The Company of Pastors
(not just for pastors!)
John Calvin was right: encouraging and enhancing the theological vocation of pastoral leadership is an urgent task of the church. Pastors are responsible for their particular congregation reflecting on the faith. In order to nourish this reflection, however, pastors must nourish this reflection in their own life.[1]
Pastoral leadership is not limited to pastors, however. Elders, deacons, Christian educators, musicians – all of these leaders are part of helping a congregation reflect on the faith and need to engage in regular and sustained theological reflection.
In response to this need for theological reflection and nurture of “thinking the faith” that the Office of Theology and Worship has established The Company of Pastors.
The Company of Pastors is open to all ministers, ordained elders, commissioned lay pastors and Christian educators. Group memberships are also available. Learn more
Those who join The Company commit themselves to daily disciplines of prayer, as well as the reading of Scripture and The Book of Confessions. Opportunities to engage other members of The Company provide an opportunity to reflect on the readings in concert with colleagues. Quarterly, a book will be suggested for members to read and discuss. These discussions can be in the form of a locally formed group or through our web-based community. Join the Company of Pastors
The Covenant of The Company
When you join The Company of Pastors, you will become part of a covenant community of colleagues who will practice common spiritual, intellectual, and vocational disciplines:
- Daily reading of Scripture using the daily lectionary readings, including the eight-week cycle of Psalms developed by The Company of Pastors.
- Daily prayer for the congregation you serve, your colleagues, the denomination, and the church.
- Daily reflection of an assigned portion of one of the church's confessions. These readings also include a question for reflection.
- Reading of suggested theological books concerning issues of faith and life that are central to ministry.
- Regular, regional gatherings with your colleagues in The Company of Pastors for prayer, discussion of readings, and reflection on theological and pastoral issues.
If you are interested in forming a local or regional Company of Pastors group, we are happy to help. Contact Karen Russell at (502) 569-5401.
There are also national gathering opportunities for members of The Company of Pastors, as well as those who are interested in becoming members. To date, these have been held in conjunction with the General Assembly. Speakers have included William Placher, Cynthia Campbell, Thomas Long, Leanne Van Dyk, Richard Mouw, Eugene Peterson and Laura Mendenhall.
How It Works
Upon joining The Company of Pastors you will receive the following:
- A Day Book containing a two-page-per-week calendar format with
- the daily lections and the day’s selection from one of the church’s confessions
- A travel-sized list of the daily readings
- A travel size copy of the Covenant of The Company which includes suggestions for the order of Daily Prayer
- An annotated listing of publications available on-line from the Office of Theology and Worship, including the Book of Order and the Book of Confessions. Many of these publications are also available in hard copy.
- A copy of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s annual Mission Yearbook.
Daily confessional readings will be taken from The Book of Confessions, which is part of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), as well as from daily lectionary readings. The Book of Confessions is available in a printer-friendly version.
Download the Book of Confessions
Members of The Company can access the daily readings through our membership community. Join now
Company of Pastors: a Model for Renewing and Sustaining Pastoral Passion
Core Convictions about Nurturing Pastoral Ministry
The Company of Pastors is founded upon several key convictions about practices that shape and sustain faithful, fruitful, and fulfilling pastoral ministry. These convictions have been developed and sharpened since the mid-1990s as the Office of Theology and Worship has been gathering pastors from across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to study, pray, break bread, encourage, and admonish one another. This pattern of nurturing the Christian vocation goes back to the very origins of the Christian community; from the day of Pentecost forward, it is said of the apostolic community, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:42)
[1] Joseph Small, “A Company of Pastors,” in Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought 14.4 (April 1999).
Tags:
Comments
-
The Company of Pastors is an encouragement, at the least, in the ancient shared lecto divina readings. Siblings in the faith are attending to this continuity of common lectionary in my own PCUSA community, but also within the larger Christian community. The Mission Yearbook is our own version of the AAA travel books, updating mission partner ventures. Recommended books and monographs and the Journal foster ongoing conversation and prayer with colleagues. There is also a corresponding Company of Elders.
-
Hi, Barb: I can't find any information that indicates that "These Days" has been included in the subscription to COP. It has included the Mission Yearbook, The Register, Hungry Hearts, and Theology and Worship Occasional papers. If I'm missing something, though,please let me know.... Karen
-
I have been a member of Company of Pastors for about seven years. I just received a bill for a year's subscription to "These Days." Wasn't this subscription included in our annual fee in previous years? Just curious . . . Barb