Ian S. Markham - An Introduction to Ministry: A Primer for Renewed Life and Leadership in Mainline Protestant Congregations

This edition first published 2016
2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Markham, Ian S.
An introduction to ministry : a primer for renewed life and leadership in mainline protestant congregations / Ian S. Markham and Oran E. Warder.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-470-67330-0 (cloth) ISBN 978-0-470-67329-4 (pbk.)1. Pastoral theologyUnited States. I. Title.
BV4011.3.M365 2015
253dc23
2015021574

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Cover image: Pearl/Lightstock

For Oran:

This book is dedicated to my parents, Joe and Kate, who led me to faith; to Amy, my long-time partner in ministry, who has triumphantly finished the race; to our children and greatest treasure, Zachary, Griffin, and Wesley; and to Barbara, my beloved companion as the journey continues.

I am also grateful for all the communities that have shaped and formed me: St. Matthias Church, Grafton, West Virginia; Trinity Church, Huntington, West Virginia; St. Philip's Church, Laurel, Maryland; the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware; and most especially the congregation of St. Paul's, Alexandria, Virginia, whom I am so privileged to serve and without whose support and encouragement this book could not have been written.

For Ian:

This book is dedicated to my wife Lesley and my son Luke. Few can imagine the impact that ministry has on those close to them, for their participation in the journey I am extraordinarily grateful.

I am also grateful for those who helped to nurture my vocation as a priest. Keith Ward, Leslie Houlden, and Richard Harries at King's College, London; Giles Legood, who embodies so many priest-like qualities; Richard Burridge, Martyn Percy, Gareth Jones, and Lewis Ayres, who were there every step of the way; and finally, Don Hamer and Bill Eakins at Trinity Episcopal Church in Hartford and Heidi Hadsell of Hartford Seminary, who supported me through the process.

The Student's Companion to the Theologians
Edited by Ian S. Markham

The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to the Anglican Communion
Edited by Ian S. Markham, J. Barney Hawkins, IV, Justyn Terry, and Leslie Nunez Steffensen

Against Atheism: Why Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris Are Fundamentally Wrong
Ian S. Markham

A World Religions Reader, 3rd Edition
Edited by Ian S. Markham and Christy Lohr

Understanding Christian Doctrine
Ian S. Markham

Do Morals Matter?: A Guide to Contemporary Religious Ethics
Ian S. Markham

A Theology of Engagement
Ian S. Markham

Encountering Religion: An Introduction to the Religions of the World
Edited by Ian S. Markham and Tinu Ruparell

This is a book that emerged from our respective contexts a parish priest and a seminary dean. We are grateful to those in our contexts who supported this venture: the Vestry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church and, in particular, the team of priests Judith Harris Proctor, Ross Kane, and Sam Mason; and at Virginia Seminary, the leadership team Melody Knowles, Heather Zdancewicz, Barney Hawkins, Katie Glover, and Justin Lewis-Anthony who recognize that such work is a legitimate part of a work week.

We were fortunate that the Seminary supported this venture with the appointment of two outstanding research assistants. Ms Shannon Preston was careful, attentive, and gifted, as she tracked down books and articles and carefully read the draft as it emerged; Mr Gregory Millikin was talented, energetic, and thorough, as he made sure that everything was in place; and we are grateful to Ms Samantha Gottlich who did the index.

We are both Episcopal priests who were committed to writing a text that can serve the wider Church, so we were very grateful that the following people helped represent their respective traditions and gave the draft manuscript a very close reading: Ms Katherine Malloy (Methodist), the Rev. Dr Nathaniel Phillips (Presbyterian), Dr Christy Lohr-Sapp (Lutheran), and Dr Heidi Gehman (United Church of Christ, UCC). It is such a relief that our readers are not going to be subject to our earlier drafts; and we are so grateful for the generous gift of their time.

The team at Wiley-Blackwell was impressive. Ms Camille Bramall was efficient and capable at the copyediting and proofing stages. Finally, we are grateful to Ms Rebecca Harkin, the commissioning editor from Wiley-Blackwell. Rebecca has that extraordinary gift of being able to take the seed of an idea and improve it. She has been attentive and helpful. It is an honor to work with a person so committed to innovative excellence.

Ian Markham and Oran Warder

We are hopeful. We do not accept the narrative of decline that pervades much of the talk around the mainline. The mainline ethos can have real traction. The so-called Nones (those who profess no religion in surveys) still use words like spiritual to describe their world view; young people are attracted to the social affirmations of many mainline congregations; and the reach of the Christ grounded in Scripture continues to impact countless human lives. We believe that leaders of mainline congregations are needed. And we recognize that the challenge is getting the leadership right. So this is where this textbook comes in.

This is the first attempt at a comprehensive ministry textbook for ministers, pastors, and priests who make up the mainline denominations in the United States. We want to provide an ecumenical introduction to the shared craft of ministry that can be read by seminarians everywhere. We want to support those small congregations, where leadership is being raised up with limited training. We want to provide a reference-type textbook for those responsible for training in the various denominations throughout the United States that can provide a foundation for those who are not being trained at a theological college or seminary. We want to provide those who are in discernment and considering the ministry with an insight into what ministry involves.