“Leading Locally, Linking Globally: Paul’s Vision for Christian Community”
Paul’s Leadership Practice
Paul’s Leadership Principles
Paul’s Leadership Legacy
The apostle Paul presents a particularly challenging study in leadership. All that remains from his thirty-some years of ministry are a short collection of letters and a brief outline of his travels around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. From this scant evidence, however, it is possible to catch a glimpse of a person who was passionately committed to the success of the communities founded in Jesus’ name. His letters suggest that, despite modern perception to the contrary, Paul was not a top-down manager of his communities. Rather, Paul encouraged and cajoled local members to take responsibility for the formation and development of their corporate spiritual lives. These talks will explore Paul’s leadership practices among his communities and investigate the principles that were the basis not only for his own leadership but also for recognizing the leadership potential for members of the local Jesus-associations.
Richard S. Ascough, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of New Testament at Queen’s School of Religion where he teaches in the Department of Religious Studies and the Theological Studies programs. He is the author of numerous articles and essays on the texts and contexts of the early Jesus-believers, and has published six books, including What Are They Saying About the Formation of Pauline Churches? (1998), Paul’s Macedonian Associations (2003), Passionate Visionary: Leadership Lessons from the Apostle Paul (with Sandy Cotton, 2005), and Lydia: Paul’s Cosmopolitan Hostess (2009). He is currently working on a sourcebook of primary and secondary texts for understanding the many small, unofficial associations in Greco-Roman antiquity and is writing a socio-rhetorical commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians. He has been recognized for his innovative teaching in a number of ways, including both of the top two university wide teaching awards at Queen’s University (2002 and 2009).
This year’s Lecture series will be on Youth Ministry with Marv Penner and will be held October 30th-November 1st, 2012.
Thanks to the generosity of those who established the Bishop Henry David Martin Memorial Trust, this lecture series is a free event.