Pastoral Leadership Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Conflict manager or expert, writer Dana Caspersen’s book Changing the Conversation: The 17 Principles of Conflict Resolution gave a valuable “principle” material for this generation. There is no doubt that every person has conflicting... more

Conflict manager or expert, writer Dana Caspersen’s book Changing the Conversation: The 17 Principles of Conflict Resolution gave a valuable “principle” material for this generation. There is no doubt that every person has conflicting areas and challenges in everyday life, it triggers our inactive strongest emotions, sheers and shakes the rage and ego and so and so forth. This book is all about “changing the conversation,” and converting it into “moment of opportunity” with merely “17 principles.” This book is written in gender-neutral context to make it applicable to the present corporate world or even any level of management organizations. This book is published in a dialogue model like one is dialoguing with other, namely “conflict” with “non-conflict.” This book designer, Joost Elffers call this model as “horizontal production” meaning running two sides in the same equation with equality, in this case, it is “the principles” and “anti-principles.”

In this dissertation, three lines of investigation were followed: (1) a review of the Biblical view of rural society and church health; (2) a review of works on church health and particularly reports from three mission fields: Korea,... more

In this dissertation, three lines of investigation were followed: (1) a review of the Biblical view of rural society and church health; (2) a review of works on church health and particularly reports from three mission fields: Korea, Taiwan and Thailand; (3) a quantitative study of rural churches in five counties in north Alabama compared with one county in Taiwan. Associations of multiple variables across two different cultural settings were investigate with chi-square tests. In addition to the nine key elements listed, one important finding was verification of a quantitative method that could be used to accurately describe whether churches are healthy or not.

Anglican churches around the world face a serious problem in discipleship and has called for a season of “intentional discipleship and disciple-making.” The Anglican Church of Canada renewed its emphasis on discipleship, providing some... more

Anglican churches around the world face a serious problem in discipleship and has called for a season of “intentional discipleship and disciple-making.” The Anglican Church of Canada renewed its emphasis on discipleship, providing some helpful resources, but there are no studies of how discipleship may be experienced at a congregational level. This study focuses on an Anglican church, identified as a leader in discipleship ministry. Through in-depth interviews and observations of formative events, I sought to discover how this congregation understood discipleship, engaged its Anglican tradition, lived and nurtured its reality in their context.

"This article investigates the shepherding metaphor as used throughout the biblical narrative in contrast to how that metaphor is used in the modern church. In particular, it implies that our current approach to modern church leadership... more

"This article investigates the shepherding metaphor as used throughout the biblical narrative in contrast to how that metaphor is used in the modern church. In particular, it implies that our current approach to modern church leadership may actually hinder the kind of leadership necessary in changing situations and times. By investigating Old and New Testament usages, this article demonstrates that much of the modern tendency toward expert, professionalized leadership, as exemplified by the office of pastor, may be out of touch with the main metaphor used to describe
pastoral leadership. Suggestions are made as to how revisiting the dangerous memories of the biblical understanding of shepherd leadership can benefit the church and its leaders, toward a more holistic and integrated form of leadership that will encourage reliance on the church’s one Shepherd during times of transition and difficult change."

Summary – During the last few years, the situation of the Catholic Church within Western societies has been radically shaken. The Christian can no longer live as though he were in a context of Christianity. The ideal of Christian life has... more

Summary – During the last few years, the situation of the Catholic Church within Western societies has been radically shaken. The Christian can no longer live as though he were in a context of Christianity. The ideal of Christian life has itself been affected and has led to a new perception of the “good Christian”. An empirical study in French-speaking Belgium has shown that priest do not have the same common goal of pastoral care shaped by the ideal of a “good Christian” to accompany. A rereading of a model established pour catechism (A. Fossion) allows one to define this pastoral finality as a series of competencies to be acquired. These changes bring about a rethinking of the ministry of the priest-curate which is henceforth characterized by: team-work, communional pastoral care, faith recentred on Christ the crucified and glorified Messiah with whom the Paschal crossing of each individual and collective crisis is possible.

