Go!

"These are tough days for the Church, and we need a united and Christ-centered ministry for the service of Christ. Russ crafts an attractive vision of ministry." -The Right Reverend and Right Honourable George Carey, 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury

When it comes to priests and pastors, today's crisis of vocation isn't just about the numbers. It runs deeper than that, into issues of identity and purpose. With the humble courage proper to a Christian and with the wisdom earned through years of pastoral ministry, Russell J. Levenson here speaks a word of hope to the churches, reminding us that the pastoral ministry can always be renewed so long as we are willing to obey that fundamental command of Jesus Christ: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations." Originally delivered as the 177th Commencement Address at Nashotah House Theological Seminary, Go! seeks to reignite the passion of priests and pastors everywhere.

About the Author
The Reverend Russell J. Levenson, Jr., D.Min., Hon. D.D., has been an ordained Episcopal priest for over thirty years. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1992 and his Doctor of Ministry degree from Beeson Divinity School in 1997. He received the "Dean's Cross" from Virginia Seminary in 2012 and in 2023 received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Nashotah House Seminary. He and his wife of nearly forty years, Laura, have three adult children and two grandchildren and live in Houston, Texas, where Levenson has served as rector of the St. Martin's Episcopal Church since 2007. With over 10,000 baptized members, St. Martin's is the largest Episcopal Church in the United States. Levenson is the author of six books, Preparing Room, A Path to Wholeness, Bits of Heaven, Finding Shelter (Church Publishing, 2020); In God's Grip: What Golf Can Teach Us About The Gospel (Insight Press, 2023), and Witness to Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H.W. and Barbara Bush (Hachette, 2022), which chronicles Levenson's years as priest and pastor to the President and First Lady, as well as preparing for, officiating, and preaching at their memorial services in Washington and Houston.