Embracing Shared Ministry: Power and Status in the Early Church and Why it Matters Today

Social historian and pastor Joseph Hellerman maintains that the church should be led and taught by a community of leaders who related to one another first as brothers and sisters in Christ, and who function secondarily as vision-casters and decision-makers for the broader church family. Unique among contemporary treatments of servant leadership, Embracing Shared Ministry interprets the biblical materials against the background of ancient Roman cultural values, providing a social context for ministry that includes healthy checks and balances on the use of pastoral power and authority.