June 2017 Life Update

A lot of people have been asking me, “So, what is it that you and your wife are doing now?”

It’s a good question with a complicated answer.  And, depending on when you’ve asked me about it, the answer may have changed.
As of today, here’s where things are at:
If you’ve been following my blog then you’ll know I officially concluding my pastoral ministry at Hanover Missionary Church in early June.  Since then I’ve been telling people, “I’m retired”.  That statement has fetched a fair share of strange looks and only one person (an elderly woman I met while my vehicle was being serviced at Walkerton Toyota) took it in stride.

My “retirement” will be short lived since I’ll be heading back to school in September.  I’ll be enrolled as a PhD student at the Toronto School of Theology in St. Michaels University College, Faculty of Theology, on the campus of U of T.  It’s a four year funded program with a two year residency (that means I have to be within commuting distance of the university for coursework and other ‘in-person’ requirements for the first two years of the program).  After that, I should be at the research and writing stage–working with a supervisory committee to compose and defend an original, 80,000 word, contribution to academia.

In a February blog post, I uploaded the Statement of Intent I submitted that offered a glimpse into my research interests.  To summarize my research focus in a sentence: I’m interested in exploring the intersection of educational philosophy and spiritual theology in pastoral formation.
So, until September, I’m spending a lot of time reflecting on my pastoral experience, walking our Golden Retriever, Maple, and looking after neglected household duties and chores.

Erika, on the other hand, spends her days practicing theology and pastoral responsibility and writing the last couple of assignments for the reading course that completes her Master of Theological Studies degree. She’s also serving as the interim pastor at Blue Mountain Community Church in Thornbury, ON and as a part-time chaplain at a long-term care home in Owen Sound.  

  

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