Stopping to think carefully about leadership has been both refreshing and challenging. As someone leading a church the flexibility has made it possible alongside the realities of pastoral ministry.
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Nathan is one of the pastors at Enfield Town Community Church.
I chose to study the MA in Contemporary Christian Leadership for three main reasons.
First, after nearly two decades in ministry, I wanted some guided learning. College isn’t my natural habitat, but I know myself well enough to know that I work better when my thinking is directed and shaped, rather than trying to do it on my own alongside everything else. I wanted space to reflect more carefully on what I’ve been doing for years.
The second reason was flexibility. The course fits realistically around the busyness of pastoral ministry. There are intensives at the start of each term, which makes it easier to free up a week to be on campus, and then the reading and assignments can be worked into the rhythm of the week. For me, that’s meant fitting reading into gaps I already had and setting aside a day most weeks to focus on written work. It ebbs and flows, which has made it sustainable.
The third reason was the subject itself. Many of us are simply thrown into leadership when we become pastors. We lead meetings, shape vision, handle conflict, and carry responsibility, often without much chance to stop and think biblically and practically about what Christian leadership really is. The MA creates space to do exactly that.
The first module focused on what it means to do Jesus’ work in Jesus’ way, setting leadership within God’s bigger story of redemption, and then connecting that to reflective practice. It’s helped me think more deliberately about how I lead in different ministry contexts, rather than just reacting in the moment.
Then one of the biggest things has been giving me a framework for reflecting on real interactions—meetings, conversations, decisions—and asking questions like: am I actually doing Jesus’ work in Jesus’ ways here, or are my own instincts and interests driving this? Thinking more carefully about emotions, power, and relationships in leadership has been especially valuable.
Studying at this stage of life has been a real gift. Pastors aren’t often expected to engage in continuing development, and yet the work we do deeply affects people. Stopping, eighteen years in, to think more carefully about leadership has been both refreshing and challenging.
It’s also been a joy to study alongside others. Our cohort comes from a wide range of leadership contexts, and we’ve learned a huge amount from one another already. Strong friendships are forming, and the shared reflection has enriched my learning.