Every January, churches begin promoting fitness and wellness programs with the best of intentions. The flyers promise renewal, discipline and a fresh start, all spiritual-sounding words. The messaging suggests we can honor God with our bodies through diet and exercise….
AI is coming for your pastor and your trust
In this new year, an unexpected presence will slip into many church sanctuaries, quietly and almost politely: A line in the sermon that began as a chatbot prompt. A prayer drafted by an AI tool because the volunteer who normally…
Six insights I learned from women in ministry
“What is your story of serving as a woman in ministry?” We asked this question to nearly 100 women ordained by Baptist churches in Atlantic Canada over the past 50 years as part of the Called to Serve research project. Their responses surprised,…
Religious groups seek to prevent holiday immigration raids
A coalition of religious groups has asked a federal court to prevent federal immigration agents from raiding houses of worship during the holiday season. The plaintiffs in New England Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, et al., v. Department of…
Why I missed the luncheon
Today, I was supposed to attend a luncheon celebrating passage of “Trey’s Law” in Texas and Missouri this year. Instead, I was trapped in a Dallas County courtroom on a panel of potential jurors for a child sexual abuse case….
On being ‘just Christian’
A couple years ago, when I first moved to Wisconsin, I joined a local megachurch Bible study that wasn’t attached to my church. Despite attending a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod congregation, I found Wisconsin was generally bereft of young folks…
The early church would be shocked we’ve stopped feeding the hungry
Churches get reputations. Some churches are known for their sense of community. Congregations that focus on friendship are fun — lots of parties, traditions and food. People in these churches tend to weigh more. We gain weight at potluck dinners….
Churches must resist polarization as a path to reducing violence
Churches are an essential part of responding to violence in America, beginning with emphasizing Jesus’ commandment to love our enemies. Preachers must stop calling down hellfire on those who disagree with them, and instead acknowledge that everyone is our brother…
Healing our divisions
The crisis in our public discourse is hard to deny. A staggering 93% of Americans feel incivility is a problem and more than two-thirds feel it is a major problem. Moreover, incivility is not just a matter of how we…
Why is there a rooster on the steeple?
Most Christian churches in the Southeastern United States, especially in Alabama, where I was raised, have crosses on the steeples of their churches. During my sabbatical in 2012, prompted by the Celtic crosses on the campus of First Baptist Church…
A third letter accuses Baylor of threatening academic freedom
The kerfuffle over Baylor University’s rejection of a $634,000 grant for academic research now has produced a third public letter of concern, this time focused on a perceived threat to academic freedom. The two earlier letters, as reported by BNG,…
7 organizational pitfalls that keep churches stuck
A veteran airline pilot once told me, “Even the most advanced aircraft won’t go anywhere without regular course corrections.” The same is true of churches. While rooted in timeless truth, churches must constantly assess whether they’re still aligned with their…