Co-Vocational Certificates

Back in the summer I was trying to figure out a way for Co-Vocational Canada to be sustainable. As you may be aware, Co-Vocational Canada is a ministry of Briercrest Seminary that has been funded by a generous grant from the Lilly Foundation through the Pathways for Tomorrow phase 2 initiative. Our funding is set to run out at the end of 2026 (or possibly 2027). 

While thinking about sustainability, I was in conversations with denominational leaders to try and find a way to help lay people gain some biblical and theological foundations without having to enrol in a full degree program. As I talked with them I realized that most of them were open to accepting an unaccredited pathway, like our new CoVo certificates, as credible learning for those seeking denominational credentialing.

The certificate concept is simple. Briercrest Faculty members will teach their specialties, split them into 3 hour, online sessions. Participants pay what they would for an accredited course and they receive the same number of in-class hours and weeks as they would for an accredited course. However, there are no assignments and they will have five different faculty members and diverse topics covered over those 12 weeks. We are piloting our Basic CoVo Certificate in January and 12 participants have already signed up. I'm thrilled! This will not only help lay people learn and grow it will also go a long way to making CoVocational Canada sustainable for the long term. 

If you want to know more or to sign up, click this link: www.briercrest.ca/covo    

 

House churches and unpaid pastors

What if the Church comprised a massive collection of house churches? As I write the final chapter of my book, this is the question rolling around in my mind. Here's how I've landed on such a radical question:

First, I've looked at the life and ministry of Jesus and his disciples. My theory is that Jesus and his band of followers did not abandon their crafts and vocations but they continued to work as they preached the Kingdom.

Second, I've examined the social context of the New Testament. From voluntary associations to households managed by well-to-do people, the early church assembled in homes. While this wasn't the only context, it was a significant one. 

Third, I've explored Paul's teachings for glimpses and clues for how pastors and leaders were paid. After my deep dive I've come to this conclusion: Paul does not seem to endorse a system where church leaders get paid.

Fourth, I've investigated post-apostolic texts and the world of the early centuries. The idea of paying a pastor appears long after Paul, mid-way through the third century. It shows up in the writings of St. Cyprian of Carthage. He appeals to the Old Testament to argue for a priestly paradigm of ministry where church leaders assume a role similar to levitical priests. While this idea takes time to catch on, Constantine the Great's political reforms make this a favourable paradigm for the church.

So, what if the North American church returned to an ancient model? Could you imagine a modern Canadian or American context where churches were smaller and pastoral expectations less, enabling its team (not one pastor, but many) of leaders to work for pay outside the church? 

 

Wesley's Bands, Classes, and Societies

I spent this weekend in Saskatoon, SK teaching a course entitled "The Heart of Free Methodism." It's required for those interested in becoming ordained or commissioned ministers in the Free Methodist Church in Canada. I had a great time teaching and learning with five pastors from Lakeview Church in Saskatoon and one lay minister from Cornerstone Church in Prince Albert, SK.

One of the ways this course intersects with my current book project is the focus on John Wesley and his system for organizing people who later became known as Methodists. As a Church of England minister, Wesley saw the need to preach the Good News to the poor and to support them to learn and grow in Christian community. The Church of England did not have systems in place so Wesley used societies--small-ish communities that gathered for prayer, worship, and other practices. Societies would comprise a group of classes, essentially small groups of 10-12 people committed to learning and growing in Christian faith. Wesley also had a system of bands, which were even smaller groups that intensely focused on accountability and helping believers grow in holiness.

 

The beauty of the system was that societies, classes, and bands were all led by lay people. Furthermore, the class was where new people could attend and learn from those who had been walking with Christ for a long time. This has obvious ties to the early church, which met house-to-house. While Wesley's and the early church system is fraught with complications, there is a sort of beautiful simplicity to it.

As I write my final book chapter, one focused on the question, "What now?", I find myself wondering if and how the Canadian church could begin to conceive of itself as a movement of smaller groups or house sized churches. This would take the pressure off of full-time pastors and make room for more leaders to share the load. 

It's not a perfect idea, but it's a start.

