Ministry in
Three Dimensions – by Stephen Croft
In his book “Ministry in Three Dimensions” Stephen Croft
examines the work of ordained ministry in light of our changing culture and
circumstances. He traces the biblical
roots of the three-fold ministry of diakonia, presbyter and episcope and then
points out how these roles have changed and developed over the centuries as the
needs of the church have changed. He points out that authentic ministry that
meets the needs of today’s church has elements of the traditional work of all
three orders. Personally I believe that
those of us who are priests have not fully developed the various dimensions of
the ministry we are called to. We were all ordained deacons and yet most of us
considered it a transitory place and did not come to fully embrace the role of servanthood
that deacons are called to. The fact that
we remain deacons after being priested does not always continue to form us as
it should. Similarly, if we have grown up in the church of the 20th
century we do not always see the need to provide locally the vision and
leadership that have traditionally been the role of the episcope. Croft’s book is a good read that encourages
all who are ordained to reexamine what their ministry is about and how it needs
to develop and grow to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
- Richard Salt
This is cool!
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