The Value of the Pastoral Rule

Regularly through the history of the church people have been moved to gather together wisdom and best practices for how to be faithful in ministry – the Benedictine Rule, Gregory the Great’s Pastoral Rule, and many others over the centuries. A few years ago a group of pastoral leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) began to wonder, what would a pastoral rule for this time and place look like? What would be included, why, and how would it be formulated? They decided to find out by trying it. The result is A Pastoral Rule (Click Here to view PDF)

A Pastoral Rule reflects on practices that make for faithful ministry. It is aware of the challenges ministry brings. It is written in the knowledge that no rule is perfect, and the conviction that a guide to good practices can be a real help as we seek faithfully to serve Jesus Christ and his people.

Among the practices it commends is this (you’ll find it on page 7 of the text):

Participate in a theological reflection group.

Pastors know that we benefit from each other’s insights into the Faith and the practices of ministry. We know that we need people whom we can trust to encourage us and hold us accountable. Yet our experience of theological friendship is sporadic, too often restricted to occasional conferences or retreats. We then fall back into neglect of theological work and trying to do ministry on our own.

Find or organize a group of pastors with whom to meet regularly to discuss key issues of faith and faithfulness. Communities of theological friendship can be shaped in many ways, and possibilities for sharing are endless.

It goes on to suggest some specific ways to do this. Check it out!

There’s a reflection on A Pastoral Rule, and the value of a “rule” here.