The role of pastors in vibrant churches is established in the literature, but the nature of their influence as shepherd-teachers has not been probed. This case study looks at how a senior- pastor shaped congregational culture, impacting... more

The role of pastors in vibrant churches is established in the literature, but the nature of their influence as shepherd-teachers has not been probed. This case study looks at how a senior- pastor shaped congregational culture, impacting educational vision and adult faith formation at a Congregational
church in New England. Through careful listening to stories of pastors and church members and participation in various faith events, the researcher sought insider perspectives to the research
question. The study revealed an effective pastor as a servant shepherd-leader who has earned the trust of his congregation over many years and who possesess a pastoral imagination to respond appropriately to unique faith contexts. The study also suggests that an effective pastor is an adaptive shepherd-teacher who views faith formation as integrated within the total life of the congregation and creatively shapes core ministries into faith-forming experiences. This ethnographic study, applied
in congregational contexts, emphasizes the importance of Christian education in the theological curriculum for the formation of shepherd-teachers. It also teaches seminary students that effective pastoral ministry always begins with attending to the rich and textured stories of the people they serve.

This essay starts from the perspective of seeing ordained priesthood as an integral part of the church understood as communio and the ordained priest as an integral part of a network of mutually interdependent relationships, both personal... more

This essay starts from the perspective of seeing ordained priesthood as an integral part of the church understood as communio and the ordained priest as an integral part of a network of mutually interdependent relationships, both personal and ministerial. Because my basic outlook is spirituality and not theology oriented, I will not deal with the rather complex relationship between the “ecclesial dimension” (repraesentatio ecclesiae) and the “Christological dimension” (repraesentatio Christi capitis) of the ordained priesthood. Instead, I will simply look for the expressions of the “ecclesial dimension” which are characterized by a growth in mutual personal and ministerial relationships, both to God and to the other, within the ecclesial communio.

This thesis examines the pastoral situation in the diocese of Pilsen, which was established in one of the most atheistic parts of the Czech Republic only nine years ago. After attending to and analysing the voice of the contemporary... more

This thesis examines the pastoral situation in the diocese of Pilsen, which was established in one of the most atheistic parts of the Czech Republic only nine years ago. After attending to and analysing the voice of the contemporary cultural situation, the voice of Christian tradition mediated by Church documents and contemporary theology and the voice of the present pastoral experience both in the diocese and worldwide, it reaches the following conclusions:
The major contemporary trend in organising pastoral ministry is seen in the principle of balanced multidimensionality among the four basic pastoral dimensions of spirituality, community, collaboration and mission and the two interconnected perspectives of reform and renewal. Collaborative ministry and the concept of a multilevel communitarian structure of pastoral ministry in a diocese are commonly seen as appropriate and efficient ways of reaching the necessary balance.
The prevailing imbalance and compartmelisation of the basic pastoral areas and perspectives have been proved as the key problem of organising pastoral ministry in the Pilsen diocese. Moreover, the undeveloped collaborative ministry, a lack of empowering leadersip and rigid parish structures focusing almost solely on sacramental services have been analysed as additional restraints in the process of pastoral reform and renewal.
Consequently, concrete multidimensionally balanced reform steps and renewal processes towards a spiritually rooted, communitarian, collaborative and missionary Church supported by the systematic development of collaborative ministry and finding their structural expression and support in a diocese understood as a community of ministering communities are seen as necessary on the way forward.
Finally, a professionally and spiritually guided, balanced, multidimensional and collaborative process of diocesan pastoral planning as a way of managing, modelling and guiding an indigenous process of pastoral renewal and reform in the diocese is strongly recommended.

Nous cherchons à répondre à la question comment exercer un ministère de type pastoral en situation multiculturelle induite par l'immigration. Nous partons du compte-rendu d'un entretien avec un pasteur français qui exerce son ministère... more

Nous cherchons à répondre à la question comment exercer un ministère de type pastoral en situation multiculturelle induite par l'immigration. Nous partons du compte-rendu d'un entretien avec un pasteur français qui exerce son ministère dans une Église constituée en majorité de personnes d'origine africaine en région parisienne. Cet entretien permet de relever des conceptions différentes du rapport à Dieu et au pasteur. Nous cherchons à établir à partir de la conception théologique du ministère pastoral et de l'étude herméneutique d'Actes 8.26-40, comment le dialogue interculturel pourrait être l'alternative adéquate pour la pratique d'un ministère de type pastoral au sein d'une Église locale marquée par la pluralité des cultures.

