Reflections from teaching my class about paid gospel work in the New Testament

Last week I presented all the contents of my book to a group of eager learners. It was a group of eight. Some were pastors. Most were college students. Everyone asked excellent questions, they provided quality feedback, and my first round of book editing received great boost.

Here are some reflections after my week with this group:

First, I'm wondering about the order of presenting the material. My book covers New Testament background, the Gospels, Paul's letters, and writings from the Ante-Nicene period. I decided to start with Jesus and his disciples and examine texts that appear to suggest Jesus and his followers received payment for preaching, or that they relied on the hospitality of others. We talked about traditional Jewish understandings from the first century, covering topics like hospitality, voluntary associations, and philosophical schools, and how each handled matters of money and pay. From there we looked a Paul's writings. This is where things got really challenging. Without the writings from the Apostolic Fathers, students had a hard time reading Paul, and what he may have been saying, in a new way. It wasn't until day 4 of our 5 day course that we looked at the post-apostolic texts and saw that my seemingly unusual approach to some texts was actually confirmed by later writings.

In retrospect, I'm wondering if it might have been better if I had introduced sources like the Didache and Justin Martyr a bit earlier. Of course, had I done that, there may have still be questions about their reliability but at least students would have had a heads up about how the church seemed to function just after what we read in the New Testament.

Second, I'm thinking about how to make it more engaging for students. Because so much of my material is new and not easily found by looking at what most commentators say about texts, I found myself tied closely to my notes and unable to think creatively about pedagogy. As I become more comfortable with my positions, I'll need to plan questions for groups and times for students to explore on their own. Even though I had written the book, there were parts of the material I struggled with. That made it hard to create a good back and forth with students. This was especially noticeable when students had new ideas or wanted to point out additional things in the Greek text that I had not noticed. There were times when I realized that a position I was arguing in my book was not very strong and other times when I realized a weak argument in the book was actually much better than I realized, simply by speaking it out loud. While the class was gracious with me, in future classes I will be certain to know my positions, clearly present those with solid supporting arguments, and offer students a variety of perspectives while inviting them to wrestle for themselves.

Third, it was so valuable to teach the contents of my book before going through another round of editing. While it was uncomfortable when I realized that some positions I was presenting turned out to be untenable, I discovered some new ideas and perspectives, ones that had much stronger support, simply by doing additional prep for the class and by listening to the class ask questions and challenge assumptions. It was as though I had multiple editors sitting with me, helping me think through New Testament texts, contemporary applications of those texts, and things I may have missed about Jewish backgrounds. I was especially impressed on the last day when many new insights and perspectives emerged as we discussed the implications of Christians shifting attention from paid pastoral positions to ones where a group of volunteers might one day take on leadership roles in smaller groups. One of the most fascinating questions that surfaced was about what might happen if we stopped thinking about the institution of the church and its success. If we stopped thinking about church, and focused on God and God's mission, would that be so bad? So many interesting possibilities emerge if we don't have to think about the continuation of an institution.

Overall, I want to offer a huge shout out to my class: Juwon, Jenessa, Paris, Jacob, Josh, Caleb, Luke, and Elijah. I am grateful for your keen insights and gracious engagement with my ideas and arguments. I had an exhaustingly rich and rewarding week with you. Thank you! My book will be stronger because of you.

   

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.