In congregations where I’ve served, the view is that theological education is something pastors get, and it prepares them for the diverse responsibilities that fall on their shoulders alone. This vestige of the full-time bias colors laypeople’s low expectations for themselves as ministers. It helps explain why those with abundant gifts too often believe that mundane tasks are all they’re able to do in the church. It also illuminates why laypeople often think that if they’re going to make a higher-level contribution, then it must involve analyzing the church’s problems as if it were a troubled
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