Prep 4 Min
About this blog
The Rev. Timothy Cargal, Ph.D., serves as Assistant Stated Clerk for Preparation for Ministry in Mid Council Ministries of the Office of the General Assembly.
“... the Land that I Will Show You” is the blog of the Office of Preparation for Ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This blog is designed to serve as a resource for those discerning and preparing for a call to the ministry of Word and Sacrament as ordained teaching elders of the church. It will also provide a place for reflecting on and dialoging about the changing context of pastoral ministry in the early 21st century.
For quick announcements about changes or developments in the preparation process, dates related to exams or other key events, discussion boards, surveys, etc., you can follow us on Facebook at “Preparing for Presbyterian Ministry.”
Recent posts
- Clarification of Evaluation Standards for the Standard Ordination Exams
- BCE Preparation Resource Released
- PCC Responds to September 2016 BCE
- PCC Letter on BCE Preparation
- Bible Content Exam Results
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We've Moved!
This blog is now being posted at a new web address. Please visit us at: http://www.pcusa.org/blogs/prep4min Update your bookmark and join us for our continuing discussion of issues related to preparation for ministry with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in the...
- Posted at 8:15 p.m.
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May 31, 2011
Smaller Congregations Aren’t (Always) What You Think
Over the past several decades a powerful narrative has taken hold in the mainline church. The story attempts to relate and explain two facts in our communal lives. First, membership in mainline denominations has been in steady decline. Second, much time and energy has been devoted to theological debates about scriptural authority, sexual ethics, the lordship of Jesus Christ, etc. The narrative tells a story where the second of these facts is the cause for the first. As the mainline has wrestled with these issues it has lost members and its congregations have gotten smaller. But research on congregations would …
- Posted at 3:42 p.m.
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May 11, 2011
Standards for Ordination
Today the headlines across our church are about the adoption of Amendment 10-A, which replaces the language in the current G-6.0106b concerning the “standards for ordained service.” The Office of the General Assembly has released a variety of materials to...
- Posted at 12:38 a.m.
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