The challenges and crises facing the church in the 21st century are varied – abuse scandals, declining attendance, political tensions, denominational fracturing. As the teachers and leaders of the church, pastors have an essential role in guiding the church through these challenging days. But pastoral ministry is facing an identity crisis of its own. An over-emphasis on method and technique has pressured many pastors towards such things as church-growth strategies, business leadership models, and social media influencer culture. At the same time, false and secular models of power and leadership put constant pressure on how pastors are perceived by their congregations and how they perceive themselves.

In 2015, the Center for Pastor Theologians hosted our first theology conference: The Pastor as Theologian: Identities and Possibilities. For our tenth anniversary, we’re returning to the question of pastoral identity. Much has changed in the intervening years. But the call on pastors to shepherds God’s people remains the same. And the task is more challenging and urgent than perhaps any moment in our lifetime.