McKenna and Eckhard (2009) provided a helpful starting point for assessing the effectiveness of pastors. However, several recommendations would assist in improving and furthering their research. Their assessment should be rigorously... more

McKenna and Eckhard (2009) provided a helpful starting point for assessing the effectiveness of pastors. However, several recommendations would assist in improving and furthering their research. Their assessment should be rigorously analyzed to confirm that it is measuring biblical characteristics of leadership rather than culturally defined characteristics. Additionally, their measurements should be identified with Biblical leadership examples to ensure Biblical association. Finally, integrating Hazy’s (2006) model of assessment would offer a stronger qualitative contribution to the assessment process.

This dissertation examines various forms of spirituality in the complex area of today’s pastoral transformation, as they are mirrored in recent literature on pastoral planning and church development. Its main aim is to develop a... more

This dissertation examines various forms of spirituality in the complex area of today’s pastoral transformation, as they are mirrored in recent literature on pastoral planning and church development. Its main aim is to develop a descriptive basis for identifying key questions for further spirituality research in the area of pastoral transformation and providing basic orientations for the ministry of leading or guiding various pastoral transformation processes. For this purpose, a form-descriptive documentary research in spirituality (metaphorically expressed as “mapping”) was chosen as the most appropriate overall methodology.
After the Introduction outlines some of the personal motivations of the author, the first two chapters are of a rather methodological kind. While Chapter 1 outlines the purpose, methodology, and theme of the dissertation, Chapter 2 describes the preliminary research into the background of the pastoral planning and church development literature and summarizes its results. The next two chapters present the main “mapping work.” While Chapter 3 focuses on the sources inspired by various managerial approaches, Chapter 4 deals with the works inspired by some more specifically Christian influences. The whole dissertation culminates in Chapter 5 that attempts a form-descriptive spirituality analysis of the whole researched area and offers a “re-constructive summary” of the whole “map.”
In this most generalizing part, the dissertation indicates some interesting interconnections between the various kinds of inspiration influencing the researched primary sources (i.e. “strategic planning,” “organization development,” “appreciative inquiry,” “learning organizations,” and “change leadership” as the more managerial ones, and “spiritual discernment,” “theological reflection,” and “church documents” as the more specifically Christian ones) and some basic pastoral theology concepts (i.e. “diakonia,” “koinonia,” “leitourgia,” “metanoia,” and “martyria” on the one hand, and “community,” “expertise,” and “authority” on the other), while identifying both specific strengths and possible limitations of developing a pastoral transformation spirituality in each of these areas.
Finally, further practical, theoretical, and personal directions and recommendations are suggested in the Conclusion. The metaphor of “journeying through the wilderness” offers itself not only as a relevant expression of “travelling” through the whole bewildering forest of the primary and secondary sources or as a symbol for the personal spiritual “wilderness journey” of the author, but also as an apt summary of the main tendency of today’s pastoral transformation literature towards emphasising a faithful labyrinth-like journeying in a creative wilderness (rather than a clear linear ladder-like journey through pre-planned stages) as the most common form of a deep spiritual transformation in today’s rapidly changing society.

This essay seeks to investigate the theological and biblical basis for Servantship as a model for Christian leadership. In it we explore how Servantship (a term used in preference to servant-leadership), is essentially about following our... more

This essay seeks to investigate the theological and biblical basis for Servantship as a model for Christian leadership. In it we explore how Servantship (a term used in preference to servant-leadership), is essentially about following our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore the example of leadership given by Jesus is used as the basis of what Servantship ought to entail. Although not exhaustive, the essay discusses Servantship as humbly valuing others more than yourself, cultivating the same attitude of mind that Jesus had, and practising an unreserved participation in the missio Dei. The essay concludes by affirming an overwhelming amount of Scriptural evidence in support of Servantship as a biblical model for Christian leadership.

Of his 37 books, A Place to Stand is the most important book written by D. Elton Trueblood--regarded "the dean of American religious writing" in the mid-late 20th century. Written as a philosophic sequel to Mere Christianity by C. S.... more

Of his 37 books, A Place to Stand is the most important book written by D. Elton Trueblood--regarded "the dean of American religious writing" in the mid-late 20th century. Written as a philosophic sequel to Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, this challenge to intellectually inadequate rejections of theism remains a classic of modern religious literature. This revised edition is the second of several of Trueblood's most important works being re-issued by HarperOne--available now in e-book format.

