Orientasi Karier Pendeta Gembala Jemaat terhadap Jabatan di Kantor Organisasi Gereja: Antara Panggilan Pelayanan dan Ambisi Jabatan

Abstract

Positions within church organizations serve as a strategic means for pastors to expand the scope of their ministry, but they may also raise issues of career orientation when leadership aspirations encounter interests in status, influence, and power. This study examines how pastors’ orientations toward organizational positions can be distinguished as either a ministry calling or personal ambition, the indicators that differentiate the two, and strategies for churches to establish formation and accountability so that leadership remains ministry-oriented. The study employs a qualitative approach through a literature review using content analysis, conceptual comparison, source triangulation, and literature synthesis concerning calling, career, pastoral leadership, church organizations, and ministry ethics. The findings indicate that the desire to hold an organizational position is not necessarily negative when it is grounded in calling, competence, responsibility, and the interests of the congregation. The distinction between orientations is reflected in six indicators: purpose, legitimacy, response to failure, competence, relationship with power, and willingness to relinquish the position. The study’s novelty lies in the concept of “ambition transformed by calling” and a career-orientation model as a framework for service-oriented leadership.