“The Lion and the three Bulls,” written by the Greek fable writer Aesop: Three bulls lived together for a long time in a pasture. Though they ate and lived side by side, they never spoke with one another. One day…
What churches need to know about the Affordable Care Act
By Gary Skeen With the Health Insurance Marketplace now open, what do church leaders, pastors and administrators need to do to comply with the Affordable Care Act? In planning and evaluating health insurance coverage for the 2014 calendar year, there…
It’s official: the term ‘Mainline Christian’ stinks
It is well established that Mainline Christian denominations are shrinking. According to several prominent Christian practitioners and thinkers, the term “Mainline Christian” officially… well, sucks. That is my interpretation. The indelible Carol Howard Merritt is one of the growing movement of…
Parish priest in post-Christian America
By Bill Wilson Is the minister called to serve the members of the local church exclusively, or is there a larger call to a “parish” that includes all those who live in the geographical reach of the congregation? John Wesley…
Let’s stop gambling on (youth) ministry
When it comes to youth ministry the church has a gambling problem, according to Nashville-based youth expert Mark DeVries. In his important work, Sustainable Youth Ministry, he suggests that the practices of many churches in the work of youth ministry…
Worn-out strategies in sexuality debate
By Cody J. Sanders It matters which questions we choose to ask, and for a long time now, churches have been asking a very limited set of questions about sexuality. Nearly every denomination in the United States — from the…
Don’t be “that” wedding pastor
This video of a pastor at a wedding is getting a lot of attention from sites like CNN and Gawker. Please, pastors, next time don’t be “that” pastor. Do your homework and talk with photographer ahead of time. And, don’t…
This IS America
By Bill Leonard In an interview after the Sept. 16 mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, Dr. Janis Orlowski, senior clinician at the hospital where most victims were treated, declared: “I would like not to be an expert on…
If I am not growing spiritually, should I sue my pastor for malpractice?
Ouch! The question itself raises a variety of emotions; and not all good ones. I posted this question on Facebook to see what responses I would receive. The origin of this question was somewhat different than how it was posed….