Durham E-Theses An Entrepreneurial Approach to Priestly Ministry in the Parish: Insights From a Research Study in the Diocese of Durham VOLLAND, MICHAEL,JOHN How to cite: VOLLAND, MICHAEL,JOHN (2013) An Entrepreneurial Approach to Priestly Ministry in the Parish: Insights From a Research Study in the Diocese of Durham, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/8462/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Michael John Volland An Entrepreneurial Approach to Priestly Ministry in the Parish: Insights From a Research Study in the Diocese of Durham Abstract The objective of this doctoral research study is to explore the experience of a sample of entrepreneurial priests in the Diocese of Durham with a view to producing appropriate and informed suggestions for future practice in relation to the exercise of entrepreneurship by parish priests in the Church of England. Building on my own experience of being a priest and an entrepreneur, an understanding of the entrepreneur set out by John Thompson and Bill Bolton (2004), and beginning with the social, cultural, theological and ecclesiological case constructed by the Mission-Shaped Church report (2004), and upon which its recommendation of identifying ‘mission entrepreneurs’ rests, this thesis argues that the concept of entrepreneurship offers the Church of England a helpful lens through which to view priestly ministry and an understanding of an approach to priestly ministry in the parish that is well-fitted for the current mission task in England. The thesis argues that an entrepreneurial approach to priestly ministry is consistent with Anglican self-understanding as set out in the Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal. It also argues that an entrepreneurial approach to priestly ministry is consistent both with the nature of the Trinitarian God and with human collaboration with God’s activity in the world. Research findings are based on thematic analysis of data generated through online testing and qualitative interviews with a sample of entrepreneurial priests in the Diocese of Durham. This thesis finds that entrepreneurial priests appear to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to parish-based ministry in spite of the institution of the Church of England rather than because of it. In addition, this thesis finds that when faced with challenges related to church buildings, entrepreneurial priests adopt an innovative approach that has the potential to generate social and spiritual capital. Further, this thesis finds that entrepreneurial priests instinctively work with others and that creating appropriate partnerships with outside agencies has the potential to generate significant social, cultural, spiritual and financial capital for the church and the wider community. The findings result in ten suggestions for future practice in relation to the exercise of entrepreneurship by parish priests in the Church of England. 1 An Entrepreneurial Approach to Priestly Ministry in the Parish: Insights From a Research Study in the Diocese of Durham Michael John Volland A thesis in one volume for the degree of Doctor of Theology and Ministry Department of Theology and Religion Durham University 2013 2 Table of contents Acknowledgements 7 Chapter One: Introduction 10 Mission-Shaped Church 16 Where I have been sitting has affected what I have seen 19 Chapter Two: Towards an understanding of the entrepreneur 22 A contested term 22 The trouble with a definition… 31 Origin and evolution of the term ‘entrepreneur’ 33 Entrepreneurs: Talent, Temperament, Technique 38 ‘A person’ 42 ‘Habitually’ 44 ‘Creates’ 45 ‘Innovates’ 47 ‘To build something’ 49 ‘Of recognised value’ 49 ‘Around perceived opportunities’ 50 Chapter summary 52 Chapter Three: Why entrepreneurs? Why now? 54 Introduction 54 1) Entrepreneurship is consistent with characteristics exhibited by God 54 The problem of talking about God 54 A definition 57 ‘A person’ 57 ‘who habitually creates’ 58 ‘to build something of recognised value’ 61 3 Omissions 63 2) We can identify figures in the Bible and Christian history whose faith in God has resulted in them adopting what might be described as an entrepreneurial approach to their collaboration with God 64 Entrepreneurs in the Bible 64 Entrepreneurs in Christian history 66 Not all are entrepreneurs 68 3) The exercise of priestly ministry in a time of rapid cultural change will be well served by an entrepreneurial approach 69 Presbyters 69 Entrepreneurial priests in a time of rapid cultural change 70 Parish priests can be mission entrepreneurs too 75 4) The mission of the Church of England in local communities will be well served by an entrepreneurial approach to priestly ministry in the parish 78 The Diocese of Durham and County Durham 79 Deprivation 81 Flourishing 82 Growing the Kingdom 85 Chapter summary 88 Chapter Four: Methodology 89 Introduction 89 A qualitative approach to achieving the research objective 89 Credibility, dependability, transferability and confirmability 91 Bolton and Thompson’s FACETS and First Screening Entrepreneur Indicator 95 Pilot study 99 Strengths of the FSEI 101 Weaknesses of the FSEI 101 Further reflections on the use of the FSEI in the pilot study 102 Further reflections relating to the pilot study’s second aim 103 Data generation 107 4 Data analysis 112 Chapter Five: Analysis of themes emerging from interviews 116 Introduction 116 Responses to Bolton and Thompson’s definition 117 Responses to the use of the term ‘entrepreneur’ in relation to priestly ministry 120 Buildings 123 Working with others 127 Factors respondents’ felt might aid the exercise of entrepreneurship in the parish 140 Factors respondents’ felt might hinder the exercise of entrepreneurship in the parish 146 Responses to being asked about the extent to which the presence (or lack) of entrepreneurship in the senior leadership in a diocese affects the exercise of entrepreneurship in the parish 154 Chapter summary 158 Chapter Six: Summary and concluding comments 160 Summary of research findings 162 Suggestions for future practice in relation to the exercise of entrepreneurship by parish priests in the Church of England 170 Suggested avenues for further research 171 Dissemination of research findings 173 Concluding comment 174 Bibliography 176 5 Statement of Copyright The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without the author's prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. 6 Acknowledgements A research study of this size, particularly when undertaken alongside the responsibilities of a full time job and a young family, is only possible with enormous support and sacrifice. In light of this I would like to thank my wife, Rachel, and our three children, Hannah, Reuben and Tom, for their enthusiastic help and encouragement. I would also like to thank my supervisors, Dr Robert Song and the Reverend Dr Gavin Wakefield, whose wisdom and knowledge have helped to shape and hone this research study. I extend warm thanks to my parents, John and Eileen Volland, for their encouragement and support and for reading and commenting on a first draft of the thesis. My father in law, Dr James Hall is due a particular word of thanks for encouraging me to pursue a professional doctorate, for his interest in my research and for reading and commenting insightfully on various draft chapters. Dr Jamie Harding came to the rescue during a particularly confusing part of the research journey and I would like to thank him for his time and attention and for publishing by far the best book on data analysis on the market! Thanks are due to the Bishop of Jarrow, the Right Reverend Mark Bryant, and to the priests of the Diocese of Durham who took the time to participate in this research study. I began my doctoral studies while working in the Diocese of Gloucester. Embarking upon this study would not have been possible without the support of the Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Reverend Michael Perham, the Bishop of Tewkesbury, the Right Reverend John Went, and the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Bristol Cathedral. The bulk of the work for this thesis has been done while in a teaching post at Cranmer Hall, St. John’s College, Durham. I would like to thank my colleagues for participating in the pilot study and for shouldering some of my responsibilities during a period of study leave in the Easter Term, 2013. I extend grateful thanks to the various bodies who have provided financial support for my studies, and without whom this research simply would not have been possible. I thank the College Council and College Officers of St. John’s College, Durham for generous contributions to my tuition fees and for granting me a period of study leave in the Easter term, 2013. I would also like to thank the Diocese of Durham’s Council for Ministry for generous contributions to my tuition fees. I am grateful also for the generous financial assistance with fees 7 provided by The Foundation of St Matthias, Bristol, and Saint Luke’s College Foundation, Devon. In bringing these brief acknowledgements to an end, I express my gratitude to the Maker and Creator of all things, the Father of light and the source of all truth.