Bearing testimony: Ministry in the 21st century
What is pastoral ministry like these days, and how is it being shaped in new ways? The Century talked to pastors about the challenges and surprises of their early years in ministry. This interview is the second in a series. Katherine Willis Pershey is a graduate of Claremont School of Theology in California. After serving as the pastor of a Disciples of Christ congregation in California, she took a call to be associate minister at First Congregational Church (UCC) in Western Springs, Illinois. Her book Any Day a Beautiful Change is forthcoming from Chalice Press.
What excites you most about ministry these days?
I've always felt lucky to do what I do for a living. Ministry is just so interesting. That seems like such a weak word, but I'm genuinely interested in nearly every aspect of my work--I'm never bored. I engage in wonderfully diverse projects alongside wonderfully diverse people, and it all happens in a context of intentional openness to the Holy Spirit's guidance.
What does this openness look like in practice?
I think it's primarily a matter of seeing ordinary activities through the lens of faith. The renewed emphasis on Christian practice has been such a gift to the church. Telling your story is so much more meaningful when you understand that you are bearing testimony; calling on a sick parishioner takes a different shape when you recognize that both patient and pastor reflect the face of Christ. As Craig Dykstra says, practices are "patterns of communal action that create openings in our lives where the grace, mercy and presence of God may be made known to us."
