Called to AFC Richmond

Episode: “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1)

Welcome. This is the first post in a new blog series titled Ministry Transition According to Ted Lasso. The idea is to apply principles of interim and transitional ministry to what the show’s title character goes through as he adapts to, interacts with, and strives to change the culture in his new role as manager of the AFC Richmond football club.

This series assumes a certain amount of familiarity with the show. At bare minimum, it assumes that the reader has seen the episode(s) that each post analyzes. For each post, said episode(s) will be listed so that readers can review for themselves.

Making the adjustment. Upon his arrival both to a new country and to his new position, Ted immediately wants to take in his new environment. He does so that highly prioritizes experience and immersion. This includes requesting that his airport contact take him and Coach Beard to see Tower Bridge even before heading to the AFC Richmond facilities. Once he arrives, he continues the emphasis on visceral experience: touching the pitch grass, allowing himself to try tea, observing practice, and visiting the locker room.

Coach Beard partakes in some of these experiences, but complements them by constantly reading about England and soccer. He doesn’t shy away from the immersive approach that Ted prefers, but seeks further knowledge of the history and basics of the game they’re entrusted to coach. Thus, when Ted is inevitably stumped or makes a misstep, Beard can help as needed.

Neither of these approaches are wrong. Any transition into a new ministry will involve learning by doing, making mistakes and asking forgiveness, and both partners in the new relationship becoming used to each other’s practices and preferences. But a minister may also be served well by inquiring of church leaders and longstanding members about the “lore” of a new place, which will allow them to identify points of conflict, beloved traditions, and who is related to whom, among so much else.

Who is this guy? Ted doesn’t get the immediate benefit of the doubt from anyone at his new job. It doesn’t help that new owner Rebecca thrusts him into his first press conference while he’s still jet-lagged and barely familiar with anything around him.

The press conference is an opportunity for several constituencies to see him in action and get their initial impressions.

• The press – Ted’s lack of familiarity with non-American football immediately gets him in trouble. He shows this and gets himself laughed at several times. He’s not even used to the carbonated water that they’ve provided for him. Reporters correct him, explain rules to him, and in the climactic moment of the scene, Trent Crimm (from The Independent) stands up, summarizes Ted’s lack of experience, and asks, “Is this a f*cking joke?”
• The team – Only a few, including veteran Roy Kent, actually give their full attention to what their new leader has to say. But all are nevertheless in disbelief and don’t know what to make of what’s in front of them. Kent in will follow this up later by commenting that they’re now coached by Ronald McDonald.
• The fans – They can’t believe this is happening to their beloved club. They curse and yell at the TV and thank Trent for asking his question that sums up their feelings. However, a tiny crack forms as one of them does laugh at one of Ted’s folksy jokes, to the others’ chagrin.

A certain amount of people in a church welcoming a new minister are likely to take a “wait and see” approach. They may feel a wariness that the new person might change too much, not honor certain traditions, not pay enough attention to particular needs, and a variety of other matters. They may have even voted yes, but are still holding onto certain aspects of the congregation’s life, waiting to see how the minister handles them.

In other cases, members might be more hostile, whether outwardly or not. They wanted a different kind of minister, they have prejudices and biases that they aren’t aware of or might wear proudly, they feel defensive about parts of the church’s life, or they might be part of a conflict still rippling underneath.

The tension of discernment. The first time we meet Ted, he asks Coach Beard, “Are we nuts for doing this?” He fully recognizes that he’s going to be out of his depth in this new position. He’s had success in what he knows, but now is stepping into the unknown.

And yet, as already discussed, he’s willing to throw himself into everything as best he can. This brings some moments of stumbling, but he also seeks to make this new calling his own: he hangs the “Believe” banner, he asks for and remembers Nate’s name, and even receives Roy’s insult with minimal fuss. The latter somehow makes him even more determined to keep going as he turns to Coach Beard and says, “He thinks he’s mad now, wait ’til we win him over.”

The first sign of conflict is not a signal that a new ministry partnership won’t work or that one heard God wrong. Rather, it can be a reminder that every congregation is full of imperfect humans who all have their own hang-ups, preferences, and quirks. As Eugene Peterson wrote in one of his books, stick around a church long enough, one you thought was the perfect expression of mission and community, and you eventually realize they’re just as flawed as everywhere else.

When that realization hits, it’s fine to continue discerning. But the more important task will be to tap the Believe sign and keep being faithful to these people as you meet them.

For more about ministry transition, check out my new book, The Unintentional Interim: Ministry in Times of Transition.