By Marcia Barnes Bailey
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Much of the conversations about leadership and the postmodern church are about how to envision changes in the spiritual and structural nature of our communities of faith, but what about changes to the role of the clergy persons themselves? Choosing Partnership, Sharing Ministry: A Vision for New Spiritual Community invites pastors and congregations to re-think the hierarchical, patriarchal models of the past and to consider entering into relationships that are built on the collaborative mutuality modeled in the life and ministry of Jesus. |
“When I looked at Jesus, I saw a model for ministry that was widely inclusive, delegated power, shared authority, and thrived with the multiplication of gifts. It was ministry that expanded as the lives touched by it grew, a ministry that took seriously a reordering of power in community and the world.” It was this model that became our guide as the congregation of Central Baptist Church, Wayne, PA (an American Baptist congregation) and Rev. Dr. Marcus C. Pomeroy and Rev. Dr. Marcia B. Bailey began to live into partnership in ministry together.
“In light of Jesus’ radical life and ministry, I believe that the church needs to make drastic changes if we are to take seriously our call to embody the gospel in the world. Partnership and its resultant deepening of spiritual community moves us one step closer to living God’s reign. Partnership invites us on a journey that has the power to transform us as leaders (clergy and nonclergy alike), as human beings, and as the church. It’s challenging and exciting, and it requires hard work. It is also energizing, engaging, and empowering. Partnership unleashes the Spirit in a fresh way to create a new vision and reality among us.”
Rev. Dr. Marcia B. Bailey teaches at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Eastern University and Temple University. For twenty years she was the pastor of two American Baptist congregations in the metropolitan Philadelphia area. During her 13 years at Central Baptist Church, Wayne, PA, Marcia and her pastoral colleague Dr. Marcus C. Pomeroy created a non-hierarchical, mutual model for pastoral ministry which is the subject of a book she has written and has been published by The Alban Institute.