Finding Real Friendships in Pastoral Ministry

Centre for Missional Leadership

Join Dr. Dustin Benac &amp; Rev. Mardi Dolpho-Smith  to explore practical ways to recover the joy of leadership. Come gather by the open fire!

St. Andrew's Hall

<h4>Ministry is meaningful—but it can also be lonely. Many pastors and church leaders experience isolation in their work. Join Dr. Dustin Benac and Rev. Mardi Dopho-Smith for input and discussion around loneliness in ministry. We will dialogue on cultivating connection and community. Come enjoy food and drink around the open fire!</h4> A loneliness epidemic makes headlines and crosses cultures and contexts: polarization, isolation, and social fragmentation are markers of contemporary life. While the work of ministry in its various forms must engage the loneliness in our congregations and community, much less attention is given to the loneliness that marks ministry. Recent data, however, suggests that ministers are lonely by virtue of vocation, and self-reported loneliness is increasing among ministers. Dr. Dustin Benac of Baylor University will join St. Andrew’s Hall to explore the pathway beyond leading alone. He will review recent research on loneliness in ministry and provide a theological paradigm to equip pastors, ministry leaders, and communities to recover the joy of leadership in a lonely world. Dr. Dustin Benac is the author of Adaptive Church: Collaboration and Community in a Changing World, he is the Director and co-founder of the Program for the Future Church at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, and he regularly works with faith leaders who are navigating transition and uncertainty.Rev. Mardi Dolfo-Smith is the Senior Associate Pastor at CA Church in Coquitlam and has served in pastoral ministry for 26 years. She holds a degree in Old Testament Studies from Regent College and chairs the Women in Leadership Collective for Alliance Canada. Passionate about fostering both spiritual and personal growth, Mardi values deep connections with others and cherishes time spent with friends. We look forward to seeing you at St. Andrew's Hall for a meaningful morning of listening, discussion, and relationship building.

Agenda

Welcome, Prayer, Introduction

A loneliness epidemic makes headlines and crosses cultures and contexts: polarization, isolation, and social fragmentation are markers of contemporary life. While the work of ministry in its various forms must engage the loneliness in our congregations and community, much less attention is given to the loneliness that marks ministry. Recent data, however, suggests that ministers are lonely by virtue of vocation, and self-reported loneliness is increasing among ministers.  Dr. Dustin Benac of Baylor University will join St. Andrew’s Hall to explore the pathway beyond leading alone.  He will review recent research on loneliness in ministry and provide a theological paradigm to equip pastors, ministry leaders, and communities to recover the joy of leadership in a lonely world.

Beyond Leading Alone: Recovering the Joy of Leadership in a Lonely World

Discussion in Triplets

Panel Discussion

Closing Reflections

Depart

Break

Leading from the Margins: Forming Community in Lonely Spaces

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