Churches need to include teaching and modeling about being human.

A class was offered recently at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in South Carolina. Annually, this seminary offers an intensive course for pastors and students. This year’s course was in Contemporary Challenges in Pastoral Ministry

Among the topics were lectures on preaching, worship leadership, pastoral practices, friendship in ministry, and most interesting commentaries from Carl Trueman on several of his books and research projects.

The students came, for good reason, to hear a star. And he delivered. Professor Carl Trueman of Grove City (PA) College presented lectures that combined both philosophic depth as well as memorable observations.

A few notes or quotes may interest readers and lead you to read his fine works.

Trueman’s initial lecture was on Martin Luther and the changing environment of the day. A discourse on Luther’s 1525 classic, Bondage of the Will, led later in the course to an unanticipated change of focus—the demonic. Dr. Trueman provided a fascinating discussion of the reality of evil. Trueman helpfully reminded his class that in a real spiritual battle, spiritual weapons must be employed instead of worldly arms.

A few other topics are highlighted below.

1. Writing can multiply a pastor’s ministry or it can distract from a primary calling. Having a very successful writer remind young pastors that a pastor should use his gifts but not allow publishing to subtract from his primary calling was a needed dose of realism.

2. Social Media. A pastor owes his church his time and effort—a call to a pulpit is not in order to develop your platform. Pastors are not called to be omni-experts nor to comment on all public issues of the day. Such may be a distinct dilution of ministry. Twitter, for example, is almost by definition incapable of hosting rational discourse; instead, it routinely lowers us. The disembodiment of this means of communication also has a decided affect.

3. Friendship: What does it mean to be human?

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