Anniversaries
        • Ordinations
        • Retired
        • Deaths
        • Transitions
      • Archives
    • Faith + Culture
      • Book Reviews
      • Movie Reviews
      • He/She Said
    • Ministry + Theology
      • InSights Opinions
        • For Church Leaders
        • Faith Matters
        • Multichannel Church Report
        • #amen
        • Commentary
        • Benedictory
      • Liturgical Year
        • Advent
        • Lent

    The Latest:

    3rd Sunday of Advent — December 15, 2019

    December 13, 2019

    Young adults encourage the church to take action on climate change

    December 12, 2019

    The Overstory: A Novel

    December 12, 2019

  • Tweet With Us
  • Be A Facebook Fan
  • Our World in Photos
  • Pin With Us
  • CONTACT US:

    1 N. 5th St., Suite 500

    Richmond, VA 23219

    T: 800-446-6008F: 804-353-6369

    [email protected]

    Or ▶ Fill Out Our Contact Form

    © Copyright 2019 The Presbyterian Outlook. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Statement. Website Design by Poka Yoke Design

    • About us
    • Presbyterian Hub
    • Ministry Resources
    • Classifieds
    • Advertise with the Outlook
    • Submissions
    7ads6x98y