Context Of Ministry Research Articles

Inviting perspective transformation: Sexual history awareness for professional formation

AbstractHow do we deal with our own sexuality as teachers and as learners in the classroom? As a seminary professor in a mainline Christian context, I find that discussing sexuality increases student discomfort levels by threatening to raise questions about the connections between morality, behavior, and bodies of those in the room – questions we have been culturally trained to avoid. In order to decrease discomfort, many instructors approach sexuality only as content‐based subject matter. Particularly for ministry students, this approach can be a disservice to their discernment process and preparation for future ministry contexts, especially for those in turmoil regarding sexuality‐related issues. By explicitly engaging how personal experience and cultural contexts shape our sexuality, pedagogical models can promote critical self‐reflection and seek perspective transformation, not values change, as a resource for professional sexual ethics training in ministry.

Respect, Challenges, and Stress among Protestant Pastors Closing a Church: Structural and Identity Theory Perspectives

The number of American churches has been declining at a rate of about 1 to 2% per year, but this statistic hides the reality that in liberal, moderate denominations the number of churches that close is nearly three or four times the number that open. Despite this trend of decline, no one has studied how closing churches affects the pastor. What challenges does the pastor face when closing a church, and how do these challenges affect the pastor’s level of stress and well-being? The study draws on structural and identity theories to further our understanding of pastoral identity threats and ways that congregational and denominational support may ease a pastor’s burden. This research used a mail survey to explore the experiences of pastors who have experienced the closing of a church in any of five Protestant denominations (Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ). The research adds to our understanding of the context of ministry by highlighting not only the effects of clergy age and experience but also the congregational context and middle administrative body (judicatory) respect and support in the challenge and in the affirmation of pastoral identity through the process of closure and church death.

Long-tenured ministry and systems theory: Bowen systems theory as a resource for the long haul

Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST) has become a helpful resource for many clergy and congregational leaders. Since the groundbreaking volume Generation to Generation by Edwin Friedman in 1985, the theory continues to be an influential “theory of practice” for ministry. In this article, the authors explore to what extent BFST can be a resource to clergy for a long-tenured pastorate. First, the authors review selected key concepts of the theory that lend themselves to the issue of long-term pastorates. Second, the authors examine responses to a survey from a number of clergy who are in long-term pastorates and who have been working with the theory for several years. In the interviews, respondents affirmed that BFST is a useful construct for congregational leadership in long-tenured ministry contexts.

Preparation in Context: Comparative Outcomes of Alternative Clergy Training in the ELCA

Training requirements for ordained clergy vary widely between US denominations, but the most common qualifications include the Master of Divinity (MDiv), a 3-year professional degree typically earned in residence full-time at a seminary or school of theology following completion of an undergraduate degree. However, past research has found that denominations with more limited formal training requirements for clergy tend to grow more rapidly and that professionalized clergy may actually contribute to denominational decline. I test this with Cox regression, comparing job lengths of Lutheran (ELCA) pastors with MDiv degrees and those who completed an alternative training program (TEEM) where older students complete less extensive coursework while simultaneously serving a ministry context. TEEM candidates often continue serving in this context upon being ordained. The key finding is a persistent advantage for TEEM program graduates net of demographic controls, regardless of how age and experience are factored in. The advantage is not the result of ongoing embeddedness in a single context, suggesting it may result from a combination of differences in the structure of formal education and the simultaneous contextual application. Both life experience (age) prior to being ordained and experience in ordained ministry also provide some advantage, but the effects are largely limited to MDiv graduates in their first few years of ministry. The results provide further evidence for the promise of alternative ministry preparation programs, and help elaborate previous theories of clergy religious capital.

Relationships Matter: The Impact of Relationships upon Emerging Adult Retention

In recent years, a number of studies have surfaced focusing upon attrition and retention issues as they relate to emerging adult church attendance. Both researchers and practitioners have shown interest in the attendance pattern of emerging adults. This article explores the experiences of emerging adults and provides evidence for the importance of relationships, when emerging adult retention is considered. Understanding the impact of relationships may provide ministries with helpful information to consider in the quest to retain emerging adults. The findings presented are followed by potential ministry implications for a variety of ministry contexts.

Erik H. Erikson and the deep context of ministry

Erikson described how we adopt childhood moralities that we often carry into adulthood. He suggested a strong spiritual interconnection between what happens, or does not happen in this regard among infancy, adolescence, and mature adulthood. The mature adult’s ethical responsibility within generational interplay is described. The ethical adult’s ability to face death without dread is described. The question of Erikson’s personal ties to Christianity is considered. Key to this conversation is his essay on the Galilean sayings of Jesus. The interconnections are explored, and two congregations serve as positive examples.

