We now embark on one of the most crucial journeys in this book, beginning with an introduction to 'ethology.'

Ethology is the study of the comparison between human and animal behaviour. An important concept in ethology is the notion of territoriality: the practice of marking a piece of ground and defending it against intruders. (23) Animals as diverse as fish, worms, gazelles, and lizards stake out particular areas and put up fierce resistance when intruders encroach on their area. Many species use odorous secretions to mark the boundaries of their territory. For example the wolf marks its domain by urinating around the perimeter.

Some scholars argue that people are territorial animals: humans' genetic endowment drive them to gain and defend territory, much as other animals do. 'The dog barking at you from behind his master's fence acts for a motive indisting- uishable from that of his master when the fence was built.' (24) The list of territorial behaviours is endless: in a library you protect your space with a book, coat, or note- book; you 'save a place' in the theatre or at the beach - reserving a spot that is 'mine' or 'ours'; juvenile gangs fight to protect their turf; neighbours of similar ethnic backgrounds join forces to keep other groups out; nations war over contested territory; and, between churches, pastors accuse other pastors of 'sheep-stealing'. (25)

Our own personal territory may include our room, specif- ic seats in a class or in church, a particular table at the restaurant... The more attached you are to an area, the more likely you are to signal your 'ownership' with obvious terr- itorial markers such as decorations, plants, photographs, posters, or even graffiti. College dorms and business offices are prime places to observe this type of territorial marking.

As a result of our fallenness, this planet and its inhabitants have substituted 'territoriality' ('my space - keep out') for 'hospitality' ('my space - you're welcome!'). Throughout the Bible we have numerous stories and injunctions about reversing this effect of the Fall. You know them - references to prophets' chambers, looking after aliens, opening our homes to strangers and entertaining angels unawares, being hospitable to one another, prophetically denouncing the group which does not welcome Jesus' mess- engers, Jesus being a stranger and we take him in, and so on.

Now pastors and leaders in the church are invited to be 'hospitable' rather than 'territorial', and it's something they generally do very poorly. The biblical models are clear. Moses was told by his father-in-law: 'You're killing yourself!' (Exodus 18:18). In essence his good advice to Moses was: Your task is to pray for these people to God; teach them God's laws; and appoint others as co-leaders. When Jesus was recruiting disciples to lead his church he had the same three priorities: prayer, teaching (by instruction and modelling), and training for ministry. It's amazing how much Jesus delegated to his disciples so early in their relation- ship: 'Go and preach, heal the sick, bring the dead back to life... drive out demons' (Matthew 10:5-8). Just the simple stuff, fellows, to start with!

Then when these apostles messed-up the early Church's social welfare system, they had an 'aha' experience: 'Oh, we should have remembered; our task is to give our full time to prayer, and preaching, so let's delegate other ministries to people full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom' (Acts 6:1-4). It would be wonderful if more pastors had this kind of 'aha' experience.

Now why don't they? Fasten your seat-belts: this para- graph will contain some turbulence. The Devil could not get Jesus to accrue power to himself (Matthew 4:1-11; 16:21-28) so he has tried the same temptations on the shepherds of Jesus' church. And he has generally succeeded. The church very early in its institutional history developed an 'official' ministry which separated 'ordained' Christians from others. These 'priests' alone had sacramental prerog- gatives. The Protestant Reformers rejected Roman Catholic and Orthodox theology and practice at this point, but, in my view, did not take their reformation far enough. Protestant pastors generally feel that they too, control certain prerogatives in the life of the church (presiding at most sacramental observances, preaching most of the sermons, blessing most of the meetings etc.), and are reluctant to share these ministries with others. They have perhaps forgotten that their key role is equipping (Ephesians 4:12), empowering others for ministry, not doing it all themselves as paid 'professional employees' of the Church.

Frankly, it's nice having these privileges: all the clergy surveys tell us they enjoy these public roles in most cases. Taking power to ourselves is the devil's primal trick however. Justice, we said, is essentially about power. When we deny others their empowering, that's unjust.

To change the metaphor, let us transform the classical 'wheel-model' of the church - where all the spokes centre on one person or small leadership-group - to a discipling model. Pastor-teachers ought to spend more time with fewer people, training them for leadership and ministry on the job.

So, back to Antioch. The acid test for ministry-leaders at this point is: how hard have you trained others? Could you leave your church after one year, as Paul and Barnabas did, safely in the hands of those you have prepared for lead- ership in ministry? Do you take people with you as you visit folk? Do you run courses on how to help your friend, how to lead a small group, on how to grow as a Christian? How about your church becoming a miniature theological semin- ary, as Elton Trueblood suggests? That is, how about doing in your congregation what Jesus did with his disciples? Or what Paul suggests Timothy do: 'Take the teachings... and entrust them to reliable people, who will teach others also' (2 Timothy 2:2). Well?

Exercise: Pastors: do the 'Ministry Empowerment Question- naire' (Appendix 8), and then discuss your findings with the elders and leaders of the church.

Further Reading: Robert Greenleaf, Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness, New York: Paulist Press, 1977; James Fenhagen, Mutual Ministry: New Vitality for the Local Church, New York: Seabury, 1977; Carnegie Samuel Calian, Today's Pastor in Tomorrow's World, Philadelphia: Westminster, 1977, 1982; Hendrik Kraemer, A Theology of the Laity, London: Lutterworth, 1958; George Peck, John S. Hoffman (eds.), The Laity in Ministry: The Whole People of God for the Whole World, Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1984; R. Paul Stevens, Liberating the Laity: Equipping all the Saints for Ministry, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1985; Douglas W. Johnson, The Care and Feeding of Volunteers, Nashville: Abingdon, 1978