One of my responsibilities over the years in the Church has been to examine candidates for ordination, to enquire into their fitness for the Church's ministry and to promote and encourage the continued growth of those who already serve -- including myself. As we approach Easter and Pentecost, those examinations are already in full-swing again. The Church is looking to discern who among us has been called, equipped and commissioned with such a vocation. Since several of my students and friends are headed long into this process, some reflections might be in order. In 2001, I was asked to contribute a report on the nature of ordained ministry. My assignment was to write on, "What are ministers for?" I began by deconstructing the question, suggesting that its pragmatism (as I would now put it) is theologically vulgar, and that, in any case, it begs a couple of questions: Namely, that before we can say what ministers are for, we need to know what t...
A "restless" theologian in service to the church of Jesus Christ