The conversations in each of the five Phase 1 gatherings were facilitated by the following pastoral epistles, written by the participants and shared with the group ahead of time. The epistles were stipulated to be 1500 words in length at a maximum, and to take the tone of an apostle writing to a young congregational pastor today. The format was not a fictionalized account of an actual ministry but focused on the theological and biblical issues of ministry, much as the Epistles to Timothy provide in the New Testament. These epistles addressed the current context of ministry, with attention to the issues that are causing the most confusion about pastoral identity and calling today.
Click on a name to read a participant’s epistle (opens in a separate window).
| Name | Church/Institution | City/state | Gathering Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfaro, Sammy | Grand Canyon University | Glendale, AZ | Dallas |
| Bailes, Jonathan | Christ Church Plano | Plano, TX | Dallas |
| Barreto, Eric | Princeton Theological Seminary | Princeton, NJ | Chicago |
| Berry, Malinda Elizabeth | Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary | Goshen, IN | Chicago |
| Brown, Jonathon | Pillar Church | Holland, MI | Nashville |
| Brown, Elise | Marble Collegiate Church | New York, NY | Pasadena |
| Bulger, Tara | First Presbyterian Church | Huntsville, AL | Nashville |
| Cady, Stephen | Brite Divinity School | Fort Worth, TX | Dallas |
| Canales, Marcos | La Fuente Ministries | Pasadena, CA | Pasadena |
| Carter, Heath | Princeton Theological Seminary | Princeton, NJ | Chicago |
| Chao, David | Princeton Theological Seminary | Princeton, NJ | Pasadena |
| Davis, Corwin Malcolm | First AME Bethel Church | New York, NY | New York |
| DeCostanza, John | Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago | Chicago, IL | Chicago |
| Drake, Donovan | Westminster Presbyterian Church | Nashville, TN | Nashville |
| Franke, John R | Second Presbyterian Church | Carmel, IN | Chicago |
| Gaventa, Matt | University Presbyterian Church | Austin, TX | Dallas |
| Gee, Jr., Alexander | Fountain of Life | Madison, WI | Chicago |
| Goatley, David | Fuller Theological Seminary | Pasadena, CA | Pasadena |
| Green, Douglas | North Hills Church | Brea, CA | Nashville |
| Hamilton, Katie O'Hern | Greater Brunswick Charge (primarily New Hope UMC) | Brunswick, MD | Dallas |
| Handy, Stephen | McKendree United Methodist | Nashville, TN | Nashville |
| Hawkins, Liza | Memorial Lutheran Church | Nashville, TN | Nashville |
| Hiestand, Gerald | Calvary Memorial Church | Oak Park, IL | Nashville |
| Henry, Christopher | Second Presbyterian Church | Indianapolis, IN | New York |
| Huh, John | Princeton Theological Seminary | Princeton, NJ | New York |
| Hunter, Todd Dean | The Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others | Franklin, TN | Chicago |
| Hyde, Dawn | Downtown Church Columbia | Columbia, SC | Dallas |
| Imperatori-Lee, Natalia | Manhattan College | New York, NY | New York |
| Jones, Barry | Irving Bible Church | Irving, TX | Chicago |
| Kartje, John | Mundelein Seminary | Mundelein, IL | New York |
| Keim, John | Granger Community Church | Granger, IN | Chicago |
| Klaus, Byron D | Retired from Evangel/Assemblies of God Theological Seminary | Oregon City, OR | Pasadena |
| Labberton, Mark | Retired from Fuller Theological Seminary | Piedmont, CA | Nashville |
| Latimore, David | Princeton Theological Seminary | Princeton, NJ | Chicago |
| Lawrence, Joel | Center for Pastor Theologians | North Oaks, MN | Pasadena |
| Lee, Daniel | Fuller Theological Seminary | Temple City, CA | Pasadena |
| Lenker, Keegan | Gig Harbor Church of the Nazarene; Northwest Nazarene University | Gig Harbor, WA | Dallas |
| Martin, A Allan | Arlington Seventh-day Adventist Church | Arlington, TX | Pasadena |
| Marty, Peter W. | The Christian Century; St. Paul Lutheran Church | Denver, CO | Chicago |
| Moss III, Otis | Trinity United Church of Christ | Chicago, IL | Chicago |
| Norman, Jr., John I. | Campbell University Divinity School | Four Oaks, NC | New York |
| O'Dea, Lori | New Life Assembly of God | Grand Ledge, MI | Dallas |
| O'Connell, Maureen | La Salle University | Philadelphia, PA | New York |
| Palmer, Elizabeth | The Christian Century | Skokie, IL | Chicago |
| Presa, Neal | Presbytery of San Jose; Fuller Theological Seminary | San Jose, CA | Pasadena |
| Qualls, Joy | Biola University | Placentia, CA | Pasadena |
| Rivera, Luis R. | Retired from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary | Skokie, IL | Dallas |
| Root, Andrew | Luther Seminary | St. Paul, MN | Nashville |
| Ruffner, Matthew | Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church | Dallas, TX | Dallas |
| Shelley, Austin Crenshaw | Shadyside Presbyterian Church | Pittsburgh, PA | Chicago |
| Slade, Kara | Trinity Church | Princeton, NJ | New York |
| Smith, Katherine | Duke Divinity School | Durham, NC | Nashville |
| Streets, Jerry | Yale University | New Haven, CT | New York |
| Sun, Chloe | Fuller Theological Seminary | Azusa, CA | Pasadena |
| Swetenburg, Betsy | Northridge Presbyterian Church | Dallas, TX | Dallas |
| Tewell, Tom | Zick Preaching Scholars Program | Claremont, CA | Pasadena |
| Torres-Avila, Luis J | Pillar Church | Holland, MI | New York |
| Tran, Jonathan | Baylor University | Woodway, TX | Dallas |
| Lower, Jessica Vaughan | San Marino Community Church | San Marino, CA | Pasadena |
| White, Andrea C. | Union Theological Seminary | New York, NY | New York |
| Williams, Andrew Ray | Church on the Hill | Waynesboro, VA | New York |
| Willimon, Will | Duke Divinity School | Durham, NC | Nashville |
| Wilson, Todd | Center for Pastor Theologians | Chicago, IL | Chicago |