Where have All the Leaders Gone?

By the Rev. Canon Kelly O’Lear, DMin, Director of Formation & Leadership Development at Nashotah House

One in four U.S. pastors (23%) selects “lack of leadership training and development” as a major concern facing their church today. (1) Leadership as an art seems to have been lost in many parts of the church. The U.S. Army defines leadership as “influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation, while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.” (2) I learned this in two decades as an Army Chaplain. I have often thought that definition as good and possibly useful for church, as purpose, direction, and motivation correspond to the Christian goals of new life in Christ (purpose), sanctification (direction), and love for God and neighbor (motivation) while fulfilling the Great Commission (mission/improving the organization). In a graduation speech at Stanford University, Steve Jobs stated: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” (3) I believe this when it comes to inspirational church leadership. The Anglican Communion has a rich tradition of leadership within the church and to the wider world. 

Father James De Koven

Father James De Koven was born in Connecticut in 1831. De Koven’s father was a successful sea captain and early investor in Chicago. His mother raised nine very accomplished children. (4) It seems that De Koven had leadership instilled in him from birth by two capable parents.  

De Koven displayed creativity and leadership early in life. By the age of 12, he was already writing hymns for use by children in church. (5)  

Clearly, De Koven stood out in his ability and willingness to accept difficult ministries. Ordained to the diaconate in 1854, he became Chair of Ecclesial History at Nashotah House that year at the young age of 23! He was ordained to the priesthood in 1855 and became the first rector of St. John Chrysostom in Delafield a year later. In 1859, he became Warden of Racine College and expanded the educational rigor and popular reputation of the school. For example, First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln visited and considered Racine College for her son Tad. (6) By the age of 28, De Koven had served as deacon, priest, professor, church planter, and established a college. 

As De Koven became more influential, newspapers took great interest in his defense of what was disparagingly considered “ritualism’’ within the Episcopal Church. “Ritualism” generally referred to the use of candles, incense, bowing, and kneeling. De Koven was highly criticized by evangelically minded members of the church and the secular press for his views. (7) His name regularly made the headlines of Milwaukee papers. The Chicago Times printed a lengthy interview with De Koven. (8) Throughout, he firmly and capably defended his views in sermons, interviews, and conventions. 

De Koven’s oratory abilities and respectful, yet firm, leadership garnered attention inside and outside the church. For example, in 1876 he preached a stinging sermon criticizing the bishops of the Episcopal Church for not investing in education. (9)  He was asked on more than one occasion to consider political leadership. In 1874, he became a candidate to succeed the deceased Bishop Jackson Kemper. In 1875, he was elected bishop of Illinois but was rejected by the general convention. (10) His firm and confident belief in historically contingent elements of worship cost him both elections. Strong leaders prefer truth in humility above promotion and prestige. A priest of many talents, he published a children’s novel in 1879 titled Dorchester Polytechnic Academy. (11) The book seeks to encourage young readers toward virtue by way of narrative. He is most often remembered for his defense before an 1874 council in Milwaukee. There he explained his views, saturated with citations from Scripture, Canon Law, patristic writings, and the Anglican Divines. He appealed to both sides in a collegial fashion in making his defense. “While I hold that every rubric of the Prayer Book must be obeyed, I do not believe the Prayer Book to be a book of full ritual directions . . . I hope the day may come when we can approach the question of what law must be, in a spirit of charity; and when we do, I hope we shall find room for both lofty ceremonial, and for simple services.” (12)  

Inspirational Leadership

De Koven’s legacy is as one of those leaders who found new life in Christ (purpose), sanctification (direction), and love for God and neighbor (motivation) in service of the church and world. He is commemorated on March 22 in both the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (1979) and Anglican Church in North America Book of Common Prayer (2019). Great leaders inspire during their life but also into the future. Father James De Koven is a wonderful example of Anglican leadership in his time and for ours. 

