Lifelong learning is a ‘must’ for all ministers

In the world outside the church lifelong learning is not an option for those who want to develop in their career. But there is also a personal gain as people commit themselves to life-long learning.  It benefits them personally, as they grow and develop in their understanding of themselves and of what is required of them by the company. Furthermore, it benefits others too: it benefits the company as also those who the company are seeking to serve.

What is true of companies and their personnel, is also true of ministers and their churches and the people who they are seeking to serve.  This insight is now commonplace in churches, but when I first set out in ministry there was no formal expectation of life-long learning. The initial training of three years in a Baptist college was followed by a further probationary period where a few books had to be read and perhaps a few essays had to be written, but once the three years were up, that was that.  Today it has all changed and life-long learning is a requirement for all Baptist ministers, but sadly the degree to which that commitment to lifelong learning varies enormously, with many not really taking the challenge of personal and professional growth very seriously.

The fact is that lifelong learning – which in church terms is often referred to as continual ministerial development (CMD) is not an option.  For the three or so years at theological college should be only a springboard for a life devoted to learning.  In a fast-changing world there is always more to learn.  Continual updating of personal and professional skills is a ‘must’ if ministers are not to be ‘happy amateurs’.  Such updating can takes place in a variety of ways. In the first place, it involves reading books, journals, and – dare I say it? – following blogs such as Church Matters. Secondly it involves going on courses of various lengths – many good courses may be just for a day; others might be a series of days spread over a number of weeks; while yet others may involve a whole week.  Thankfully most churches give their ministers an annual paid study week.  Thirdly, it involves using properly the three-month sabbatical which in most denominations ministers are offered every seven years.  I say ‘using properly’, for I have observed that for some ministers a sabbatical is just about providing a break to play more golf or whatever the sport might be, going on a long holiday, reading a few books, and perhaps visiting a few churches to see how other churches work, but in terms of really learning and developing and coming back with new ideas and a new vision for ministry, that is often not really present.

I just do not understand why so many ministers are reluctant to engage in CMD.  Some years ago Roy Oswald, an American church ‘guru’, quoted some American statistics to the effect that “only 20% of clergy in the US engage in regular continuing education events of five days or more each year”.  In my own research of 300 Baptist ministers I discovered that 31% had bought two or less books in the last six months, and that 9% had not bought a book at all. In addition, I found that over half did not set aside any specific time in the week for reading related to ministry.  At the time I did not ask the question how much time was spent going on-line and seeing what can be learnt about ministry – but what I have observed is that much of what is offered on-line does not really stretch individuals. Furthermore, to my surprise I learnt that most did not avail themselves of the opportunity to have a study week.

It is true that there are no Scriptures which explicitly commend lifelong learning. Yet the words of Jesus to his disciples are instructive when he said: “You are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher and you are all students” (Matt 23.8 NRSV). It is true that the actual word here is not ‘students’, but ‘brothers’ (or as Jesus would put it today, ‘brothers and sisters’). However, in the context the NRSV gets to the heart of what Jesus said: even the ‘doctors of the church’ are but students – ‘classmates’ as Eugene Peterson in The Message renders the term. I find it too significant that although the concept of lifelong learning in ministry was totally unknown in the first century of the Christian church and indeed for many centuries afterwards, that the Apostle Paul wrote to his young colleague Timothy. “When you come… bring the books, and above all the parchments” (2 Tim 3.14).  The “books” were probably papyrus rolls containing parts of the Old Testament; the “parchments” may have been his personal “notebooks”, as the Revised English Bible translated this verse, in which Paul wrote down and reflected upon his experience of ministry.

My observation is that where there is no lifelong learning in ministry then ministers have less and less to offer their people and the community beyond the church.  It is true that if on a Sunday worship is what I would call something of a ‘knees up’, where the worship bands seek to engender a good ‘feel’ and the ministers’ preaching is not unduly challenging but rather full of good stories and one or two jokes, the churches are quite happy.  But I wonder what God would say?  On the other hand I have to admit that I wonder too what God would say about those who do engage in lifelong learning? For in one way another all ministers fall a long way short from what God would expect of us. Yet I dare to think that God would approve of those who did take lifelong learning seriously.

So my plea in my brief blog is simply this to those today are in ‘active’ ministry:  my friends, please see that lifelong learning is a ‘must’ if you are to become more effective in your ministry.  In turn this means that every year you need to set yourself fresh goals for gaining new insights into ministry, learning fresh skills for ministry, and for developing both spiritually and professionally in your call to be ministers of God.