Book Review: Theological Reflection across Religious Traditions: The Turn to Reflective Believing

Theological Reflection across Religious Traditions: The Turn to Reflective Believing. By Edward Foley. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. xvii + 159 pp. $32.00 (paper).Edward Foleys book represents an initial response to what he perceives to be a serious limitation in the classic methodology of theological reflection, when this is used in interfaith and secularized pastoral ministry contexts. It is the fruit of his relationships with students, chaplains, and other ministers of many faiths, seeking to reflect together on their experiences doing ministry with individuals of many faiths and none.The text reflects Foleys own journey as an academic and theological practitioner. He is clear from the outset that this book discusses a work in process. He starts with an account of theological reflection framed in the classic Christian Whiteheadian style. Foley describes being prompted, by the interfaith context of his teaching ministry, to attempt to nuance that framework for use by those of other faiths. He goes on to reconsider the entire enterprise of Whiteheadian theological reflection, as a result of his discovery that for many faiths the category of theology itself is nonexistent or unhelpful.What Foley tries to develop and articulate, therefore, is an alternative framework that enables discourse about pastoral issues to be car- ried on between practitioners of varying faiths. He articulates the ways that all such frameworks are a form of gatekeeping (p. 7), and commits himself to create one in which the toll paid by participants of all faiths is as low as possible, in terms of what has to be either let go or taken on in order to participate in the process of reflection (p. 8). His awareness of diversity has expanded to include the unaffihated, with whom communities of faith are increasingly trying to find common ground for shared participation in enterprises for the common good. Even more interestingly, Foley describes his realization that many churchgoers are steeped in the spiritual but not religious identity that is such a cultural given today, and he raises concerns about the implications of this for preaching.Above all, Foley is trying to take up a stance of greater humility when learning from and with practitioners of many faiths or of none. He uses Wittgenstein s model of language games to create an improvisatory, multimethod framework that he calls reflective believing. …

Working Together in a Community Garden: Justice in CTC, EG, TTL

From the context of ministry in Guatemala, the author explores themes of injustice and loving service, need and promise in the Lausanne Movement document known as The Cape Town Commitment, the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, and the ecumenical text on mission and evangelism Together towards Life, with a particular focus on justice and Christian mission. Common elements are depicted through the image of a community garden exhibiting biodiversity and requiring a diversity of talents to flourish.

Whole-Person Formation: An Integrative Approach to Christian Education

This article introduces a comprehensive Christian formation model, drawing from the Genesis narrative of being created in the imago Dei (image of God) through godly love. Applicable in the Christian academy, church, and ministry contexts, this approach incorporates seven dimensions (i.e., spirit, emotions, relationships, intellect, vocation, physical health, and resource stewardship, referring to how believers handle the earth, money, and possessions). Ethical living stands as an outcome of integrated growth across these dimensions and as the vehicle to love and serve God and others. Christian educators are encouraged to apply this approach in their various contexts to foster holistic transformation.

“Sisters with Voices”: A Study of the Experiences and Challenges Faced by Black Women in London Baptist Association Church Ministry Settings

This research investigates the experiences of women, predominantly, Black women mainly of African and Caribbean heritage, in London Baptist church ministry contexts connected with the London Baptist Association. Drawing from principles discovered in liberation theology, Black theology, feminist theology and womanist theology, a unique perspective is presented from these women's experiences, firmly rooted in their context and spirituality. There are over 300 churches represented by the LBA. Forty-two women are currently listed as ministers by the LBA and they were approached by email to answer the research questions via an online survey. What was discovered is that on the whole these ministers are thriving in their unique ministry contexts and find creative ways to fulfil their calling. They face many challenges, however, including isolation, lack of social capital, sexism and a lack of relevant information to help them progress in life and ministry. A number of suggestions are made to support these pioneering women in ministry.

