A Life Long Call to Learn : Approaches to Continuing Education for Church Leaders

Those who prepare themselves for ministry in theological seminaries and divinity schools receive in-depth instruction in the methods of biblical study, the theological traditions of the faith, and the practical tools related to preaching, pastoral care, church administration, and the like. Yet five, ten, and twenty years after graduation they will tell you that--regardless of how excellent their education was--the most important lessons about ministry have been learned while actively engaged in it. This is why continuing education for church leaders is so crucial. Those immersed in active ministry have questions about the knowledge, practices, and skills related to their calling that derive from their day-to-day engagement with it. They know and seek out the essential, critical training that will aid them in their work. Moreover, they have experiences and wisdom that they can share with one another, boosting each other’s grasp of the insights that make one an effective leader of God’s people. These factors and others render the continuing education of church leaders a central part of the teaching ministry of the church.

In A Lifelong Call to Learn, Robert E. Reber and D. Bruce Roberts bring together insightful, helpful essays on a broad range of topics.  These include why continuing education needs to take place in several different kinds of settings, why it must be congregationally-based, why “learning from practice” is the centerpiece of good continuing theological education, why peer and occupational groups produce shared wisdom, how it can move beyond involving simply the white middle-class, and how new technologies can make the best in ongoing education available to more church leaders.

This volume addresses the crucial issue of continuing theological education for church professionals.  It builds upon the recognition of the importance of practical learning and recognizes the value of professionals sharing with one another the wisdom that is born of experience.  Readers will understand why continuing education of church leaders is vital and why many skills can be learned only through practice.  Readers will understand why “shared wisdom” is an approach to continuing education that directly benefits the work of the church professional in the congregation.

Robert E. Reber is Director of Continuing Education at Auburn Theological Seminary, New York, New York.

D. Bruce Roberts is Director of Continuing Education at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana.