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What if the wineskin that God is preparing for His new wine is not white?

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About a year ago, I wrote the blog post: “What if God has stopped calling as many young people to traditional ministry?”  I want to add to that with this post and provocative question: “What if the new wineskin that God is preparing for His new wine is not white?”

For those who don’t know me or my context, up until about two years ago I served as a local church pastor for twenty-five years.  About two years ago, I took the role of Dean of Theology at Ambrose University and Seminary, where I oversee our undergraduate School of Ministry and our graduate Seminary.  Although, like almost all undergraduate ministry preparation programs in Canada, we continue to see a slow decline in our undergraduate School of Ministry (which we are actively pursuing innovative solutions for), our Seminary is experiencing a very different trajectory.  Over the last two academic years, we have experienced significant and unprecedented growth (50% increase in the number of students and 70% increase in the number of classes taken).  Yes…you read that correctly: 50% and 70%!

There are several reasons for this: increased online educational opportunities, Chinese language options, church-embedded options, mid-career callings, and international students coming to Canada (many with their families) in response to God’s calling.

As Canada’s population is projected to double in the next 25 years (largely due to immigration)[1], I believe God is preparing called and gifted men and women from all over the world to lead the church in Canada into its multicultural future.  From the quality of students at Ambrose Seminary, I am excited about the future of the Church in Canada. 

As Canada becomes increasingly multicultural, so must leadership in the Canadian Church.  God is answering our prayer for more men and women to serve; it just looks different than we expected.  May the Church have eyes to see what God is doing and continue to support the sails of Christian higher education as it prepares to catch the wind of the Spirit and propel it into the future. 

Please pray for Ambrose Seminary as we adapt and adjust to our growing and diverse student body.  We want to be adaptive to the changing context of God’s mission and calling as we serve the Church; God is calling the Church to use new wineskins for the new wine He is making.  Join me in praying that the Church embraces and celebrates the new skin and doesn’t look the same as it has in the past.  What if the new wineskin that God is preparing for His new wine is not white?

The challenge I see is a narrative that the problem with theological education in Canada is that we need to just get shiny new buckets (online education, etc.) to get more water from a well that is not producing what it used to (young male Euro-Canadian pastors and leaders).  Although this well has produced for decades (I was in this well), a shiny new bucket (online education, etc.) in a dry well doesn’t produce more water.  I think God is doing a new thing for an increasingly multicultural Canada.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against new buckets.  I am a loud proponent of new and innovative church and theological education modalities.  I am an advocate of new buckets.  That said, God seems to be springing to life new wells for a new time, and the Church must adapt for its future.

This future will need churches and denominations to see New Canadian students and parishioners not just as people to reach and serve and reach but as people God has called and gifted to lead.  Just as the future of Canada is not Euro-Canadian, neither is the future of pastors and leaders in the church. 

I have Seminary students who want to serve in ministries and churches.  These students are some of the most qualified and gifted students I have met, but because of the colour of their skin or their accents, they don’t get callbacks from churches when they seek to volunteer or apply for ministry positions.  It is disturbing, but it is real.

When I talk to church leaders and tell them about what is happening at our school and update them about the increase in our Seminary, specifically about international students, it is often viewed as a distraction at best or illegitimate at worst.  It is frustrating, but it is real.

So…what if there is no pending leader and pastor shortage in the church?  What if the leadership shortage we have perceived is just because we are used to looking at an old well (young Euro-Canadian males) while God is bursting a new spring in a new well (non-white men and women from all over the world)?  As someone who teaches at the edge of that new well, I can testify that it is overflowing with godly, gifted, and called leaders; they just look different than they did in the past.

May Jesus help us to see how He, in His mercy and sovereignty, is answering our prayers!

