Hiltner, Ferment in the Ministry

Seward Hiltner, Ferment in the Ministry. Abingdon Press, 1969.

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LifeandLeadership.com Summary

Although written in the late 1960s during a time that the ministry profession was under harsh criticism from many angles, Hiltner has enduring value. During this period, ministry was charged with having become a softened slave of the “Establishment” and thus impotent in shaping the issues inherent in the Vietnam conflict, race riots, Kennedy and King assassinations, growing economic injustice, etc. He conceded that some of the criticism was just. He lamented, however, that those who acquiesced to the critiques as if every point had theological merit actually demonstrated more “failure of nerve” than humility. For these reasons, he did not describe this situation as a “crisis” or “breakdown.” Instead, he chose the analogy of “ferment” with reference to wine-making, where ferment is an intermediate phase of a process aimed toward a stronger product. Certainly if the bubbling and agitation go on endlessly, the result is useless. But if the agitation is stopped in time, the result may be very good.

He suggested that the criticisms of the ministry were more like ferment, as conditions which if thoughtfully evaluated could develop into a “vintage vat” of fruitful ministry. Toward this end, he sets for an unapologetic defense of the nature of ministry through separate chapters on the functions of preaching, administering, teaching, shepherding, evangelizing, celebrating, reconciling, theologizing, and disciplining. Volumes such as William Willimon, Pastor, addresses the same issues in a more current context, but Hiltner still enjoys wide use on this subject.

The book is available through the bookstore links to the right, but the complete text is also online.

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