Beyond the Ordinary : Spirituality for Church Leaders

Over the Past few decades mainline Protestant congregations have not easily embraced the notion of spirituality. As much as any aspect of church life, spirituality has been misunderstood, misused, and resisted by both clergy and laity. Yet times are changing. Today many people feel a deep spiritual hunger and are out looking for fulfillment in a wide variety of settings. In this new context, mainline congregations need to awaken to the presence of the Spirit in their midst and equip leaders to nurture both the personal and corporate spirituality of their congregations.

Ben Campbell Johnson is professor emeritus of Christian spirituality at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia Andrew Dreitcer is associate professor of spirituality and director of spiritual formation at Claremont School of Theology in California