Reflections on 35 years of professional development

Reflections on 35 years of professional development

This summer marks my 35th year as a development professional. Although I have worked with a variety of organizations over the years, the majority of my time has been spent working with Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools, seminaries, religious communities and social service agencies.

I have been blessed to work with good people in nearly all regions of our country. And, occasionally, my work as a consultant has drawn me outside the boundaries of the United States—for instance, to Canada, Australia, Italy and even the Holy Land. But most of the past 35 years have been spent in the Midwest and South, especially in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri. These are great states, and the local churches I have served here are solid in the faith, in their commitment to Catholic education, and in their service to people in need.

What is a “development professional” and what have the past 35 years taught me about my work for the Church?

I believe a development professional is a woman or man who dedicates her/his skills and talents to the advancement (or development) of the mission of a voluntary (not-for profit) organization. In the Church, development professionals have the privilege of helping to advance the Church’s mission as it is expressed through a variety of institutions ranging from contemplative monasteries to very active parishes, schools and agencies. A development professional is privileged to share in the Church’s mission, and in its many diverse ministries, by facilitating the threefold functions of planning, communications and fundraising.

During my career, I have written about these three essential leadership functions whenever I was given the chance. I believe that the Church needs “development” or “mission advancement” more than ever now to fulfill its divine mission. And for a long time I’ve tried to share my insights and experiences in these areas with bishops, religious superiors, pastors, school leaders, seminary rectors and the executive directors of church-related agencies. I hope I have been helpful as a resource for leaders in Catholic organizations who accept the challenge to develop new and increased resources for ministry. My book Advancing the Mission of the Church: Best Practices in Stewardship and Development for Catholic Organizations is a compendium of my written reflections on these important issues.

Much of my professional writing during the past 20 years has focused on the spirituality of Christian stewardship. I was blessed to work closely with the late Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy who was the leading proponent of the theology and practice of stewardship in the Catholic Church especially during the years when the American bishops were drafting and promulgating their 1992 pastoral letter, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response. I had the privilege of traveling

with the archbishop to seminaries throughout the United States to introduce the pastoral letter and to raise awareness about many pastors’ desire to be better prepared for the fundraising and financial challenges they invariably face as leaders of increasingly complex communities of faith.

Everything I know about stewardship I learned from Archbishop Murphy. Since his untimely death 17 years ago, I have tried my best to spread his stewardship message. My first book on stewardship, What Do I Own and What Owns Me: A Spirituality of Stewardship, was a deliberate attempt to communicate Archbishop Murphy’s stewardship message to the widest possible audience.

Thirty five years is a long time. What’s changed since I started in the summer of 1979 as a young planned giving officer at Saint Meinrad Archabbey and Seminary in southern Indiana? I would highlight two things: First, when I started in development 35 years ago, “stewardship” was not part of our vocabulary. Now most Catholics have at least some understanding of the biblical

concepts that call us to “take care of and share” all God’s gifts. Much still needs to be done to make stewardship “a way of life,” but the seeds of gratitude, generosity and accountability are being firmly planted in the minds and hearts of Catholics in many different countries throughout the world.

Second, during the past three decades the level of professionalism has increased significantly among development officers in the Church. In the early days of my career, many Catholic organizations either had no development director or the person in the position was a committed amateur (often retired from the military or business) rather than a certified professional. That has changed—for the better. The field of development or institutional advancement is an increasingly complex and sophisticated one with lots of competition from all kinds of voluntary organizations (higher education, social services, the arts and religion). To succeed today, it’s more important than ever to invest in qualified professionals who are also women and men of faith.

The growth and change I have witnessed during the past 35 years represent just the beginning. Much more needs to be done to make stewardship a way of life. More professionalism is urgently needed to help Catholic organizations take full advantage of the principles and best practices of mission advancement.

These challenges are worth embracing. I look forward to the next decade or more!

Daniel Conway

Copyright © 2014, Daniel Conway   Permission is given to copy and distribute this Good Steward Newsletter for use in religious or educational settings provided that proper attribution is given to the author. This publication may not be sold or distributed to the general public without the express permission of the author.

One Comment

  1. Joseph Zubia
    Joseph Zubia August 13, 2014 at 11:12 am .

    How can I become a member of your email newsletter?

Leave a Reply