Kenneth L. Carder

Faithful Christian ministry requires holding together memory and hope. After 40 years in ministry, a retired bishop sees that both younger and older pastors have contributions to offer the church.

Friendship with those who see the world from its underside, its suffering and oppression, is one of the best ways to develop a new and clearer lens into the gospel and the church’s mission.

All around us, a culture has emerged focused on vocational and professional leadership and excellence. But what does it have to do with God?

It was some of the best advice Bishop Kenneth L. Carder ever received: ‘Choose carefully where to be present.’

Is “excellence” just one more task for already overburdened pastors?

Although the language of excellence is limited to two passages in Paul’s letters, those two references and the context of their use provide the rationale for our continuing efforts to identify, call forth, and sustain excellence in ministry, writes Kenneth Carder.

Move from a fragmented to an integrated system of support and services for pastors.