From Sola to Soli: Focusing Faithfulness for Excellence in the Pastoral Ministry

Abstract

There is a question every pastor must ask himself every week: “Have I been faithful?” Faithfulness is God’s standard for his servants, but what exactly constitutes faithfulness may be another question. This thesis seeks to explore the concept of faithfulness in the ministry and pair it with the concept of excellence to help shape a healthy ministry. The thesis starts by rooting itself in grace, the core of our faith. Following that are definitions of faithfulness and excellence, along with preliminary suggestions for focusing faithfulness and pursuing excellence in parish ministry.