Book Proposal Accepted!!!

 

I'm thrilled!

Yesterday, I received an email from my new editor at IVP Academic:

Hi, Jason:
 
I have good news from the Publishing Committee! The Publishing Committee has approved your proposal for Funding Preachers in the New Testament and is offering a contract. Congrats! We are excited about the prospect of having this project here at IVP Academic.

I look forward to working with you on this project, and I’m thrilled that it was so warmly received by the Committee.

This journey began three years ago. It started with an idea and, if all goes well, maybe it will be published in the coming year or two. Scroll down to read more. 

Book proposal submission

I'm back. After going silent on Blogger well over a year ago, I thought it might be time for an update. Back then I was blogging regularly about the book I was writing. I was getting close to compiling a proposal and sending it to editors. Then, things changed. I decided to reach out to a colleague with a voluminous publishing record to ask his advice about my process. His one statement derailed my plan: FINISH THE MANUSCRIPT. From his experience, editors will want to see a full manuscript before offering a contract to someone, like me, with a limited publishing record. So I decided to stop blogging, put the proposal on hold, and finish the manuscript.

Now, I am happy to report two things: first, I have nearly a complete manuscript drafted. And second, a fellow dean, who is also early in his publishing career, put me in touch with an editor. That editor likes my proposal (I ended up compiling and submitting it) and is bringing to her publishing house's editorial committee tomorrow!

I'm thrilled, nervous, and exited. So stay tuned... 

Oh, and as it turns out, my prolifically published friend's advice was not quite accurate. The publisher did not need to see the full manuscript before submitted it to the process.

Step #8 - State my book's thesis

The next step in preparing my book proposal for an editor is to state my book's thesis. This step was surprisingly easy and fairly straightforward. Here's what I've come up with: 

Title: Funding Preachers in the New Testament: Rethinking paid Christian work in the First Century and Today 

Thesis: In my book, I argue that the dominant assumption about how early church ministry was funded, that early church leaders lived off the generosity of Christian members, is misguided. Rather, most religious leaders, including Jewish sages, rabbis and early Christian pastors, relied on manual labour as a means of self-support. It was not until the post-apostolic church that church leaders began to rely exclusively on support from others. This has implications for how we should think about paid congregational ministry today, especially with the growing popularity of multi- and bi-vocational ministry.

It is important for the thesis to carry the whole project. Therefore, I am trying to ensure each chapter hinges on the thesis. I'll say more in future blog posts.

Step #7 - Articulate my book's audience

The next step in preparing a book proposal for an academic editor is to envision and describe my book's audience. In her book, The Book Proposal Guide, Laura Portwood-Stacer identifies four possible audiences for academic books: 1) other scholars; 2) undergraduate and graduate students; 3) practitioners; and 4) general readers (this is not really a group and naming this as an audience should be avoided).

In writing my book I've tried to keep two audiences in mind: other scholars and practitioners. Since I'm making claims that have not been made before, I'll need to engage with scholarly sources and show support for my arguments. Therefore, my book is written primarily for other scholars. However, I also want to get my ideas into the hands of practitioners, allowing my ideas to impact those who are serving in pastoral ministry (pastors) and overseeing pastoral work (denominational leaders).

So, without further ado, here is the paragraph describing my book's audience:

My book, Funding Preachers in the New Testament: Rethinking paid Christian work in the First Century and Today will challenge previously held assumptions among New Testament scholars and practical theologians about pastoral work in the New Testament. Whereas New Testament professors will be interested in my approach to biblical texts and contexts, practical theologians, particularly those educating pastors and those in ministry, will benefit not only from the texts and contexts but also my application for today. Furthermore, practitioners, such as multi-vocational pastors, denominational leaders, and church planters will also find my book interesting since I’ve written with them in mind. This is particularly true in the final chapter where I apply biblical principles to contemporary ministry contexts. My book’s appeal to practitioners is evident by my experience of being invited to speak about this topic to pastors at the Free Methodist Church in Canada’s General Conference in 2024. I have also been in contact with two other Canadian denominations whose leaders have also shown interest in my work.