Are You Stuck? Let's talk with author Todd Ferguson
Gather with colleagues and the guy who wrote the book on that feeling - Dr. Todd W. Ferguson, sociologist, pastor, and author of Stuck: Why Clergy Are Alienated from Their Calling, Congregation, and Career... and What To Do About It. Through his groundbreaking research and firsthand experience, Dr. Ferguson explores why so many clergy feel trapped in their ministries—not because of burnout or a loss of faith, but due to systemic challenges within the profession.
Hosted at Crieff Hills Retreat Centre, our event begins on Sunday night with an intimate evening featuring a farm-to-table dining experience curated by Chef Matthew for a limited number of guests who want to a chance to talk with Todd and others about their experiences. Following dinner, guests will adjourn to Luke House to continue conversation by the fire with drinks and snacks. As the night concludes, guests will retire to their private room with ensuite bathroom to get some rest before the workshop the next day. Monday's breakfast is included.*This is a limited capacity opportunity.
On Monday, we look forward to a larger gathering, as capacity allows, where Todd will lead us in a workshop on his book. The day will include opportunities for discussion and conversation among colleagues as well as the author. We are also featuring a clergy panel reflecting on their impressions of the book's insights. Lunch will be included.If you are able and are looking for an opportunity for a great evening featuring good food and excellent conversation (as well as a night away), register for Sunday and Monday.If you are only available for the day workshop, we'd welcome you to join us! We will wrap up by 3PM at the latest so you can beat the traffic.
Why You Should Register:
Gain practical strategies to address feelings of alienation in ministry
Find insights into how structural forces challenge traditional ministry models.
Participate in meaningful conversations about reshaping ministry for today’s realities.
Be inspired to reconnect with your calling and strengthen your leadership.
Pricing Structure
To accommodate as many interested leaders as possible, we are experimenting with a multitiered pricing. For those purchasing a ticket for Monday's event there are three price options to choose from. You should feel comfortable choosing the level of payment that is appropriate for your situation.
Option A: $100 represents the true cost of the event
Option B and C: $75 and $50 respectively are subsidized rates to help accommodate those who are unable to cover the full cost.
The option you choose in no way affects your experience, but does impact how many subsidies we are able to provide in the future for events like this.
About Todd W. Ferguson
Director of Social Sciences Quantitative Methods Program
Assistant Teaching Professor of Sociology
Rice University
Todd W. Ferguson is a sociologist of religion who specializes in studying congregations and pastors. In his 2022 book STUCK, he analyzed interviews of clergy who no longer wanted to lead their congregations. He and his co-author discovered that it wasn’t psychological burnout or a loss of faith for these pastors. It was the structure of the profession that led to their alienation from their career and calling. These leaders felt that the congregation was no longer the place where they could follow their calling. They wanted out but felt stuck in the ministry.
Todd serves as the Director of the Social Sciences Quantitative Methods Program and an Assistant Teaching Professor of Sociology at Rice University. He leads the undergraduate social statistics curriculum and loves training students to use large amounts of data to make discoveries about our social world.
Todd earned his Ph.D. in Sociology at Baylor University and an M.Div. at Duke Divinity School. Before becoming a sociologist, he was a pastor for a congregation in Houston, Texas.
Todd is married to Emma, a veterinarian, and they have two beautiful children. They live in Houston, Texas.
To find out more about Todd Ferguson, visit his personal website https://www.twferguson.com/
Education
Ph.D. in Sociology (Baylor University)
M.A. in Sociology (Baylor University)
M.Div. (Duke University)
About the Book: STUCK Why Clergy Are Alienated from Their Calling, Congregation, and Career… and What do Do about it.
Stuck is a guide for understanding how and why a traditional approach to ministry does not align with the modern realities facing pastors, congregations, and seminaries. More than simply describing findings from their firsthand research, however, Todd W. Ferguson and Josh Packard offer a new understanding of why professional ministry can be so alienating today.
Stuck shifts the dominant narrative around calling, vocation, and ministry away from a focus on individual traits and characteristics of pastors and congregational leaders and toward a more structural understanding of the social forces that impact modern ministry. The authors focus on the nature of calling; the need for modern, flexible congregational supports; and a different approach to training professional clergy.
Stuck lets pastors who feel stuck know that they're not alone, they're not crazy, and it's not their fault. It helps congregations be more supportive of their clergy. And it participates in the conversation for reshaping seminary training and professional development.