tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620005.post3788238486990260587..comments2023-09-11T04:09:02.455-05:00Comments on Pastoral Transition and Placement Reflections: Reflecting on the decrease in placementEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01204385954996143021noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620005.post-49907629872293373542014-06-13T13:47:30.429-05:002014-06-13T13:47:30.429-05:00Robbie, great thoughts. Thanks for weighing in wit...Robbie, great thoughts. Thanks for weighing in with your perspective.Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01204385954996143021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8620005.post-59889150997914978582014-06-12T04:13:33.040-05:002014-06-12T04:13:33.040-05:00Hey Ed, thanks for these thoughts. I agree with ea...Hey Ed, thanks for these thoughts. I agree with each of the substantive points in this post, so I'll add a few reflections and observations from my own perspective and experience. <br /><br />As candidates chairmen of our presbytery for five years, I noticed that too many candidates coming out of seminary equated their pastoral calling with paid vocational ministry of the 'traditional' kind, which is a major category mistake, in my view. Pastoral calling does not equal job. Related to this, I do think that there will be a major increase in bi-vocational pastorates in North America in the years to come, mainly because of increasing secularization and the resulting decline of institutional churches as a result. There will not be the same level of 'demand' for churches and pastors because the number of churches is decreasing, and the economic pressure on existing churches is increasing. The latter could change, but I don't see the former changing. if that is the case, then we will increasingly be in a situation of evangelizing the culture and planting new churches, which demands flexibility in ministry models and funding, as even a cursory acquaintance with Acts and Paul's letters should demonstrate.<br /><br />If the above change is in fact coming and if it will be in fact be wide-ranging, then the training of pastors will necessarily have to be more distributed and flexible and less centralized. I too agree that this could be a very good thing.<br /><br />These issues are important to me as a churchman and as a pastor who is facing a transition either into training of ministers or back into the pastorate in the next year. With challenges and change come opportunities, though, so I appreciate the forum to think through issues.<br /><br />Anyway, all the best to you.<br /><br />Robbierobbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11246819050110659759noreply@blogger.com