Nurturing Vocal Ministry: Toward a Vital Culture of Eldership

Reviewed by Brian Drayton

November 1, 2026

By Steven Dale Davison. Pendle Hill Pamphlets (number 499), 2026. 43 pages. $8.50/pamphlet or eBook.

In this useful pamphlet, Steven Davison argues effectively that a living vocal ministry is an essential element of a living Friends meeting, and that such ministry arises within a culture that both welcomes and helps cultivate it. He succinctly enumerates core functions of vocal ministry: as an invitation to the communion and culture of worship; as a contributor to spiritual nurture; as a manifestation of revelation continuing among us; as an invitation to newcomers; and as a key part of meetings’ teaching about our tradition, our faith and practice. A consideration of these functions can help us reflect on some of the gifts that may be present in our meetings, which we can nurture for the benefit of the whole, or if they are not present, we can take prayerful action to help them emerge. This is where the culture of eldership comes in.

Davison points out that our care and nurture of vocal ministry requires us to reflect, study, and talk about the ministry that our meetings experience, as well as the places where there are kinds of ministry not currently active. Moreover, these conversations cannot have their best effect on the meeting’s life without attention to the gifts and nurture of specific people in the meeting, whether emerging contributors to the vocal ministry or more experienced Friends, who also need encouragement and guidance. Necessarily, this also will include constructive ways to deal with unhelpful ministry. All these kinds of attention can be learned and practiced when a meeting works intentionally to build a culture of eldering.

Davison reminds us that some Friends and some meetings are resistant to such intentional care of vocal ministry and of eldership, and he briefly and effectively addresses some of the typical issues that are raised. He also explores the challenging issue of naming and recognizing gifts in some form or fashion but closes with a strong statement of the benefits to be derived from the kind of meeting culture he describes.

His further reading list at the end is a useful collection of resources, including An Invitation to Quaker Eldering by Elaine Emily and Mary Kay Glazer. I would also add Peter Blood-Patterson’s recent article in Friends Journal, “Speaking with Spiritual Authority” (June-July 2026).

Davison’s pamphlet should join two other Pendle Hill publications, Marty Grundy’s Tall Poppies and Adria DiCapua’s Embracing Spiritual Gifts, as an excellent resource for meeting communities and for Worship and Ministry committees.

Brian Drayton worships with Wellesley (Mass.) Meeting. His latest book, The Gospel in the Anthropocene: Letters from a Quaker Naturalist, appeared earlier this year from Inner Light Books. He blogs at Amorvincat.wordpress.com.