Spirituality for Ministry

Urban T. Holmes III

Jul 2002 · Church Publishing, Inc.

About this ebook

"Our goal is the Kingdom, the completion of God's creative vision, and we are God's hands in bringing that vision to pass, " wrote Urban Holmes in Spirituality for Ministry, originally published in 1982. But, Holmes warned, ministers who are not rooted in the intimate knowledge of God will have a hard time being God's hands and serving the congregation well.

This timeless and still timely book examines the spiritual base that allows ordained clergy to be interpreters of God's message and symbol-bearers of God's presence in their congregations. Based on interviews with clergy from many denominations, Holmes explores the role of spirituality in the vocation of the ordained, the classic virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the place of worship, prayer, and parish piety, and finally the necessity of spiritual companionship in the life of the clergy.

About the author

Urban T. Holmes III (1930–1981) was an Episcopal priest, and served as Dean of the School of Theology at the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee. He was a prolific writer whose books include What is Anglicanism?, a bestselling introduction to the faith, and A History of Christian Spirituality, also available in the Library of Episcopalian Classics.

Loren B. Mead served as a rector in South Carolina and North Carolina before agreeing to direct Project Test Pattern, a national initiative of the Episcopal Church in 1969. The Alban Institute, which he founded in 1974, grew out of this work. He was president of the Institute until 1994. After leaving, he wrote a series of books on The Once and Future Church and was a popular speaker and consultant. He died in 2018.