Training men for ministry: Talking past each other?

Dear Editor,

As a pastor of a relatively small church I have read with interest the discussion about pastoral priorities in the last few months.

I wonder if there is a degree of talking past one another going on. Rather than (implicitly or explicitly) casting around accusations of either nostalgia or laziness, I suspect we would be better served having discussions that get beneath the surface of why these disagreements exist.

The role of the pastor/teacher, the significance of the Lord’s day, exactly what preaching is, and the role and purpose of corporate worship are all topics which feed into this discussion – and are areas where I suspect those with strong views on either side disagree. It would serve the church better to discuss these (in a theological and historically informed way), and would move the question away from perceived personal preferences.

Yours sincerely,
Iain Clements, Beverley