A College of Peers – a new book

A COLLEGE OF PEERS – The College of Baptist Ministers 2013-2021 

A College of Peers is a ‘legacy volume’. It is the final ‘gift’ to the wider Baptist family from The College of Baptist Ministers. The College’s vision has been to help ministers grow and develop in their understanding and practice of ministry, and to be there for them in times of difficulty.

A College of Peers tells the often strange story of the difficulties experienced during the development of this body committed to ministerial well-being; and of how the introduction of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) it became impossible for the College to promote itself directly to ministers. Nonetheless for some seven years the College provided a wide range of resources to its members, including a monthly newsletter in which Board members reflected on the practice of ministry – twenty-four of these letters form the heart of this book. The book ends with two further reflections by the editor: one on servant leadership and the other on Christian worship.

A College of Peers – Hardback 184 pages

Members of CBM will receive a free copy of A College of Peers through the post in February-March. If anybody would like to order a copy for £10 including P&P please email peter@pbthomas.com

Here is the full list of contents.

A College of Peers: an introduction

The History of the College

1. The beginnings and initial development 2010-2018
2. The subsequent history 2018-2021
3. Reflections on failure
4. Reflections on achievement

Documents of the College

1. The vision
2. A code of ethics
3. A supportive structure for Continuing Ministerial Development
4. Guidelines for review
5. Investing in leaders

Selected Letters of the College

1. A New Year’s Eve watchnight service
2. A book a week keeps a pastor awake
3. Juggling with chickens
4. Guidelines for the professional conduct of clergy
5. Professionalism is to be welcomed
6. Leadership and accountability in the church
7. Building tomorrow’s church today: young adults and the church
8. What do clergy do all week?
9. Preaching at Christmas
10. Post Truth and Donald Trump
11. Let’s be concerned for our brother and sister ministers
12. Children in the church
13. Pastoral supervision
14. Counselling young people
15. Remembrance
16. Preparing for Christmas
17. Have we dumbed down our worship and preaching?
18. Labels are dangerous
19. Where do you find your support?
20. Church life post-Covid – some thoughts
21. Great reasons for meeting together one-to-one in a time of Covid
22. From coping to recovery of the post-lockdown church
23. Terminating ministry – an issue yet to be resolved
24. Ending well

Two further reflections on aspects of ministry by Paul Beasley-Murray

1. Leadership is always servant leadership
2. Celebrating the Faith: Christian worship through the lens of 1 & 2 Timothy