Psychometric Properties of the Clergy Suicide Prevention Competencies Developmental Rubric and Faith Leaders’ Readiness to Address Suicide Stigma

Faith leaders (FL) have a key role in suicide prevention. One of their roles is to address suicide stigma in faith communities. Are they ready to do so? The Clergy Suicide Prevention Skills Developmental Rubric (CSPCDR) was developed to understand and assess clergy suicide prevention skills. The psychometric properties of the CSPCDR are reported in order to assess FL’ readiness to address suicide stigma. Sample 1, 186 Protestant seminary students completed the CSPCDR twice, resulting in Pearson’s r = 0.77. Sample 2, 187 Protestant clergy and lay ministers completed the CSPCDR before and after one of eight trainings to test construct validity; the CSPCDR performed as expected. Results suggest how to expand FL’ readiness to address suicide stigma in faith communities.

Gospel and Order in the Rule of St Benedict

Members of the Church of England are part of an ordered Church with a given liturgy. That order is deeply embedded in our story and today all clergy and lay ministers function and carry out their ministries on the authorisation of the bishop of the diocese. The Church of England is an institution which has its rules, laws and codes of conduct. Because we have no doctrinal formulations of our own, the liturgy in the Church of England expresses much of our theology. While there have been many changes in liturgy, a given liturgy, or a liturgical structure within which certain texts are prescribed, is part of how we are.

A Theology of Rest: Sabbath Principles for Ministry

This article argues that a theology of rest is an essential component in the training of ministry professionals. The practice of Sabbath rest is a balm for the contemporary issues of emotional exhaustion, prolonged stress, and burnout that many full-time and lay ministers experience during their ministry career. Developing a robust theology of rest and Sabbath rhythm will equip ministry professionals to create sacred space for God, contributing to longevity of ministry and holistic rest.

Gospel and Order in the Rule of St Benedict

Members of the Church of England are part of an ordered Church with a given liturgy. That order is deeply embedded in our story and today all clergy and lay ministers function and carry out their ministries on the authorisation of the bishop of the diocese. The Church of England is an institution which has its rules, laws and codes of conduct. Because we have no doctrinal formulations of our own, the liturgy in the Church of England expresses much of our theology. While there have been many changes in liturgy, a given liturgy, or a liturgical structure within which certain texts are prescribed, is part of how we are.

A Revisit of the Ministerial Concept of Lay and Full-Time Ministers in Classical Pentecostal Churches in Ghana and its Missional Implications

In their article “Pentecostal Mission Approaches” White and Niemandt (2015, 241–269) make a case for how some Pentecostal Churches in Ghana have made good use of lay/tent ministry in their missionary agenda. However, among the Classical Pentecostal Churches in Ghana, lay ministers are not recognised as full-time ministers of the church. The understanding of these churches is that the lay/tent ministers by their definition do not operate in the five-fold ministry. In some of the churches, they are not accredited by the church to be part of their General Ministerial Council Meetings and the Annual General Meetings. Unlike the mainline churches, the lay or tent ministers in the Classical Pentecostal Churches in Ghana are also not allowed to vote or to be recommended for Executive Council positions. These issues therefore make it essential to investigate the historical and theological understanding of the concept of the lay and full-time ministers in church history, Ghanaian Pentecostals’ view of the concept, as well as the missional importance of lay ministries in the church and the missio Dei.

The Virtual Classroom and the Local Church

In his important 2005 analysis of the Catholic Church in America, Peter Steinfels observed that in some respects, the future of lay parish ministry is assured. Catholics are willing. The church needs them. The parish of 2025 will employ them. What remains to be determined is who will be drawn to these positions and how they will be trained, appointed, promoted, retained, and supported in their work and their personal spiritual growth. With sufficient neglect and discouragement, of course, their numbers could level off…, turnover could increase, those with greatest potential for leadership could be driven away, or polarization that has injured other aspects of lay parish ministry could settle in here, too. How will they be trained? Traditional university programs, of course, will continue to do the job for a relatively small body of professionals. But many potential lay ministers are not in a position to go to the universities that offer graduate degree programs in theology or religious education. There are financial and geographic obstacles facing many who are “willing” and who might possess great “potential for leadership.” They live in remote parts of the country or are stationed in military bases around the world, and the cost of spending years on a campus with a graduate theology program is not financially realistic. The local churches need their involvement in ministry; some of these potential leaders are now being trained in online programs.

Continuing Education for Lay Ministry: Providers, Beliefs, Issues, and Programs

Research into continuing professional education (CPE) has been a constant for many professionals, including those pastors and clergy who work in religious organizations. Continuing education for lay ministers (non-ordained) in churches, however, generally has not been given this close scrutiny or attention. This article reports on research conducted with 35 leaders of lay ministry education programs in Canada, to provide information on their (a) demographics as a group (b) attitudes toward church and church bodies, and the amount of support they received from the community, and (c) programs and their participants. This study contributes to an understanding of continuing education for lay ministry.