Almighty and everlasting God, the source and perfection of all virtues, you inspired your servant James De Koven to do what is right and to preach what is true: Grant that all ministers and stewards of your mysteries may impart to your faithful people, by word and example, the knowledge of your grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (13)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“De Koven, James 1831 - 1879.” Wisconsin Historical Society. Last modified August 8, 2017. Accessed July 13, 2021. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS6986. 

De Koven, James. A Theological Defence for the Rev. James De Koven, to the Council Held at Milwaukee, February 11th and 12th, 1874, 8, 48. Racine, WI,: Advocate Steam Printing House and Book Bindery, 1874. 

“History.” The De Koven Center. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://www.dekovencenter.org/history. 

“Nashotah Scholiast.” The Nashotah Scholiast. Last modified 1884. Accessed July 19, 2021. http://anglicanhistory.org/nashotah/scholiast/1/8.html.

Pope, William Cox. Essay. Life of the Reverend James De Koven, D.D.: Sometime Warden of Racine College, 9. (New York, NY: J. Pott), 1899. 

“Second Tuesdays: James De Koven Was Not an Orphan.” The De Koven Center. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://www.dekovencenter.org/dekoven-sponsored-retreats-1/2020/3/10/second-tuesdays-james-dekoven-was-not-an-orphan. 

Slocum, Robert Boak, and Du Travis Priest. Essay. To Hear Celestial Harmonies: Essays on the Witness of James De Koven and the De Koven Center. Cincinnati, OH: Forward Movement Publications, 2002.

The Proper for Lesser Feasts and Fasts Together with The Fixed Holy Days, New York, NY: The Church Hymnal Corporation, 1980. 

University, Stanford. “Text of Steve Jobs’ Commencement Address (2005).” Stanford News. Last modified June 12, 2017. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/. 

“What’s on the Minds of America’s Pastors.” Barna Group. Last modified February 3, 2020. Accessed July 20, 2021. https://www.barna.com/research/whats_on_mind_americas_pastors/. 

Footnotes:

1 “What’s on the Minds of America’s Pastors,” Barna Group, last modified February 3, 2020, accessed July 19, 2021, https://www.barna.com/research/whats_on_mind_americas_pastors/.   2 Headquarters, Department of the Army, AR 600-100, Army Leadership, Washington, D.C., Department of the Army, 2007.   3 Stanford University, “Text of Steve Jobs’ Commencement Address (2005),” Stanford News, last modified June 12, 2017, accessed July 15, 2021, https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/.   4 “Second Tuesdays: James De Koven Was Not an Orphan.” The De Koven Center. Accessed July 15, 2021. https://www.dekovencenter.org/dekoven-sponsored-retreats-1/2020/3/10/second-tuesdays-james-dekoven-was-not-an-orphan.   5 William Cox Pope, Life of the Reverend James De Koven, D.D.: Sometime Warden of Racine College (New York: NY, J. Pott, 1899), p. 9.   6 “History,” The De Koven Center, accessed July 15, 2021, https://www.dekovencenter.org/history.  7 “De Koven, James 1831 - 1879,” Wisconsin Historical Society, last modified August 8, 2017, accessed July 14, 2021, https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS6986.   8 James De Koven, A Theological Defence for the Rev. James De Koven, to the Council Held at Milwaukee, February 11th and 12th, 1874 (Racine, WI: Advocate Steam Printing House and Book Bindery, 1874), pp. 8, 48.   9 Robert Boak Slocum and Du Travis Priest, To Hear Celestial Harmonies: Essays on the Witness of James De  Koven and the De Koven Center (Cincinnati, OH: Forward Movement Publications, 2002), p. 56.   10 “De Koven, James 1831 - 1879,” Wisconsin Historical Society, last modified August 8, 2017, accessed July 13, 2021, https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS6986.   11 Slocum & Priest, Celestial Harmonies, p. 16.   12 De Koven, Theological Defence, 34.  13 Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints, p. 283.

The preceding article was originally printed in Nashotah House’s Fall 2021 Missioner magazine, volume 35, number 2, pages 16-18.