The American Context of Ministry: An Exploration with Daniel W. Hardy

One of Anglican theologian Daniel W. Hardys continual occupations was with God's ways with world, and particularly with human creature in God. In order to do justice to this topic, he adopted a very distinct style of writing and speaking. He would at times develop neologisms, such as sociopoiesis; other times he would shape meaning of a term through innovative (some might say idiosyncratic) use, such as or sociality. His motivation for this, in part, was wanting to sidestep more common technical terms in order to avoid narrowing realities of God and world to one or another ready-made reduction, whether theological or philosophical: tidy playing fields that he found many content to play within, but much too small, he thought, to be confused with real.He also worked to conceive of God and God's ways with world visually as well as conceptually. Near end of his life, inspired by analogous efforts by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, he worked to diagram what he termed the of attraction.* 1 This is an attempt to draw together God's ways with world in a large-scale, comprehensive manner.The energetics of was his way of describing what he saw as God's working within creation to create sociality, a dynamism he termed sociopoiesis. Hardy observed that process of being made into social groupings of various sorts is intrinsic to creation when functioning as it ought. This happens spontaneously and healthfully: it is flourishing of human creation. This sociopoiesis is itself ongoing act of God in and for creation, and more specifically, within civilization (including family, government, and other overlapping social groupings).But sociopoiesis, creation and flourishing of sociality, is not simply for sake of creation but rather is means by which creation is attracted to God. Being attracted to God, humans fulfil their God-given capacity for relation with God and with others.2 This capacity is a part of being creatures; it is godwardness of all creatures. Drawing on Coleridge's use of term, Hardy called this process of attraction abduction, a process of being drawn to divine light and thus closer to all things.3And yet there was a manifest and darker possibility, too. Creatures are created to move toward God, yet at least human creatures have also capacity to resist this towardness. This comes in several different manners, which have a converging form: Hardy talked about it in terms of pathology-obsessiveness-and also self-reference or self-absorption: inertia of self-attraction.4 Not to be attracted to God is to resist God's acting and directionality of creation.5 He summarized it in Augustinian phrase, of humanity being curved in on itself.He further explained that being created is a matter of being dispersed; he often also talked about of creation in relation to infinitely intense identity of Lord. Although at points he referred to extensity as a neutral or simply given condition of creation, there are points where dispersion and extensity seem to be conditions to be overcome in abductive attraction of creatures to God. Dispersion and extensity constitute a counter to God, being distracted by multiplicity of things and failing to engage their depths.6And yet there is within creation not merely its directionality, but its life, both dynamism of sociopoiesis and abductive attraction to God, which I would suggest might be appropriated as work of Holy Spirit. This work can be resisted and, at points, even thwarted, but this does not close down possibility of Spirit continuing to work.A superficial reading of Hardy's work here might prompt one to worry about a loss of self. If being turned toward oneself is a violation of elemental directedness of creatures, and if route to healing is through attraction of God, an attraction which turns creatures away from self-engagement and toward God and created other, then it might sound as if self disappears. …

Professional Boundaries in the Practice of Youth Ministry: An Ethnographic Study of the Limits of Relationships.

Although much has been discussed in secular social science literature on the use of professional boundaries in limiting interactions between practitioners and young people, there last been little empirical research into professional boundaries in a youth ministry context. Here it is argued, through the use of an ethnographic study of youth clubs in the UK, that a youth ministry context offers unique challenges and opportunities for the use of professional boundaries, in particular where missiological and incarnational influences seek to delimit the scope and influence of youth ministers’ interactions with young people.

Active Learning Techniques in the Christian Education Classroom and in Ministry Contexts

This article presents results of an ongoing mixed method study involving doctoral students' perceptions of the use of Active Learning Techniques (ALTs) in both the on-campus classroom and in their particular ministry contexts. Respondents (N=58) include a wide range of ministry positions including senior pastors; ministers of youth, children, and music; and ministers of education. All received instruction in the use of ALTs in their doctoral studies and these approaches were modeled in teaching episodes. Participants in the study report using ALTs successfully in a local church setting.

The practical theologian as decentred but influential facilitator

Since the 1970s along with the resurgence in practical philosophy new possibilities opened up in our understanding of the place for and purpose of practical theology. The repositioning of practical theology as a fully worthy discipline was important to find its voice amongst theological peer disciplines. Against this background, it was argued that the full measure of what the discipline can contribute, especially outside of the ministry context, has not yet been fully developed or practiced. Towards this end the presentation’s main contention was put forward, in that it is vital for the practical theologian to take up a role of an inscribed facilitator. It signifies a shift from practical theology to practical theologian and is exemplified by the practice of a facilitative approach in, and to practical theology.

