Pilgrimage Formation Curator Ryan Bonfiglio speaks with the Rev. Dr. Albert Russell (Grace Community Church, Millbrook, AL; Tuskegee University) and the Rev. Leon Bell, Jr. (St. Joseph Baptist, Mobile, AL; Hope for All Gulf Coast) about the tension between forced dislocation and the practice of spiritual dislocation, the...
“Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.’ This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them… The whole assembly became silent as...
Pilgrimage Formation Curator Ryan Bonfiglio speaks with the Rev. Jamie Butcher (Covenant Presbyterian, Atlanta) and the Rev. Kelly Chatman about the push and pull of dislocation, the connection between belonging and accountability, and their reflections on our Northern Ireland immersion experience. Listen here....
A unique feature of the Gospel of John is that Jesus begins his ministry not with a theological claim or quotation from Scripture, but rather a question: “What are you looking for?” (1:38) Things are quite different with John the Baptist, the other main character in...
I read dissertations as part of my job, and so I regularly encounter language about God that is filled with theological abstractions and lofty speech. It’s painful. But the problem isn’t just with dissertations. I’m noticing similar tendencies these days in sermons, blogs, podcasts, and church...
Ministry Collaborative program staff (Ryan Bonfiglio, Adam Mixon, Adam Borneman, and Jennifer Watley Maxell) discuss how God's voice comes from surprising places, what the Creation lesson teaches us, and the sermon they would like to preach to the American church at this moment....
Ministry Collaborative program staff (Jennifer Watley Maxell, Adam Mixon, Adam Borneman, and Ryan Bonfiglio) discuss the importance of creating hope locally, speaking prophetically and compassionately, and being thoughtful about what we need to recover....
Pilgrimage Formation Curator Ryan Bonfiglio speaks with the Rev. Nicole Bates (NorthPark Presbyterian, Dallas) and the Rev. Dr. Terrence Autry (Christ Community, Richardson, TX) about seeking the flourishing of all, planning for prayer and worship in this highly political season, and how momentary dislocation can...
Ministry Collaborative program staff (Ryan Bonfiglio, Adam Mixon, and Mark Ramsey) and the Rev. Dr. Carol Lynn Patterson discuss the wisdom of Howard Thurman, the intersection of prophet and sage, and the slippery slope of litmus tests. Read the original blog post here. ...
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I was the Facilitator for the first New York City cohort, and at the time, I was working in theological education on Christian leadership formation, so it seemed like a natural fit. What I discovered, though, was something quite different from my “day job.” While the content and topics of the curriculum was a crucial part of our gatherings, it was the community of mutual care and support that made the content relevant, not the other way around. And second, having three years of strong bonding created an extraordinarily resilient community that, in turn, was able to build up resilience in our leaders. I think every member of my cohort went through significant seasons of both joy and heartache, professionally and vocationally, during our time. And the cohort, in turn, lived out the exhortation of Romans 12:15, “rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep,” with a depth and integrity that I have rarely experienced, and often doing both in the same gathering. It was a privilege and a blessing to me and my own faith and ministry to be their facilitator, and I am eternally grateful to the Ministry Collaborative for calling me to that work!”
“It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was unique to my particular situation. It was needed, appreciated and healing. It was affirming. Most valuable was the unspoken understanding of what we all were facing in our ministry context. There was a sense that we could finish each other’s sentences. Solidarity and empathy.”
Graduation Date:
May 23, 2021
“It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was unique to my particular situation. It was needed, appreciated and healing. It was affirming. Most valuable was the unspoken understanding of what we all were facing in our ministry context. There was a sense that we could finish each other’s sentences. Solidarity and empathy.”
Graduation Date:
May 23, 2021
“I truly looked forward to this every week. The discussion topics, activities, and small group conversations were all very rich and meaningful. This experience gave me space to reflect on what’s happening right now in my congregation and community. It helped me to think about what might be next in my own ministry. It offered some very concrete ways I might work on equipping leaders in my congregation. I really enjoyed meeting colleagues from different places, denominations, and contexts–and learning from their experiences and reflections. I also appreciated hearing further conversation and reinforcement in the podcasts.”
Graduation Date:
July 14, 2021
“The experience was, in one word, enriching. It was timely as well. I was at a critical point in my own ministry and this literally breathed life back into me. The time went by so fast that I didn’t even realize two months had passed. To be able to share that type of camaraderie with other preachers, and realize that my struggles are not isolated, was liberating.”
Graduation Date:
March 18, 2021
“It was great to find confirmation and affirmation of my ministry through the voices of other pastors. I particularly enjoyed the focused time on talking about each of us as individuals and pastors, and not so much on what our churches look like.”
Graduation Date:
January 31st, 2020