Ministry on the Fireline

The best theory for fighting fires comes from actually engaging in the battle against the flames, Ray Anderson writes. For the thousands of pastors and church leaders who are on the 'firelines' of God's mission in the world, we need a theology that sings, even as it stings, igniting the mind and stirring the heart.In these pages, then, Anderson passionately sets forth a vision of the church's work and mission based on its birthday: Pentecost. At Pentecost, Christians were given the Holy Spirit in order to understand the incarnation and come alive to God. So this key event directs and empowers the church in its service to the world.In the light of Pentecost we learn that we can come to know God only in praxis -- truth discovered through action. In the process of elucidating this praxis, Anderson seeks to construct a theology that not only truly respects and aids ministers on the firelines, but will also heal the breach between Pentecostal and mainline church theology.The guiding vision of this book is a church liberated from deadening bureaucracies and sterile theological structures, a church that fulfills its mission of world reconciliation through the empowerment of Pentecostal presence. Ministry on the Fireline is a vibrant reassessment of the vision and mission of the church.--Gilbert BilezikianRay Anderson (1925-2009) was Senior Professor of Theology and Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary and served on the faculty of the School of Theology since 1976. He has published over twenty books, including Spiritual Caregiving as Secular Sacrament, The Soul of Ministry, Self-Care, Living the Spiritually Balanced Life, and Dancing with Wolves while Feeding the Sheep: The Musings of a Maverick Theologian.