Journal: Conservative Theological Journal
Volume: CTJ 02:4 (Mar 1998)
Article: The Pastor And Theology
Author: Harold D. Foos

CTJ 2:4 (March 1998) p. 5

The Pastor And Theology

Harold D. Foos

Professor of Bible and Theology
Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, IL

Editor’s Note: The following article is a fictional letter dealing with the importance of Theology in the life and ministry of the saint involved in the pastoral ministry.

Dear John,

As usual, our recent conversation stimulated considerable reflection, particularly regarding the responsibility of ministry. You raised a lot of questions (concerns) about demands and priorities—the day to day mundane duties, the constant pressures, the unexpected demands (nobody ever dies at the right time)!, the personal disputes, family responsibilities, the need for personal time for study and reflections, and of course, the maintenance of our own spiritual well being. Then there is, what would at least appear to be, the wholly “new” areas of “forms of worship” and “styles of ministry.” As I recall, we both admitted struggling with keeping things in perspective so far as the non-negotiable essentials and how we determine their place of importance in our time allotments. We have both read numerous books (and maybe attended seminars) that address these types of questions —some of these were helpful, some good in theory and short in practicality, and others—well, let’s just admit it—silly! I trust that our discussions and what I want to address in this correspondence will be neither silly nor impractical.

I have decided to put my thoughts in written form because I wanted to be able to order my ideas clearly and have the luxury of correcting myself as much as possible before laying them before you. As a friend of many years, and as your former teacher, I am going to be bold in what I write.

What troubled me most about your comments in our most recent discussion were the lack of any reference to the place of theological study and instruction in your life and ministry. I want to think that this may have simply been an accident, and yet at the time and as I reflected later on the nature and content of our discussion, I would have thought the significance of doctrine should naturally have intruded at many points. This seemed especially strange to me as I recall what keen interest you had in the theology classes we had together; how you were always one of my finest students in responding to the constant exhortations to “think theologically” about everything. Our conversations and your papers were the sort of encouragement that a professor of theology longs for, but seldom experiences.

CTJ 2:4 (March 1998) p. 6

I apologize if I am appearing to be overly sensitive, or if I have misread you, but I have this uneasy sense that y...