We are no longer in the Kansas of pastoral ministry where one can expect a full-time pastorate at the end of the yellow-brick road of seminary training. Indeed, the very opportunity to attend seminary is now a luxury for many.
And as full-time pastors become a thing of the past, more and more seminary grads are taking on secular jobs to supplement their incomes, and often they are doing this after having accumulated high amounts of debt.
This is no way to train for ministry: out of context, out of community, and out of money.
This changing milieu of pastoral ministry requires a shift in how we train pastors for ministry. We need a different model for those who are not seeking or not hopeful about finding full-time pastoral jobs for those not willing or able to relocate for seminary, and for those not willing or able to take on debt.
Here at Missio Alliance we are dedicated to partnering and networking with those who are breaking-down the barriers between pragmatically oriented pastors and scholastically oriented theologians, and working with those who are building-up the community of pastor-theologians, of missionary pastors and contextual theologians.
There are many groups and institutions doing this and we are glad to announce Northern Seminary (a Cornerstone Partner with Missio Alliance) is launching a new Masters of Arts in Theology and Mission.
This program has a very affordable cost structure built around low monthly payments. It works around one’s local ministry life so as to keep you grounded in the life of the church. And it is communal in nature by linking pastors in training with experienced theologian-practitioners.
The goal of Northern’s Masters of Arts in Theology and Mission is to “grow the community of theologian-practitioners”.
Please check out their new program, and then please let us know of others groups and seminaries that are coming up with innovative ways of training the next generation of pastors.
Missio Alliance Comment Policy
The Missio Alliance Writing Collectives exist as a ministry of writing to resource theological practitioners for mission. From our Leading Voices to our regular Writing Team and those invited to publish with us as Community Voices, we are creating a space for thoughtful engagement of critical issues and questions facing the North American Church in God’s mission. This sort of thoughtful engagement is something that we seek to engender not only in our publishing, but in conversations that unfold as a result in the comment section of our articles.
Unfortunately, because of the relational distance introduced by online communication, “thoughtful engagement” and “comment sections” seldom go hand in hand. At the same time, censorship of comments by those who disagree with points made by authors, whose anger or limited perspective taints their words, or who simply feel the need to express their own opinion on a topic without any meaningful engagement with the article or comment in question can mask an important window into the true state of Christian discourse. As such, Missio Alliance sets forth the following suggestions for those who wish to engage in conversation around our writing:
1. Seek to understand the author’s intent.
If you disagree with something the an author said, consider framing your response as, “I hear you as saying _________. Am I understanding you correctly? If so, here’s why I disagree. _____________.
2. Seek to make your own voice heard.
We deeply desire and value the voice and perspective of our readers. However you may react to an article we publish or a fellow commenter, we encourage you to set forth that reaction is the most constructive way possible. Use your voice and perspective to move conversation forward rather than shut it down.
3. Share your story.
One of our favorite tenants is that “an enemy is someone whose story we haven’t heard.” Very often disagreements and rants are the result of people talking past rather than to one another. Everyone’s perspective is intimately bound up with their own stories – their contexts and experiences. We encourage you to couch your comments in whatever aspect of your own story might help others understand where you are coming from.
In view of those suggestions for shaping conversation on our site and in an effort to curate a hospitable space of open conversation, Missio Alliance may delete comments and/or ban users who show no regard for constructive engagement, especially those whose comments are easily construed as trolling, threatening, or abusive.