Parity of Esteem - Equal but different

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 18 September 2009 15:26:24

The 1944 Butler Act introduced the tripartite system, it was a system intended to be based on meritocracy, giving three types of different school with parity of esteem.

As somebody who has lived, taught and had a child educated in an area where the local education authority have retained the grammar school system, (even if now slightly amended), I have to say that it is not fair. Whilst parity of esteem may have been the goal it certainly hasn't been achieved.

Yesterday I got to hear a bit more about the diaconal order within the Methodist church, and their history. This together with some blogs I've been reading recently and a recent visit I made to look at a different type of Christian project, in another part of the country got me thinking about whether the tripartite system could be a metaphor for the church, is there a parity of esteem amongst people doing different jobs in the church?

I am a strong believer in the priesthood of all believers and in the idea of the church being the body of Christ where everybody has different gifts to contribute. Within this I believe presbyterial ministry is one part of the body. Yet we treat that type of "professional" role with it with the same kind of elitism as people treat grammar schools within the tripartite system.

Is it the fact that whilst many profess to believing in inclusivity that a patriarchal elitism creeps in. The debates about whether the emerging church suffers from this are old hat now, and to be honest I don't have time to crawl about in the relevant archieves to link to the debates that people much more articulate than me have had. Also having recently read Mark Berry's moving post I really don't want to seem like I am putting the boot in. It's almost like in this sector of the church the weight of expectation has been similar to that put on a pupil who happens to enjoy learning who is identified to have Oxbridge potential. By this I mean they are put in the position where what they love doing stops being a joy and starts to be a source of stress because of the expectations others put upon them.

Another problem I have noted, with the "professionalisation" and apparent elitism that can go with it is the way in which non-accredited learning and experience is often ignored. There are many people within our churches who are experts at what they do because that is what they have been doing well for a number of years, and developing their skills and knowledge in. Yet, it appears that if they don't have the right set of certificates or job title to go with that then their contribution can be devalued by those who think they know better, often because they just happen to have sat through a few lectures on the subject.

So let us celebrate the value and diversity within our congregations. Supporting our clergy of whatever level and type, lay workers and volunteers equally recognising the specific giftings God has given them to bring to the body.