Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2022

Abstract

When I took a two-year training course in spiritual direction in 1992, I didn’t really know what it was. At the time, I was exploring how best to prepare seminarians to thrive in ministry over the long haul of their calling. The seminary where I worked had asked me to research that very question and then to come up with models for accomplishing that goal. Even in 1992, the statistics for pastors thriving in ministry for the long haul were grim. Today, 30 years later, the long-term health and success of spiritual leaders is even less likely.

For that reason, I was very earnest to figure out how best to change those statistics. I read extensively on the history and development of theological education, Christian spiritual formation, leadership development, and the needs of pastors and spiritual leaders.

Early on, I discovered that the way Jesus and the early church prepared people for ministry was quite different from how it was being done in most theological schools. In theological schools, biblical, theological, and historical training and the development of skills such as preaching and pastoral counseling were consistently important. But there was a critical missing factor—spiritual mentoring from a wise and mature guide in a confidential setting over a period of time. In theological education we had exchanged listening, accountability, and companionship for desks, lectures, and grades.

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