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“Whereas seminary taught me to exegete biblical texts . . . marketplace ministers in general taught me to exegete places such as factories, oil fields, and business offices. I learned that good exegesis of the marketplace involves identifying with marketplace ministers, listening to them to learn as much as possible about their occupation. I discovered a pattern and pastoral strategy: the path to the heart of a marketplace minister begins with demonstrated, genuine, and sustained interest in them and their occupation. There was a correlation between my understanding of marketplace ministers and their ministry, and my ability as a pastor to serve them. And I learned that the latter rarely preceded the former.
“Further, there was a correlation between the effectiveness of my preaching and teaching and the amount of time I spent understanding marketplace issues. When I sat in a hospital worker's office Wednesday, pored over oil-saturated core with a geologist Thursday, or walked the factory floor with ironworkers Friday, people listened differently, more intently, to my preaching Sunday.”
—Ron Toews in Direction, a Mennonite Brethren journal | 