[1] https://financialpost.com/news/economy/canada-population-over-million-last-year

Blog, Digital Ministry, technology, technologyinministry, thechurchisnotafactory, youarenotamachine

Virtual Public Lecture: You Are Not A Machine: Fruitful Disciple-Making In An Artificial World

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You are invited to a virtual public lecture presented by Ambrose University.

https://ambrose.edu/event/3341

Description: Many of our discipleship metaphors and understandings come from a mechanical view of the world shaped by technological advancements largely foreign to the agrarian world of the Bible and the metaphors Jesus used. If metaphors shape our world and help us understand the abstract, then how might the machine-ladened metaphors we’ve used warp our view of discipleship, and what can we do about it?

Speaker Bio: Rev. Dr. Bryce Ashlin-Mayo (DMin, George Fox University) served for twenty-five years as a pastor in the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada, most recently as Lead Pastor of Westlife Church. Bryce is currently Dean of Theology and Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Ambrose University in Calgary, Alberta. Bryce has written several books on social media and digital ministry including, “Digital Mission: A Practical Guide for Ministry Online.”

Register here
Blog, Digital Ministry, Pastor, technology, technologyinministry

AI (Artificial Intelligence) and the Future Pastoral Ministry

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***This post was written entirely by AI (I asked it to write a blog post on using AI as a pastor). It is posted intentionally without edit or comment***

As a pastor, you may be wondering how you can incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into your work to better serve your congregants and improve your ministry. In this blog post, we will explore some ways that AI can be used as a pastor, as well as some potential benefits and challenges to consider.

One way that AI can be used as a pastor is through the use of chatbots. Chatbots are computer programs that are designed to simulate conversation with human users, often through messaging applications, websites, or mobile apps. As a pastor, you could use a chatbot to provide information and resources to your congregants, answer frequently asked questions, or even provide spiritual guidance and support. For example, you could set up a chatbot on your church’s website that allows people to ask questions or share their struggles, and the chatbot could provide personalized responses based on the information it has been trained on. This could be especially helpful for people who may not feel comfortable reaching out to a pastor in person or may not have access to traditional pastoral care.

Another way that AI can be used as a pastor is through the use of natural language processing (NLP) algorithms. NLP algorithms are designed to understand and analyze human language, and they can be used to analyze texts such as sermons, Bible verses, or other spiritual writings. As a pastor, you could use NLP algorithms to help you understand the themes and patterns in your own writing and teaching, or to find relevant passages from the Bible or other spiritual texts. You could also use NLP algorithms to analyze the language and sentiments of your congregants, which could help you tailor your messages and support to their needs.

AI can also be used as a pastor through the use of virtual assistants. Virtual assistants are computer programs that are designed to perform tasks and answer questions for users. As a pastor, you could use a virtual assistant to help you manage your schedule, organize your tasks, or keep track of important information. For example, you could set up a virtual assistant to send reminders about meetings or deadlines, or to help you find relevant resources or information. This could help you save time and energy, allowing you to focus on the more important aspects of your ministry.

There are many potential benefits to using AI as a pastor. One of the main benefits is that it can help you reach more people and provide support to a larger number of congregants. For example, a chatbot or virtual assistant could be available 24/7, allowing people to access support and resources at any time of day. AI can also help you personalize your support and care to better meet the needs of your congregants. For example, a chatbot or NLP algorithm could analyze the language and sentiments of your congregants to provide more targeted and relevant responses. Finally, AI can help you save time and energy, allowing you to focus on the more important aspects of your ministry.

However, there are also some challenges to consider when using AI as a pastor. One potential challenge is that AI may not be able to fully replicate the human element of pastoral care. While AI can provide information and support, it may not be able to provide the same level of emotional support or deep understanding that a human pastor can. It is important to recognize the limitations of AI and to ensure that it is used in a way that complements, rather than replaces, human pastoral care.

Another potential challenge is that AI may raise ethical concerns or raise questions about the role of technology in ministry. It is important to consider these issues and to have open and honest conversations with your congregants about the use of AI in your ministry.

In conclusion, AI has the potential to revolutionize pastoral care and ministry in many ways.

***This post was written entirely by AI (ChatGPT) – openai.com***

Connecting the dots of culture, technology, faith, ministry, mission and life.