Pastor's Training
"Pastors [in the past] were valued for their ability to bring and keep order rather than for their ability to bring and lead change. The reality was that pastors were being equipped to preserve the past rather than to create the future. We became known for being traditional rather than transformational. The ritual replaced the radical. The pastor/teacher replaced the apostle/evangelist. The Church soon lost her momentum and had less and less to manage. Seminaries were producing pastors who were ready for their pulpits but not for the challenge. pastors found themselves experts in biblical exegesis, but novices on cultural exegesis. The rapid shifts in society only added to their dilemma. We knew something was wrong, but we couldn't quite place it. America was turning from a Christian-friendly nation to, at best, Christian-indifferent. The playing field was definitely changing, and we were unprepared for the new rules. In many ways the emergence of the parachurch reflects t...