Cathie Caimano and Loren Richmond, Jr. talking about Q2 Substack Seminary
I. Now enrolling for Q2 of Substack Seminary
A. What is it?
An experimental, entrepreneurial space to reimagine and reinterpret ministry in the 21st century.
Described as a networking, support, and training group - a “clubhouse” for ministers who don’t fit the institutional mold, even if currently serving within it.
Referred to as “a place where you’re not weird, you’re early” and a “home for orphaned pastors.”
B. Program Structure
A year-long program divided into quarters.
Each quarter is a short, intense period (about seven weeks) focused on a theme and weekly topics, followed by a time off.
People can enroll at the start of any quarter (e.g., Q2, Q3, Q4, Q1 for a full year).
Q1 was the first quarter; Q2 will have more structure, homework, and interaction to “stretch people from where they are.”
II. Theme for Q2: Sustainability
The main theme for Quarter 2 is sustainability, focusing on “A business model for your ministry.”
Key questions to be discussed include:
What do you charge for your ministry?
How can your ministry be sustainable for your life and the ministry itself?
What is the transformation or “good news” you are hoping to bring to people (What’s your ‘why’?)
III. Expected Outcomes and Benefits of Substack Seminary
A. Expected Outcomes for Members
Developing a roadmap and framework for their own ministry.
Networking and community with like-minded ministers, leading to potential collaborations and bartering for services.
Training and being challenged to bring their vision to fruition.
B. Personal Benefits Shared by the Hosts
Loren Richmond, Jr. shared that the program helped him find clarity on what he wants and doesn’t want to do (e.g., realizing he doesn’t want to be a solo lead pastor, but is still excited about pastoral care).
Cathie Caimano emphasized the goal of helping “orphaned ministers find their way back to ministry joy”—releasing stress from institutional collapse, money worries, and overwork to focus on what they are called to do.
The community addresses the sense of loneliness in entrepreneurial ministry.
IV. Ministry Identity and Naming
The conversation shifts to the importance of naming one’s ministry (the starting point for Q2).
A. The Power of a Name: A ministry’s name is both descriptive and prescriptive, guiding actions and shaping the story.
B. Personal Examples of Prescriptive Names:
Cathie Caimano’s ministry, Free Range Priest, came from a nickname that shaped her unique relationship with her church (serving as a consultant rather than a traditional rector).
Loren Richmond, Jr. was called a “new era pastor.”
Other Substack Seminary members’ names: Sierra Ward: St. Jacob’s Church (where they wrestle with God), Richard Hussong: No Lost Sheep, and Thea Curry-Fuson: She Believes.
C. Ministry vs. Church: It is crucial for ministers to understand “you are not your church” and that their ministry has its own mission, distinct from any single congregation they may serve.
V. Challenging the Institutional Model
Substack Seminary is seen as a space to discuss how to build something new and is a “laboratory for what is being born into the future of church.”
A. Institutional Critique: The old model of church is described as “not working” and sometimes “structured against growth,” often leading to pastors being underpaid and overburdened with administrative tasks.
B. Reclaiming Focus: The hosts advocate for “getting rid of the stuff,” such as unnecessary and time-consuming board meetings, to focus instead on living life with God and each other in community.
C. Equipping Others: The role of the minister is seen as an “connector and a developer” who equips the congregation to use their God-given gifts for ministry in the community, rather than being the sole provider/performer of ministry.
VI. Enrollment for Q2
Quarter 2 of Substack Seminary, focusing on sustainability, starts April 13th.
Enrollment is at the “founder level” (called Enrollment) for $600 a year.
