Being in Ministry

"Artist, minister, scholar, and teacher, Douglas Purnell creates an integrated portrait of what an implicated ministry looks like amidst painful and challenging circumstances. He skillfully interweaves image and text in a healing narrative that reveals the heart of ministry in daily living within community."

--Carmen Nanko-Fernandez

Catholic Theological Union, Chicago



"As if he were painting on one of his canvases, Doug Purnell has created an amazingly detailed landscape that includes his own struggles to reclaim his call to ministry amidst the lived experiences of the people of St. Ives Parish. The reader is invited inside an intimate, fiercely honest reflection on pastoral practice as we listen to a pastor listen to himself for the sake of being in ministry authentically."

--Herbert Anderson

Pacific Lutheran Theological Union and the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley



"Purnell's work is a witness to the fact that he seeks balance in being a person, being a partner, being a parent, being a pastor, and being an artist. He is inspirational and transformational as he explores the inevitable tension between being in ministry and doing ministry. Every pastoral leader who wonders about messages of being 'excellent' in ministry should read this book!"

--Jaco Hamman

Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan