The Pastoral Leadership Search Effort (PLSE, pronounced ‘pulse’) helps denominations and congregations identify and cultivate gifted young people interested in exploring the ministry as a possible vocation.
The Indispensable Guide for Smaller Churches is filled with solid theology on the one hand and practical applications on the other. Ray shares the best of his discoveries during more than 30 years as pastor, denominational leader, and consultant to small churches.
Hobgood examines new pressures on clergy that are emerging in the “post-Christendom era:” financial stresses, the effects of a conflicted and confrontational culture, the needs of an increasing number of people living broken or dependent lives, dysfunctional behavior on the part of pastors and parishioners, questions regarding clergy respect and job satisfaction. How is ministry […]
Occasional Paper #13 reprints two significant essays that are no longer readily available. “The Maceration of the Minister” by the late Lutheran theologian Joseph Sittler is an incisive, sympathetic analysis of the plight of ministers. “The Teaching Authority of the Minister in the Reformed Tradition: A Contemporary Proposal” by Richard R. Osmer, the Thomas W. […]