Michael Plekon: Ministry Matters

Michael Plekon, Ministry Matters: Pastors, Their Life and Work Today (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2024), 173 pages, ISBN 9781666789959.

“Congregations are shrinking and in decline in the United States and elsewhere” (xiii). Michael Plekon (Emeritus Professor of Baruch College), begins the introduction to his new book, Ministry Matters, with this matter-of-fact statement, not to frighten Christ-followers or cause undue despair, but to set the stage for us to see clearly the work God is doing in the Church today. It is apparent to most people that we are living in anxious, even perilous, times; however, according to Plekon, there is hope for resurrection from death. This is one of the themes of Plekon’s previous book, Community as Church, Church as Community (Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2021), which carries over, in part, to Ministry Matters. Although the two books complement each other, Plekon’s latest work moves on from inquiry about church decline to inquiring about “the vocation, lives, and work of pastors today” (xiii).

Michael Plekon writes to “those serving in ministry,” “those in formation for ordination,” and “the rest of the people of God living out the gospel in their everyday existence” (14). In other words, he wrote this book for every Christ-follower. If you have ever thought about what it looks like to be an ordained priest or pastor, as well as the meaning of their ministerial work in and with the body of Christ, there is much to glean from these pages. Yet, Plekon reminds us “that ministry is the calling of the entire church, of every baptized member of the people of God” (8). Implied in this statement, especially as its greater context is ecumenical dialogue, is that all of us are included in this “sustained meditation” (xiii); therefore, we may find ourselves somewhere within the pages of the book.

There are two major ideas running through the book: that “pastors are among us to bring God to the people and the people to God” (xv, 15 times in alternate forms), and “we will listen” to others (xvi, also another 52 times in alternate forms). That Plekon gives these ideas a place of prominence in his research should be enough to inform the reader as to where this book is leading them. God in Christ remains at the centre of the Church, and we, whether ordained or lay, must be willing to listen closely to others who have something to say about being fellow servants in the service of the Lord Jesus and our neighbours. For this study, Plekon chose several well-known pastor-theologians to listen to and engage with: George Keith, Nicholas Afanasiev, Cathie Caimano, C. Andrew Doyle, David Barnhart, Andrew Root, Sam Wells, Barbara Brown Taylor, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Sarah Coakley, Rowan Williams, Henri Nouwen, Pope Francis, and Will Willimon.

You and I may have endless questions regarding ministry, and Plekon is sure that these master pastors will be able to answer many of them. Over eleven chapters, Plekon presents reflections on their unique experiences in ministry, reflections that may elicit both positive and negative emotions, smiles and frowns, laughter and tears. Our questions begin to take shape when the dust settles, when we have time to meditate on and assimilate what was read. What attracts people to God? What should I do if there are no full-time pastorates available? What is the future of the ordained? How important is prayer in ministry? How do I know if I am a good pastor? These questions may be similar to the ones that you have been asking. To this, it would be fair to say that any one of these conversation partners may provide an answer to one or more of your questions. The thoughtful commentary offered by the author may also provide you with further clarity; however, you will not be told what to do in and for your ministry. As Plekon makes clear, “This is not a prescriptive book.” It is a “set of rich reflections on who a pastor is, which will necessarily entail what a pastor does” (12).

So, to return to one of the main ideas that Plekon’s friend, George Keith, developed in one of his sermons, an answer to “what is a priest?” is provided in a simple, yet profound way: “someone who takes God to the people and the people to God” (15). For the author, this is the “most fundamental” characterization of a priest’s function (16). But this definition is just the beginning of a journey through the ministries of Plekon’s other conversation partners. From Pope Francis’s appeal to all clergy that they should have “the smell of the sheep” (126), to Rowan Williams’s understanding of the ordained “as a witness to God’s solidarity with us” (108), Plekon provides his readers with a veritable treasure trove of valuable insights into what it looks like to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century.

It will not take long to discover that Plekon learns by listening to other pastors who have learned by listening—listening to God, the Scriptures, and those they are called and set apart to “be with,” as Sam Wells avers (68). To listen to others is a main idea that is woven through every chapter and serves the purpose of the book well. Repetitive listening to learn acts as a necessary corrective to humanity’s habit of hearing and subsequently forgetting. Plekon completes this book with a method that supports learning: listening as one would do in lectio divina, “reading slowly, listening carefully, and reflecting deeply” (166).

I have read slowly, listened carefully to each voice, and continue to reflect deeply as a means to learn well and dismantle a plethora of biases. Coming from a rather conservative, Protestant background, I found some of the material foreign, other parts challenging, and a few sections somewhat deficient. If you are of a similar ilk, then you may understand and agree; otherwise, you will be hard-pressed to find fault with this book. For example, a Protestant reader unfamiliar with tradition-specific terminology such as icon, priest, rite, parish, or Eucharist may feel a bit lost while traversing the pages. Some may be challenged in mind and spirit when they read about Sarah Coakley’s experience with transcendental meditation (99), or Plekon’s inclusion of Latter Day Saints as members of the body of Christ (67), or Will Willimon’s insistence that there are no “‘ungodly’ forces [that] have declared war on Christianity” (152). Finally, given the limitations of space and the nature of research, Plekon did not listen to Baptists or Pentecostals, two large and stable groups whose voices would have added much to the overall conversation. Regardless, this book is a treasure trove of wisdom regarding the multifaceted experiences of the ordained. I strongly suggest that it to be read and digested by any Christ-follower who has an interest in the Church and the ordained, and who believe that ministry still matters—especially in a season of congregational shrinkage and church decline. The need for faithful pastors and laity is greater than ever before.

Reviewed by Joseph R. Fiorentino

 

Publisher’s page: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666789959/ministry-matters/

 

This review also appeared in Didaskalia: The Journal of Providence Theological Seminary, Volume 32, pp. 121-124 (2025), ISSN #0847-1266.

Tags: congregation, listening, matters, Michael Plekon, minister, ministry, pastor, pastoral care, shepherd

Category: Ministry, Summer 2025