The Higher Education and Leadership Ministries Presidential Search Committee met in mid-December to begin its search for the next President of HELM. And, since our General Ministry is also in the process of discerning who its next President will be, I thought it appropriate to start the new year with some thoughts on ministry. There is no greater privilege than to serve as a minister or President of a ministry, though undoubtedly, with great privilege comes even greater responsibility.
To care for the flock, including the flock who has yet to embrace the church’s mission, demands that we bring our very best to the task of ministry. If any time in history has called for an educated, literate, and professional ministry, that time is now.
I have always believed that education and ministry are two sides of the same coin. T.H. White in The Once and Future King probably said it best when he wrote this about learning:
“The best thing . . . is to learn something. That is the only
thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in
your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to
the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love,
you may see the world about you devastated by evil
lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of
baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn.
Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the
only thing which the mind can never exhaust, can never
alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and
never dream of regretting.”
Ministry is about learning, and growing, and sharing that growth with others. The purpose of ministry is to strengthen and transform the whole church and world. Ministry has never been for the sake of the church alone but has always been for the sake of the world and all who dwell in it.
If education and ministry are two sides of the same coin, so are ministry and leadership. Our ministers must help us to encounter new ideas and take them seriously, develop the capacity to think critically and interdependently, discover deep interests and consuming passions, and define the type of church and society we want to be and the type of mission that will help get us there. Such ministers will always be educators and leaders. I have observed that both church and society are crying out for leadership.
I thank God every day for the ministry to which I have been called, for the privilege to serve, and for the responsibilities and challenges of the profession. I am thankful for all who serve in ministerial, educational, and leadership positions; for those searching for a place to serve; and, for those who hope to serve one day — ministers, educators, and leaders in waiting.
Surely God is preparing a minister, educator, and leader in our church to serve as the next President of HELM. That person might just be you. Look over the President position description published in this issue of the Higher Education Digest and respond accordingly. This may be exactly what God has been preparing you to do in life. You may be the very person the Search Committee seeks. Marriages like this do happen. I know because it has happened to me.
Presidentially yours,
Ron