Discipleship as Theological Praxis: Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a Resource for Educational Ministry

This article offers Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a resource for educational ministry by placing him in conversation with what Richard Osmer calls the normative task of practical theology. In response to the practical theological question “What ought to be going on?” in a given ministry context, Bonhoeffer answers: “Discipleship.” Bonhoeffer's concepts of revelation, ecclesiology, and Christology inform a distinct theology of discipleship that culminates in his notion that “religionless Christianity” is the very possibility of discipleship. In addition to Osmer, Bonhoeffer's ideas are interpreted in relationship to Ray Anderson, Andrew Root, and Darrell Guder.

Key events in the life of the historical Jesus: a collaborative exploration of context and coherence

Using a carefully defined approach to historical Jesus studies and historical method, this collection of essays examines twelve key events in the life of Jesus that were part of a decade-long collaborative research project. Each essay examines the case for the event's authenticity and then explores the social and cultural background to the event to provide an understanding of the event's historical significance. The first six events are related to the public ministry context of Jesus, mostly associated with his Galilean ministry, while latter six events involve his final days in Jerusalem. The final essay closes with suggestions about how these events cohere and what they can tell us about what Jesus did.

Leading Ministry Teams, Part II: Research on Effective Teams with Implications for Ministry Team Leadership

To date, the major research efforts on teams and teamwork are found solely in the publicatications of Larson and LaFasto (1989, 2001) as well as those of Katzenbach and Smith (1993, 2001). This article reviews their major findings and continued research in the last 20 years. Research on effective ministry teams in Christian ministry contexts shows a number of common elements that affirmed both Larson and LaFasto's eight characteristics of effective teams and Katzenbach and Smith's description of effective group fundamentals. Implications for church and parachurch ministries are considered in light of the biblical and theological review in part I, as well as the two major research efforts reviewed in this part II.

Ordinary prayer and the rural church: an empirical study of prayer cards

The study explores the content of ordinary people's prayers by analysing 1,067 prayer cards left in one rural church over a sixteenth-month period. The analysis is placed in the theoretical context of ordinary theology, and it uses a conceptual framework which distinguishes between three aspects of ordinary intercessory and ordinary supplicatory prayer defined as reference, intention, and objective (ap Siôn, 2007). Results of the analysis show that specific concrete issues were not included in 30% of prayer requests, but in the 70% of requests where concrete contexts were provided, 29% cited illness and 20% death. Overall, there were more examples of primary control (55%) than secondary control (45%). The results, alongside selected exemplification of categories, identify the concerns of ordinary theologians expressed in a rural ministry context and their contribution to the empirical study of ordinary theology.

The Construction of Public Theology: An Ethnographic Study of the Relationship between the Theological Academy and Local Clergy in South Africa

AbstractThis article presents findings of research conducted in the summer of 2006, and it focuses on how public theology is understood in the academy in relation to the realities encountered by clergy and lay leaders in a challenging ministry context. Through ethnographic research based in South Africa, I examined the relationship between congregations confronting the AIDS epidemic and widespread poverty, and the construction of public theology in the theological academy at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. The research asked: what is the nature of the correspondence between 'formal' public theology and the local, 'lived' theologies of those doing ministry in South Africa; how does local experience influence the ways that the academy prepares leaders for public ministry. The findings from this study, as discussed in this article, have implications for theological education, in terms of enhancing the public orientation of institutions and understanding the link between context and curriculum.

Psychiatric Chaplaincy: A Thirty-year Retrospective

Chaplaincy Today • Volume 23 Number 1 • Spring/Summer 2007 Two separate experiences as a psychiatric chaplain are the basis for this retrospective, which stems from a thirtyyear career in specialized pastoral care. The first began with a clinical pastoral education (CPE) residency in 1974-1975 at Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Illinois, followed by a position as psychiatric chaplain at the same institution until 1989, including an assignment at what came to be known as the Parkside Center, Lutheran’s chemical dependency treatment facility. Fourteen years later, an opportunity arose to once again serve as a hospital-based psychiatric chaplain this time at Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, Hoffman Estates, Illinois. These two assignments represent two distinct models of psychiatric chaplaincy: the chaplain as primarily a therapist and the chaplain as primarily a spiritual caregiver. Use of the term “psychiatric chaplaincy” throughout this article refers to hospital-based chaplaincy on either psychiatric or substance abuse treatment units and is meant to be synonymous with the phrase “behavioral health chaplaincy” more commonly used today. Further, the assignments occurred in ministry contexts with key differences. While the author acknowledges the risk of looking back nostalgically upon a “golden era of chaplaincy” that is now gone forever, one important question remains: to what degree does ministry setting determine ministry roles?