Pastoral & Preaching Ministry

The specialism in preaching and pastoral ministry is designed to help students integrate their knowledge of Biblical studies and theology with the practical aspects of preaching and pastoral care.

Preaching has played a key part in the life and growth of the church since its birth at Pentecost. Scotland, and the United Kingdom as a whole, has a rich heritage of preachers from people such as Thomas Chalmers, Robert Murray McCheyne, George Whitfield and John Wesley to, more recently, people such as John Stott, William Still and Martin Lloyd Jones. However, contemporary society presents preachers with huge challenges. Society emphasises the visual and the immediate in communication, the soundbite in debate, and interactivity and the sharing of knowledge which the Internet makes possible. As well as the continuing challenge to ensure that the word of God is handled faithfully, there is the challenge of how it will be heard by and connect with people in their daily lives, both inside and outside of churches. Despite these challenges, however, preaching is not to be relegated to the pages of church history. As the best preachers of the past have done, today’s preachers seek to bring God’s word in all its power alive in God’s world with all its need, to transform individuals, congregations and communities.

Along with the call to preach comes the call to care for the flock of God, in other words, to pastor. In many churches, preaching and pastoral ministry are often closely linked, and so when they call a minster or pastor they look for competence in both aspects of ministry. In the UK and other European contexts, pastors need to be able to help Christians face the hard challenges of following Christ in a climate which is strongly secular and sometimes hostile towards Christianity, as well as helping those who come to faith deal with the emotional and spiritual questions they may bring with them. In other parts of the world where the church is growing rapidly, pastors need to be able to help Christians grow into maturity and develop leaders who will themselves be able to pastor others.

Along with a designated pathway through the programme which includes both the core courses and courses on Sermon Preparation, Pastoral Care and Students will also do two placements in church settings where they will be engaged in preaching and pastoral ministry, to enable them to develop their gifts in this area and to integrate their studies with their practice.