Co-Vocational Symposium 2026

This week Briercrest Seminary will be hosting our second annual Online Co-Vocational Symposium. Last year it was our first time gathering denominational leaders from across Canada to talk about what we are now calling, co-vocational ministry. We describe someone as working co-vocationally when they are appointed as pastor in a church while also being employed outside the church. That definition has shifted slightly from, someone who is paid as a pastor while also holding outside employment. We've changed as we see some people serving in pastoral leadership without drawing any funds from the church.

This non-paid pastoral arrangement is not new. It's at the heart of my research on the early church and how it functioned. My book goes into great detail about how Jesus, Paul, and many others, would not have considered it appropriate to draw a salary from the church. I'll be presenting an overview of this research at the symposium, from Jesus to the 3rd century, tracing the development of church leadership and the shifting perspective on pastoral pay. 

We've come a long way since last year's symposium. A year ago we had a few hunches but very little research. Now we have quantitative data from Canada Revenue Agency's charitable giving reports, qualitative data from denominations across Canada, include research from the church in Quebec, where co-vocational ministry is a dominant ministry paradigm. I have also finished my research on the biblical and theological foundations of pastoral pay and vocation that has been submitted for publication in 2027. 

If you happen to be a denominational leader, credentialing coordinator, or church planting director, and you'd like to attend the symposium and hear more about our research findings, reach out to me. I'd love to have you join us for some or all of the day. 

 

 

The Value of Therapy and Counselling

 

Part of my world as a seminary dean revolves around educating counsellors and therapists. At Briercrest we offer two counselling degrees, one focused on preparing students to work with individual clients and one degree designed to equipped students to work with couples and families. Our counselling program is the seminary's largest and it happens to be one of the most difficult programs to get into. It is not uncommon for us to turn away 30% of applicants.

Some seminary deans may lament that their counselling program numbers trump those of their divinity and ministry degrees. Not me. I see great value in the integration of theology and psychology. I've been blessed to take classes at the master's and PhD levels in biblical-theological studies and counselling. During my PhD at Toronto School of Theology I enrolled in a theology course while also taking a course in postmodern family therapy. Later, my dissertation drew on both theological and psychological disciplines. I looked at whether online theological education enhances or detracts from Christian virtue formation. That's theological. And I also explored themes such as anxiety and differentiation between the person and the devices we use to access online education. That's psychological. If you want to read more, check out my book: Glassroom Learning.

Being invited to assume the role of dean, at a seminary that values both the biblical-theological and psychological lenses, felt right. I'll admit, I have far more education and experience in the biblical-theological world, as my degrees and pastoral experience reveal. However, I am married to a psychotherapist. And, my daughter is getting close to graduating with her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. So, what I lack in formal education and professional therapeutic experience is more than made up by my family. 

Before I wrap up, here's an invitation: if you're thinking about graduate level theological or counselling education, reach out to me. I know a great school.

If you need some help dealing with stress and burnout, or you want to talk to an experienced counsellor who has worked with healthcare professionals, teachers, spiritual care leaders, business owners, and many, many others. Reach out to Erika. She would be glad to help.

 

After Hours Theology Club

After Hours Theology Club

Have you tuned into The After Hours Theology Club? Designed as a place to direct our students for deeper theological conversation and lighthearted fun, my colleague Dr. Joel Houston and I started the podcast while we were both teaching Introduction to Christian Theology. It's for anyone interested in learning more about theology.

We've been a bit preoccupied lately but more episodes are coming soon. We recorded our latest just last week.

Here are some links if you're interested:

You Tube: AHTC 

Spotify: AHTC 

Apple: AHTC 

Speaking more in 2026

An emerging priority that went unmentioned in my 2026 goals was accepting opportunities to speak. Since teaching is one of my strongest gifts, I am somewhat surprised to look back on my time in Saskatchewan and realize that I have not had many chances to speak at churches, conferences, and events. I speak at college chapel now and then and preach occasionally at our local Free Methodist Church, but not a lot. At the turn of the year I sensed God inviting me to be ready to speak more. This might be because, after years of research and writing a book I finally have something to say. It might also be because God is doing something new in my life. Maybe it's a bit of both.

Regardless of why, a trickle has started. Last week I received a phone call from a Canadian denominational leader inviting me to speak about my research at a pastor's conference. I'll say more about this in a future blog post but for now, I'm thrilled to be invited. On Sunday I spoke at the Church in Caronport, a community church that meets in Briercrest's chapel. The lead pastor's wife served as my admin assistant up until she took parental leave to be with their adopted son. It was a joy to preach and to catch a glimpse of them at the service. Here's a link to the sermon video if you're interested.

If you happen to be a denominational leader looking for a conference or workshop speaker to talk about Jesus' carpentry, Paul's tent-making, and how their work might help inform the church's possible future, reach out. My book won't be printed for another year but I've got plenty to say in the meantime.  

 

 

 

Teaching less in 2025 and 2026 Goals

 

I've been spoiled. During the fall of 2025 I didn't teach. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy teaching; but I also appreciate time to channel more energy toward academic administration (i.e., course scheduling, writing accreditation reports, and overseeing the day-to-day functioning of the seminary), big picture planning (i.e, dreaming about and launching our new CoVo certificates, making connections with denominational leaders, and attending events on behalf of the seminary), and writing/editing my book.

As dean of the seminary I typically teach three courses per year. This year my load has been less. That has enabled me to work on finishing my book manuscript for the January, 2026 submission deadline. It isn't a strict deadline but I'm treating it like it is. I spent my Christmas and New Year's break eating and playing games with my family. And, because I haven't been teaching I am unburdened from the end of semester grading drudgery to write. As such, I've accomplished my goal of editing two of my densest chapters, both dealing with Paul's New Testament writings on material support for church leaders. It was a ton of work but I am thankful to have met my goal and made it this far.

Speaking of goals, my wife and I crafted a handful of them for 2026. Here are some of mine:

• Finalize and submit my book manuscript to IVP  
• Blog 1x/month
• Read the Gospel of John in Greek
• Go on a European vacation with my wife
• Teach at the chaplain school this summer
• Prepare an outline and write one chapter of my next book project
• Run 30km in one shot

This post is the beginning of my quest to accomplish the second bullet point goal. Here's to accomplishing a bunch more of them in 2026.