And on we go... Power (and it's abuses) in Pastoral Mnistry

This next chapter is a telling one, within it is a short reflection on when the wielding of power in Pastoral ministry goes wrong, using in part the experience of the Nine O'Clock Service in the UK which having begun as a seemingly positive and life-affirming attempt to meet people 'where they were' turning into a community of manipulation and abusive behaviour. 

The nature of power in Pastoral Ministry
Chapter 4
The use of power, and its abuses
In the previous chapter we saw how power has been an integral part of the ministry of the Church since it’s inception, by the example of the power and authority within the ministry of Jesus and by the authority conferred onto the Apostles and subsequent leaders of the Church.
 
Power, and the authority which often makes that power possible, undergirds the relationship between client and minister in any pastoral encounter. [more]

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