Center for Pastoral Flourishing

Who We Are

The Center for Pastoral Flourishing (CPF) exists to encourage, equip, and support pastors and ministry leaders in the challenging, life-giving experience of joyful ministering. Western Seminary is committed to helping pastors thrive.

What does it mean to Flourish?

Matt Bloom, a researcher at Notre Dame University, has researched over 10,000 pastors from over 20 denominations to assess the pastor's role and flourishing.  Pastoral work is complex, challenging, often arduous, sometimes exhausting and is valuable to the lives of those in the church and community.  Bloom poses a critical question:  How do we help pastors not just survive, but flourish in their work? From his perspective, there are environmental and personal contributors. A flourishing support system would include:

  • Daily well-being

  • Supportive relationships

  • Resilience and authenticity

  • A flexible call to ministry

The Bible and theology bring a voice of wisdom and perhaps call out an otherworldly cadence for the pastor to follow.  First, a theology of flourishing is grounded in Biblical theology. God is a triune God, three persons living in loving unity.  While this should shape every believer's relationship, the pastor is commissioned to lead a community into experiencing and expressing this richness of God.  Second, flourishing is grounded in a dynamic ecclesiology, where the Spirit of God is graciously displaying love, grace, and truth through and love by his gifts and power resident within the faith community.

The CPF is committed to helping pastors to flourish in their work, and have a positive impact on the church and communities they serve.

Josh Mathews, PhD
Western Seminary Vice President of Academic Affairs
Dean of Faculty
Associate Professor of Biblical Studies

“At Western Seminary we are engaged in partnering with the church to equip men and women for strategic roles in a variety of ministries. Pastors are at the center of this mission. Our graduate degree programs are designed to provide the formative training students need to serve in churches for the glory of God in the work of His kingdom. And Western’s Center for Pastoral Flourishing is a vital compliment to this curricular experience. Through the CPF we come alongside pastors and support them in their ongoing ministry. Just as we seek to provide gospel-centered theological education, so too we are committed to seeing the work of the gospel continue in pastors and their churches beyond their time in seminary.”

Cohorts

We have several cohorts available to pastors seeking support and encouragement. One-year cohorts include retreats and Zoom meetings.

Events

In addition to cohorts, we offer events for pastors and church leaders. See what’s coming up this year.