Contemporary church leadership has largely been developed through historically shaped cultural forces stemming from modernity’s rationalism. As the dissonance of this shaping has become more pronounced with the movement toward what has... more

Contemporary church leadership has largely been developed through historically shaped cultural forces stemming from modernity’s rationalism. As the dissonance of this shaping has become more pronounced with the movement toward what has been called “postmodernity” or “hyper-modernity,” it has become important again to understand how we have arrived at our current state for the purpose of understanding how God might be reshaping his church once again. Acknowledging that our current practices of leadership have been largely shaped by historical cultural values can give us freedom to let go of those practices which no longer serve God’s mission and adapt to the context into which God is drawing us.

Shepherding God's Flock is a collection of essays by Baptist scholars on the topic of biblical leadership, primarily focused on elders in the local church. For the most part this is a very traditional conservative and Baptist view of... more

Shepherding God's Flock is a collection of essays by Baptist scholars on the topic of biblical leadership, primarily focused on elders in the local church. For the most part this is a very traditional conservative and Baptist view of church leadership. Do not let the conservative, pastoral appearance fool you. The essays in this collection are intentionally academic and are good examples of biblical and historical theology applied to the problem of modern church leadership.

How do seminarians move from imagining ministry to embodying pastoral imagination? Stories gathered from seminarians in their final year of study show the complexity of shifting from classroom work, which foregrounds theory and... more

How do seminarians move from imagining ministry to embodying pastoral imagination? Stories gathered from seminarians in their final year of study show the complexity of shifting from classroom work, which foregrounds theory and intellectual imagination, to a more embodied, relational and emotionally intense engagements of ministry. Stories about learning ministry articulate a process we’re calling the birth of pastoral imagination. New ministers test their use of knowledge acquired in classroom and books within the limits of actual ministry situations. They become overwhelmed by multiple variables in situations where they must make choices and act. These moments of action are fraught with risk and responsibility for the outcomes. Articulation and theological reflection are formative for students learning the practice of ministry. Implications for theological education include making greater “use of knowledge” in ministry practice and “use of practice” in classrooms. Points of crisis in the student stories raise additional questions about how some complications and interruptions to the “birth process” may present tragic consequences.

For many congregations, change creates discomfort. Pastoral leaders are often expected to be experts who manage and control realities beyond their expertise, experience, and ability. That expectation, a product of modern approaches to... more

For many congregations, change creates discomfort. Pastoral leaders are often expected to be experts who manage and control realities beyond their expertise, experience, and ability. That expectation, a product of modern approaches to leadership, views the pastor as responsible for maintaining the status quo. Transforming Pastoral Leadership responds to this context by challenging readers to rediscover key biblical themes around the shepherding metaphor as well as key theological themes steeped in our historical faith narratives. Readers are challenged to consider the origins of our dominant leadership practices and to reconsider how Christ’s preeminence as the leader of his church requires us to reconstruct leadership practices that are faithful to his preeminence. To assist congregations, Transforming Pastoral Leadership suggests processes that might help congregations discern God’s missional promptings as they move forward into God’s future and experience conflict as opportunities for transformation.

Následující studie si klade za cíl přiblížit základní otázky, které si různé diecéze kladou při různých procesech diecézního pastoračního plánování, nastínit různé přístupy k iniciaci a doprovázení těchto procesů a na závěr se pokusit... more

Následující studie si klade za cíl přiblížit základní otázky, které si různé diecéze kladou při různých procesech diecézního pastoračního plánování, nastínit různé přístupy k iniciaci a doprovázení těchto procesů a na závěr se pokusit porovnat jejich společné i odlišné základní rysy a charakteristiky. Průzkum zaměřený na získání základních podkladů pro tuto studii byl prováděn především v různých dokumentačně dostupných katolických diecézích Austrálie, Severní Ameriky,
Irska, Velké Británie, Francie a Německa, jen obecný přehled je zde podán o některých procesech v Africe a Jižní Americe. Přesto, že pastorační situace ve zkoumaných diecézích se jen v některých případech bude blížit situaci diecézí u nás, právě zjištění některých společných prvků uprostřed velké geografické, církevní i kulturní rozmanitosti zkoumaných oblastí může být o to cennější.

In recent years there has been increased interest in understanding the cultivation of effective pastoral ministry. Many theories have been postulated based on individual experiences, but what has been lacking is a robust body of... more

In recent years there has been increased interest in understanding the cultivation of effective pastoral ministry. Many theories have been postulated based on individual experiences, but what has been lacking is a robust body of comprehensive and rigorous research regarding the issue. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of long-tenured senior pastors of Christian churches with an eye toward the insights participants' experiences could offer to pastoral education. Final analysis of the data affirmed current research on resiliency in pastoral ministry and extended previous research through the discovery that participants understood the convergence of ministry, tenure, and efficacy as a cyclical process sustained by the interconnected experiences of fidelity to the pastoral call and the cultivation of authenticity in community. This understanding forms the basis of a new theory of pastoral efficacy.

