Return to the Parish
The Pastor in the Public Square
- Church Leadership & Ministry
- Publisher: Cascade Books (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2022
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Publisher's Description
Return to the Parish: The Pastor in the Public Square is a pastoral theology that challenges pastors to view their local community (rather than their congregation) as their primary sphere of ministry. Too many churches have become insular by hoarding their resources (including their pastors) and trying to sustain their own survival instead of seeking the peace and prosperity of their town or city. By breathing new life into an old idea of "parish," this book casts a vision for pastors (and churches) to actively engage their community with the gospel rather than simply perpetuate more programs inside the church. It offers a new paradigm for pastoral ministry, where pastors model and mobilize their churches to make disciples of Jesus Christ in the public square through community involvement and cultural engagement. The book chronicles seven young pastors (from diverse ministry contexts) as they seek to become "new parish pastors" who lead their congregations into engaging various sectors of the public square: business and workplace, science and technology, healthcare, politics, education, the arts, and multiethnic settings.
Endorsements (3)
“Return to the Parish encourages and equips early career pastors to transition from proficiency to mastery in ministry by getting proximate to the issues in their local community and then theologically reflecting and engaging those local issues. Why? Because God is far more concerned with the world than the church. The church is only the church when it engages the world.”
“Eight New England pastors formed a ‘kinship’ to explore creative ways to shepherd a flourishing church . . . . Return to the Parish is the fruit of this labor of love. Instead of becoming a dying, inward-focused, decontextualized church, they demonstrate how pastors can impact the public square and obey the Great Commission by applying the gospel to the many parishes that make up our world.”
“Return to the Parish is a collection of wise words from wise practicing pastors. . . . The ripple effect of ministry is much wider than the church building but intersects with various layers of ministry and society. This book will help readers appreciate the wide reach of the pastorate from the perspective of a collection of engaged, thoughtful pastors.”
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