Nearly one in four pastors in the United States has been fired or forced to resign from a church at least once (Sande, 2022). Some researchers place that figure considerably higher, with estimates ranging from 23 to 41 percent depending on the denomination studied (Tanner, 2012). Perhaps most sobering, approximately 4,100 pastors leave ministry prematurely …
Continue reading A Plea for Grace in Difficult Pastoral Transitions
The enemy of every church has a favorite strategy, and it’s surprisingly simple: divide and conquer. Internal division creates a potentially fatal vulnerability to our common enemy.
Summer can stress pastors, but churches can support their well-being by protecting family time, offering practical care, and encouraging renewal.
Pastors can shape church memories and futures positively with reflective, identity-affirming, and hopeful final messages grounded in Scripture.
One of my "fathers in the Lord" used to say that every believer needs a spiritual elder, and every pastor needs a pastor. He lived that out, showing me every day that Jesus was real and that He loved me with words and actions that continue to color my walk with the Lord to this …
Note: This essay was originally titled “The Associational Mission Strategist as Spiritual Thermostat” and was presented by the author at the Century Associations Network breakfast as part of the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders (June 11-12, 2023) – New Orleans, Louisiana. Click here to obtain a PDF copy of this …
February 11-14, 2023 It began with a phone call from a friend on Thursday afternoon. He had heard that a spiritual awakening was underway at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. In February 1970, Asbury was the epicenter of a campus revival that impacted hundreds of college and seminary campuses across North America. After reaching out …
First penned twenty years ago for Lifeway.com. the story and message below captured a moment in my life when the act of thanking God became a deeply personal and profound act of faith. I have never viewed my problems in the same way, as each has become a fresh opportunity to trust Him... and to …
While you have begun meeting again as a church, there are dear ones staying at home... they don't believe that there is a need for them to be physically present when the church gathers. They argue that their relationship with God is “private” and no one else’s business. But we know that the gathered church …
A small group of senior adults met early at the church on Sunday mornings to pray for the classes and worship services that would follow. Theirs was a ministry of prayer for the pastors, deacons, Sunday School teachers, and workers who would soon be filling the church hallways and walkways. One week they invited me …
Continue reading How Every Ministry in the Church is to Fulfill the Great Commission