Předkládaná pastorační analýza je zaměřena na zmapování společenského kontextu a současné pastorační situace v plzeňské diecézi, které může posloužit jako základ pro hlubší reflexi této situace ve světle teologických a pastoračních trendů... more

Předkládaná pastorační analýza je zaměřena na zmapování společenského kontextu a současné pastorační situace v plzeňské diecézi, které může posloužit jako základ pro hlubší reflexi této situace ve světle teologických a pastoračních trendů v dnešní církvi a v teologii. Základní otázkou této práce
tedy je: „Jaká je současná pastorační situace v plzeňské diecézi?“ Po velmi stručném shrnutí celkové metodologie použité při pastoračních průzkumech v diecézi (1.) je nejprve nabídnut krátký přehled historického, sociokulturního, politického a eklesiálního kontextu, ve kterém se pastorační služba
v plzeňské diecézi odehrává (2.). Hlavní a nejrozsáhlejší část studie pak souhrnným způsobem syntetizuje výsledky kvantitativní, kvalitativní a organizační analýzy dat získaných při pastoračních průzkumech v terénu v letech 2001 a 2002 (3.). Nakonec je připojeno stručné shrnutí celkové situace zaměřené na „organizační diagnostiku“. Studie je založena na mé thesis pro postgraduální kurs MA in Pastoral Leadership nazvané Reform and Renewal: Theological Reflection on Organising Pastoral Ministry in the Diocese of Pilsen (Dublin: All Hallows College, 2002).

Anabaptist theology of pastoral ministry emphasizing servant leadership and egalitarianism. Published as "Heather Ann Ackley" implicitly challenging patriarchal models of pastoral leadership in favor of full gender equality. “Anabaptism... more

Anabaptist theology of pastoral ministry emphasizing servant leadership and egalitarianism. Published as "Heather Ann Ackley" implicitly challenging patriarchal models of pastoral leadership in favor of full gender equality. “Anabaptism and Pastoral Authority” The Mennonite (May 2, 2006): 13-15.

Přednáška pro pastorační sympozium „Pronikavá změna pastorace nebo sebezáchovný provoz?“ konané na TF JU v Českých Budějovicích ve dnech 21. - 23. října 2004 reflektující nespočet pokusů o iniciaci procesu pastoračního plánování v... more

Přednáška pro pastorační sympozium „Pronikavá změna pastorace nebo sebezáchovný provoz?“ konané na TF JU v Českých Budějovicích ve dnech 21. - 23. října 2004 reflektující nespočet pokusů o iniciaci procesu pastoračního plánování v Plzeňské diecézi a navrhující některé praktické kroky pro budoucí pastorační praxi

کتاب حاضر با توجه به اهمیت توانمندسازی مسئولان پایه یا معلمان راهنمای مدارس و افزایش صلاحیت‌های حرفه‌ای آنان، در موسسه مدارس یادگیرنده مرآت به زیور طبع آراسته شد. با توجه به اهمیـت این پست سازمـانی در مدرسه و تجربه عملـی مدارس موفق کشور... more

کتاب حاضر با توجه به اهمیت توانمندسازی مسئولان پایه یا معلمان راهنمای مدارس و افزایش صلاحیت‌های حرفه‌ای آنان، در موسسه مدارس یادگیرنده مرآت به زیور طبع آراسته شد. با توجه به اهمیـت این پست سازمـانی در مدرسه و تجربه عملـی مدارس موفق کشور به ویژه در مدارس خصوصی ایران در چند دهه گذشته و اقتباس عناوین مختلف برای این کارکرد در مدرسه، همچنین تجربه جهانی آن در کشورهای دیگر با عناویـن و نام‌های گوناگـون با هدف توجه به تفاوت‌های فردی دانش‌آموزان، ارائه یک تجربـه از دیگـر کشورها بیش از پیش لازم به نظر می‌رسیـد. این ترجمه که یک تجربه مسئول پایـگی با عنوان «سرپرست دانش آموزان» در کشور انگلستان می‌باشـد، به عنوان کتابی در حوزه نظر و عمل در اختیار مدیران و مسئولان پایه و معلمان راهنما و دست‌اندرکـاران تعلیم ‌و ‌تربیت کشور قرار گرفتـه اسـت تا آنان را در فراینـد یاددهی و تربیت یاری نماید. ناشر ضمن تشکر از مترجمان این اثر امیدوار است این کتاب یاریگر مناسبـی برای مدارس کشور در فراینـد یادگیـری در مدارس و افزایـش صلاحیت‌های حرفه‌ای کارکنان آنان باشد.

