Choosing Partnership, Sharing Ministry - Softcover

Bailey, Marcia Barnes

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1566993431 ISBN 13: 9781566993432

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007

Synopsis

Like many clergy, Marcia Barnes Bailey began her work as an ordained leader with a vision of the pastor as leader extraordinaire, empowered by education, authority, position, and resources. She soon found herself thinking: "There has to be another way." In this book, Bailey invites pastors and congregations to a new understanding of ministry, leadership, and the church that challenges hierarchy by fully sharing responsibilities, risks, and rewards in mutual ministry. This model took shape over 10 years as Bailey, pastoral colleague Marcus Pomeroy, and the congregation they served began writing their own definition of partnership--creating their own map, trusting their own instincts, making their own mistakes. For Bailey, this kind of partnership began when she discovered the courage to listen to herself and to the Spirit for the inklings of another way--to incarnate Jesus's example, a ministry that was widely inclusive, delegated power, shared authority, and thrived with the multiplication of gifts. Partnership invites us on a journey that can transform us as leaders, as human beings, and as the church. It is challenging and exciting, and it requires hard work. It is also energizing, engaging, and empowering. Partnership unleashes the Spirit to create a new vision and reality among us, moving us one step closer to living into God's reign.

About this title

About the Author:

Marcia Barnes Bailey teaches at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Eastern University, and Temple University. For twenty years she was pastor of two American Baptist congregations in the metropolitan Philadelphia area, most recently at Central Baptist Church in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Review:

Taking Jesus's leadership as her foundation, Bailey develops a concept of partnership that encourages the hopes of all who have dreamed of a truly egalitarian ministry. --Jim Kitchens, Author, The Postmodern Parish: New Ministry for a New Era

I pray that through this book pastoral teams will be encouraged and strengthened in their ministries and new teams will be inspired to trust the Spirit's leading toward another way--a path of new spiritual community --Marcus Pomeroy, Pastor, Central Baptist Church, Wayne, Pennsylvania

The author sets for herself a difficult goal, a goal that seems to be impossible--to radically dismantle the traditional hierarchical base for the church and to call for the reimagining and reordering of relationships. This is what is needed for the transformation of the church --Cletus Wessels, O.P., Author, Jesus in the New Universe Story

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1566993431
• ISBN 13: 9781566993432
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 170