Knowledge and Special Skills
previously mentioned televangelists, who generally establish their own service organisation, most Protestant priests work in a team and are
responsible to the organisation that requested for himher, that is the church represented by its boardcouncil. If proven to have deviated from
moral values highly regarded by the church, a priest can be penalized and even dismissed from hisher office by the organisation that
requested himher. Some churches also have periodical evaluation mechanisms for their priests.
Even so, it does not mean that priests basically do not have independence. It is in fact excessive independence which is claimed by
other professionals to have caused what is currently dubbed ‘professionalism crises’. With reason of professional autonomy, doctors
and advocates tend to be authoritarian in providing their services. They feel more responsible to their professional association than to their
clients Wiest and Smith, 1990:74. Professional associations to spiritual figures are not yet common. Because of that spiritual figures do not have
to deal with tensions among responsibility to the parish and the association. However, in the case of priests, if the position of the church
organisation were too dominant, its interest can be in opposition to the interest of the parish.
Priests are often conditioned to be mere operators of the churches’ regulations. Those who follow that pattern will not be able to enhance
their creativity. They tend to seek safety by hiding behind obedience to rulesregulations while portraying themselves as a good boygirl. But in
fact rulesregulations generalize matters. In certain situations, rules can be counter-productive. In many cases, rules need to be reinterpreted. In
these kinds of situations, a priest’s professionalism is tested. As a professional, a priest should have the autonomy to take creative and
decisive measures which can be accountable to the church. Jesus’ independent attitude towards the laws of Torah should be a rich
inspiration to the independence of priests.
Spiritual figures independence is also often sacrificed for the interest of economy, politics, and popularity. Many spiritual figures are forced to
adjust religious messages with the taste of sponsors or influential figures in the community for the sake of upholding constancy. Hence they
distance themselves from the parishes’ lower tier who is usually the ones mostly in need of spiritual service. Near the time of national and
regional election, many spiritual figures are approached by political parties to utilize their influence and authority. Many spiritual figures
consequently welcome these kinds of approaches happily. By becoming tools for political parties, these spiritual figures sacrifice their
independence making it difficult to behave objectively in front of parishes who believe in them.
In addition, many spiritual figures choose popularity as their priority. Making it a priority also jeopardizes professional independence because
true religious messages are not always popular. Spiritual figures who seek popularity usually avoid delivering critical messages challenging
stability and condemning common hypocrisy. Messages with tone of tolerance towards other followers of religions are normally less popular
as well. Religious communities prefer messages that nurture fanaticism and narcissism. Consequently, spiritual figures prioritizing popularity
are usually trapped into becoming ‘religiotainer’ by conveying light messages providing mundane entertainment, or becoming provocateurs
igniting group fanaticism.