Some Impossible Dreams for Church Leadership in the UMC
If we could start a blank slate, church leadership structures and leader development in the UMC should look very different. It should be more organic. Here's my pipe dream. Leadership for the church should emerge organically from the ranks of disciples actively connected to Christ through the church. Congregations should nurture a culture of call among its members, identify those called to various ministries and nurture their growth in Christian leadership. Ideally, churches should grow their own pastors. The church - and not the academy - should have the largest role in shaping the pastoral identity of those called to this kind of ministry. Those called to pastoral leadership should receive education in biblical studies, languages, church history and theology in an academic setting, culminating in an academic master’s degree for some, a certificate of completion for others. The ministerial formation of clergy, however, should belong completely to the church. Shaping pastora...