Varieties of Gifts: Multiplicity and the Well-Lived Pastoral Life

by Cynthia G. Lindner

If there’s one thing upon which contemporary pastors and their congregations can agree, it’s that the practice of ministry in our rapidly changing, increasingly diverse context is a complicated business. Varieties of Gifts highlights the stories of ministers who thrive in this environment, offering inspiration to readers—ministers, seminary students, and people who care for them—on engaging their own multiplicity to build healthy, sustainable ministry.

Varieties of Gifts illuminates the inner lives of clergy who lead with courage and creativity, stamina, and soulfulness. The author mines in-depth interviews with twenty pastors in order to demonstrate that the human experience of multiple-mindedness is an essential ingredient for healthy, innovative ministry. Cynthia Lindner, herself an ordained minister, pastoral psychotherapist, and professor, illustrates how the Christian tradition bears witness to creation’s complexity, and how our own multiplicity mirrors God’s abundance. Through the accounts of the pastors themselves, the book illustrates how well-tended ministerial multiplicity can cultivate a rich pastoral identity, navigate congregational conflict, and embrace change in rich, life-giving ways.

Rather than an unattainable “quick fix,” Varieties of Gifts profiles relatable pastors and congregations whose lives highlight the rich potential for multiple identities to enhance pastoral life, even in challenging times.

176 pages, Paperback

Published April 8, 2016

Reviews

[April Yamasaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

For pastors and others who work for the church and related organizations, this book affirms and encourages multiplicity in ministry and the telling of our stories to encourage others. For congregations, it gives a window into the lives of healthy clergy and faith communities, and extends
"an invitation to think more deeply and boldly about your mutual ministry, pastor and congregations together." See my full review, Multiplicity and Healthy Ministry.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a parish pastor, this book has been a Godsend. It makes room for the many different ways clergy may approach congregational leadership, including pastoral care, activism, preaching, administration, and most importantly, definition of self. Lindner's focus is that there is no one way to be a pastoral self - that how each clergy person leads and pastors grows from who she or he is as an individual. Workshops, ordination committees, books, or leadership gurus that focus on one way of doing these things may be doing a disservice to clergy - especially the newly ordained.

[Benjamin Dueholm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very valuable for anyone involved in or close to pastoral work. This study sheds light on the ways people can cultivate or curtail the diversity and resilience they bring to the work of ministry. Hopefully church bodies responsible for education, ordaining, and supervising clergy will learn from it.

[Krista Kutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written theological reflection on the integration of multiple gifts, callings, identities on the pastoral journey. I especially enjoyed the stories of discernment from pastors across the spectrum of ministry.

[versarbre]

Fellow passenger on a flight, What it would be like to live as though you believe in something important?"
Pretty in the genre of psychologists reflecting on the personal experiences, they encounter through their professions; i.e. pretty a-historical.