This timely volume on ministerial formation argues for a re-framing of the training of future leaders, both lay and ordained. While appreciating much of the current best practices in theological education, John Valentine makes a powerful and coherent case on biblical, theological, historical and educational grounds that there is an urgent need to realign training aims along more thorough-going missional lines. Ministerial Formation for the Future of the Church lays out concrete proposals for a more effective way of training that will result in future church leaders that are better equipped spiritually, emotionally, culturally, as well as academically, for the demands of local church life and mission in our rapidly changing times. Valentine holds out a vision for ways of training that more closely link the contexts and actual realities of local churches and communities with the ways in which church leaders are trained. Warm, grounded and visionary, the book combines a robust biblical and theological perspective with practical educational strategies that can make a real difference in the life and leadership of those being trained to play key roles in the future of church life and mission.
John Valentine is the co-founder of St Martha’s College, a non-residential theological college in Surrey, training both lay leaders and ordinands for the Diocese of Guildford. He has been involved in mission and church leadership training in a wide variety of contexts for over a decade, helped launch an Asbury Doctor of Ministry programme in this country, and has been a parish clergyman for 30 years.
PrefaceIntroductionPart I The State We’re In1 Bias to academics2 Bias to the status quo 3 How we trainSummary reflections on Part IInterlude – Where this book is goingPart II Theological Resources4 How Jesus trained5 How Paul trained6 Theological education in historySummary reflections on Part II Part III Contemporary Voices 7 Recent perspectives 8 Educational theory9 The church around the worldSummary reflections on Part IIIPart IV Some Possible Strategies 10 The cognitive domain11 The affective domain12 The behavioural domain13 The relational domain14 Spiritual resources for transformational ministerial formation15 Some hard questionsSummary reflections on Part IV Part V Proposals for change 16 Ministerial formation for the future of the church
This timely volume on ministerial formation argues for a re-framing of the training of future leaders, both lay and ordained. While appreciating much of the current best practices in theological education, John Valentine makes a powerful and coherent case on biblical, theological, historical and educational grounds that there is an urgent need to realign training aims along more thorough-going missional lines. Ministerial Formation for the Future of the Church lays out concrete proposals for a more effective way of training that will result in future church leaders that are better equipped spiritually, emotionally, culturally, as well as academically, for the demands of local church life and mission in our rapidly changing times. Valentine holds out a vision for ways of training that more closely link the contexts and actual realities of local churches and communities with the ways in which church leaders are trained. Warm, grounded and visionary, the book combines a robust biblical and theological perspective with practical educational strategies that can make a real difference in the life and leadership of those being trained to play key roles in the future of church life and mission.
John Valentine is the co-founder of St Martha’s College, a non-residential theological college in Surrey, training both lay leaders and ordinands for the Diocese of Guildford. He has been involved in mission and church leadership training in a wide variety of contexts for over a decade, helped launch an Asbury Doctor of Ministry programme in this country, and has been a parish clergyman for 30 years.
PrefaceIntroductionPart I The State We’re In1 Bias to academics2 Bias to the status quo 3 How we trainSummary reflections on Part IInterlude – Where this book is goingPart II Theological Resources4 How Jesus trained5 How Paul trained6 Theological education in historySummary reflections on Part II Part III Contemporary Voices 7 Recent perspectives 8 Educational theory9 The church around the worldSummary reflections on Part IIIPart IV Some Possible Strategies 10 The cognitive domain11 The affective domain12 The behavioural domain13 The relational domain14 Spiritual resources for transformational ministerial formation15 Some hard questionsSummary reflections on Part IV Part V Proposals for change 16 Ministerial formation for the future of the church