I wonder whether the standard models of pastoral training would be in any sense appropriate to what the emerging church is trying to do. It seems to me that there are a host of prior questions which have to be tackled and to some extent answered before questions such as the ones we are now trying to handle can be meaningfully dealt with.

Are we to think of seminaries at all? Are traditional views on ‘the pastorate’ going to be of any use in the emerging church? Or are matters of leadership and authority going to be much more loosely defined? Will emerging theology continue to be developed in an opensource manner? As Andrew put it (6) A theology that as a matter of methodological commitment celebrates, reinforces, and exploits community: an emerging theology is strongly relational, conversational, interactive.

Live to serve : Serve to live