With charismatic Christianity on the rise, a fresh study of charismatic leadership is necessary to investigate the dialectic between charisma as gift and charisma as status over the course of Paul's leadership career (and possibly in the... more

With charismatic Christianity on the rise, a fresh study of charismatic leadership is necessary to investigate the dialectic between charisma as gift and charisma as status over the course of Paul's leadership career (and possibly in the generations after him). First, Paul's language of charisma (χάρισμα) and grace (χάρις) is traced in relation to leadership terminology and structures. Paul might have seen his own apostolic leadership as a charism, but the language of modern day 'charismatic leadership' comes from late 19th and early 20th century theological developments in Germany, which proposed that early charismatic function was gradually replaced by institutional structures over the course of several generations, which-it is argued-is evidenced in the development from the uncontested to the contested Pauline epistles. However, new research in contemporary charismatic leadership, combined with new insights into the early structuring of apostolic churches suggest that the rise in Paul's apostolic status from the uncontested to the contested epistles may plausibly reflect a development during Paul's lifetime, where believers in Ephesus and certainly Timothy himself witnessed Paul's success in reestablishing his apostolic leadership in Corinth. Hence, an alternative historical reconstruction, that Paul's leadership as founder and apostle became a publicly acknowledged status already during his lifetime, gains plausibility since it does justice to recent scholarly insights in leadership theory and in sociological analysis of early church structuration. The essay closes with some implications for contemporary pastoral leadership.

The critique that much of western ecclesiastical leadership has been somewhat negatively influenced by the secular world can hardly be considered a novel idea. And indeed many of our contemporaries, be it Pentecostals or Evangelicals,... more

The critique that much of western ecclesiastical leadership has been somewhat negatively influenced by the secular world can hardly be considered a novel idea. And indeed many of our contemporaries, be it Pentecostals or Evangelicals, have decried the increasing corporatization of church leadership across nearly all denominations. Pastors and scholars such as John Piper, Eugene Peterson, Andrew Purves or Henri Nouwen, to name only a few of the critics that I have encountered in my personal reading, have thus expressed their concern that the ever pressing need for contemporary relevance or ministry performance is causing modern ecclesiastical leadership to somewhat lose sight of its theological and biblical compass. We ought not be dismayed or offended by such criticism, for if there is one lesson we may learn from church history it is that leaders are always faced with the risk to misconstrue their identity and function, and abuse their calling
and responsibility.

In this essay, I am analysing the organizational structure of the Diocese of Plzeň, where I was ordained as priest in 1995. My overall aim by writing this essay is not a scientific research, but a very practical approach in the context... more

In this essay, I am analysing the organizational structure of the Diocese of Plzeň, where I was ordained as priest in 1995. My overall aim by writing this essay is not a scientific research, but a very practical approach in the context of a theological reflection according to the model described by James and Evelyn Whiteheads’ in their Method in Ministry.

Abstract. How do seminarians move from imagining ministry to embodying pastoral imagination? Stories gathered from seminarians in their final year of study show the complexity of shifting from classroom work, which foregrounds theory and... more

Abstract. How do seminarians move from imagining ministry to embodying pastoral imagination? Stories gathered from seminarians in their final year of study show the complexity of shifting from classroom work, which foregrounds theory and intellectual imagination, to more embodied, relational, and emotionally intense engagements of ministry. Stories about learning ministry articulate a process we call the birth of pasto-ral imagination. New ministers test their use of knowledge acquired in classroom and books within the limits of actual ministry situations. They become overwhelmed by mul-tiple variables in situations where they must make choices and act. These moments of action are fraught with risk and responsibility for the outcomes. Articulation and theo-logical reflection are formative for students learning the practice of ministry. Implica-tions for theological education include making greater “use of knowledge ” in ministry practice and “use of practice ” in classrooms. Points ...