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Jesus' words to his disciples tell us that leadership, community, the very essence of Christian life, are all about friendship. 'We can go so far,' writes Kevin Thew Forrester, 'as to say that to be a member of the community entails being a minister. To be baptized is to become one who accepts the call to serve others. Baptism and ministry are two sides of the same coin.' Ministry is the responsibility of all baptized members of the church--not merely the prerogative of the ordained. Drawing on the experiences of the people in the rural and sparsely populated Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan, where this approach to ministry has been critical for survival, the author challenges the whole church to embrace mutual ministry as the key to its future health and mission.
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