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Jan.
15, 2004 |
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Deacon’s ministry brings faith
into the marketplace
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Successful in business, Perryman sees
his role as servant-leader |
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By
Joan King
Special to the Catholic Herald |
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| BUSINESS OF SERVING
— Deacon Clif Perryman of St. James Parish
in Mequon lives out his ordained ministry by incorporating
Christian values into the workplace. Deacon Perryman
is president of Milsco Manufacturing Company in
Brown Deer. (Catholic Herald photo by Sam Lucero) |
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BROWN DEER — Praying with a vice
president over a difficult personnel decision. Taking
time to periodically counsel and have lunch with small
groups of employees. Asking about family and listening
to personal problems. All these work toward “helping
people be the best they can be” for Clif Perryman,
president of Milsco Manufacturing in Milwaukee, who is
also an ordained deacon.
Integrating two vocations does not daunt this man who
is highly organized. It’s part of his life in the
workplace and at St. James Parish in Mequon.
Deacon Perryman came to the Milwaukee area in the spring
of 1997 and began his work as a permanent deacon at St.
James in late summer the next year. He had been ordained
a deacon for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1987 and
last month was incardinated (received formally) into the
Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
As an ordained deacon, preaching and baptisms are Deacon
Perryman’s dominant ministry, but he also works
as chaplain for the Foccus (Facilitating Open Couple Communication,
Understanding and Study), group and adult faith formation.
He volunteers with an employment network, as a speaker
for the Peter Favre Forum and with Circle of Friends.
Unlike many deacons, he does not spend time in “peace
and justice” activities. His focus is on the marketplace.
“The process of incorporating the diaconate into
work-life is the process of integrating God into your
whole life,” states Deacon Perryman. “(In
Ohio), I had considered turning down a promotional opportunity
when both my pastor and our lay director of religious
education confronted me. Their correct perspective is
that the true role of the deacon is that of service in
the world, especially where people invest most of their
time — in the marketplace. Since that time, I have
familiarized myself with the writings of Robert Greenleaf
and the concept of Servant Leadership. It is out of this
model that I so strongly adhere and that I rigorously
attempt to adapt to my everyday work experience.
“The role of a servant-leader is twofold: washing
feet and turning over money carts. It’s a two-edged
sword,” states Deacon Perryman. “Doing one
without the other fails to achieve the end result in the
follower. A leader attempts to take you where you will
likely not go by yourself. A servant-leader attempts to
‘lift you up to become the best you can be.”
It requires assertiveness and a willingness to challenge
relationships.
Deacon Perryman regards his administrative position as
an investment with people and concern of their families.
“People know that I am a clergyman and hold me to
different standards,” he says. A woman employee
at the company’s Redgranite facility once complimented
him on his Christian way. “That’s how Jesus
lived his life — he expected them to achieve with
gifts they have ... to live faith-life and everyday life
the same.”
Deacon Perryman’s definition of vocation is employing
the gift given from God — meeting the world at the
crossroads. He stresses that vocation is at the intersection
of one’s innermost joy and the world’s innermost
need. Deacon Perryman believes his strongest gift is public
speaking, through which he tries to influence right behavior.
Another individual who helped shape his perspective was
Fr. Martin Pable, a Capuchin priest who was his spiritual
director for several years. Fr. Pable’s book, “The
Quest for the Male Soul,” is one of many in a “faith
corner” of Deacon Perryman’s office. The two
gave joint talks in the archdiocese on the topic of “Faith
and the Marketplace.”
“I have often spoken of life as a process of keeping
a three-legged stool balanced between family, work and
faith,” states Deacon Perryman. “It seems
as if one leg is always short and I am constantly unbalanced.
It is only when I recognize three things that balance
can be achieved.
“First, that life is really
a four-legged stool including not only legs for family,
work and faith, but also one for me personally. Do I spend
time just for me and my own well-being and growth? Secondly,
if I invite God in and choose to leave the balancing act
up to God, I can never be out of balance,” he explains.
“Lastly, there is an order to the process.
Be true to God, then to yourself, then to your family,
then to your work and to church. If you follow the order
differently, it all breaks down. Ground your faith in
Christ Jesus and conform yourself to that faith. Then,
be true to yourself. Only then can you expect of others
what you expect of yourself.”
While president of Milsco Manufacturing Company (which
employs 600 people designing and making operator seats
for tractors, marine products, motorcycles — John
Deere and Harley Davidson included) may not seem a servant
role, Deacon Perryman mentors servant leadership in the
marketplace. Integrity tops the list of company values
expected of all employees from the top down. This is followed
by fairness, openness, trust, humility, accountability,
respect for others and community citizenship. Faith values
are communicated in writing in a monthly newsletter.
Deacon Perryman calls his wife, Jane, his rock “who
keeps me balanced. She reminds me if I spend too much
time at church or not enough time at home.” He noted
that her vocation has been mainly to family life (the
Perrymans have four children and four grandchildren),
although she also worked for many years in Ohio as a substitute
or full time teacher. Now she volunteers at a learning
center and visits shut-ins.
In an ideal world, notes Deacon Perryman, the workplace
would be more holistic, concerned about the needs of the
individual whether living next door or around the world.
It would focus on relationship building and collaboration.
It would challenge itself to continuous improvement and
there would be no need for measure accountability for
it would be self-born.
Deacon Perryman recommends (paraphrasing the Prayer of
Jabez), praying daily, “‘Lord, bless me a
lot. Increase my responsibility. Let your hand be upon
me, for I cannot accomplish this task without You. Keep
me from evil that I may not hurt anyone.’
“Invite God into your every minute, especially the
difficult meetings,” he adds. “Celebrate and
give thanks to God for every success and every failure,
for God is with you in all of them.” |
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