Deborah Birx knows how to solve America’s rural health care crisis, and it involves faith leaders and congregations. How does she know? Because she fixed Africa’s rural health care problem during the height of the AIDS pandemic, relying every step…
Why are weddings so expensive today and why are so few held in churches?
Thirty-eight years ago this summer, Alison and I said “I do” in a wedding ceremony at our home church in Albuquerque. We splurged and hired trumpeters for the simple ceremony. The crowd of 150 friends and family celebrated with us…
Evangelical leaders beg DeSantis and Florida Legislature not to make them criminals for transporting immigrants to church
A bill designed to make criminals of Floridians who provide transportation or shelter to undocumented immigrants is sending shockwaves through religious communities that minister to immigrants, a group of evangelical ministers say. “More than anything, what this legislation is creating…
What pastors may not say, but really want us to understand
Your pastor wants you to know, but he or she just can’t tell you. Your pastor knows too much transparency can be vocationally dangerous, depending on the level of honesty allowed in your church. At the same time, if you…
In South Africa; money marks churches, mosques as soft targets for armed robbery
It’s a shameless new trend, faith leaders say. It was not usual for armed criminals to storm faith services, rob churches and mosques in South Africa — until now. “There is no holy cow anymore,” said Pastor Drewmore Sikhosana, a…
Dear church people, work toward church vitality
Dear people in churches, When your pastor, church staff and lay leaders try transforming your church into a more vitalized body of Christ, they will inevitably encounter resistance, push back and sometimes attacks and character assassination. Our role is not…
EQ, SQ and MQ are the key to an effective search process
Over the course of the last 14 years, the leadership of the Center for Healthy Churches has assisted hundreds of congregations in their searches for new ministerial leadership. While every one of these search processes is unique and has its…
An invisible wall: How to support your pastor through mental health challenges
I’ll never forget walking into my annual staff evaluation meeting and encountering a roomful of awkward looks. The head of our church’s personnel committee started the meeting off with, “So, do you feel that your … um … anxiety issues…
In Ukraine: ‘We cannot just preach like we did before the war’
Ukrainian pastors have radically adjusted their ministries to meet the physical and spiritual needs of church members and countrymen since Russian forces invaded Ukraine almost a year ago. So says Igor Bandura, a pastor and vice president of the All-Ukrainian…
As more Americans delay health care they can’t afford, it’s time for the church to be a light once again
Imagine facing a medical condition and choosing to do nothing because of money. That was the case for 38% of Americans in 2022, up 12 percentage points from the previous year. According to Gallup, 27% of Americans reported the medical issues…
Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian religious sites are war crimes
Putin’s war machine understands the power of faith and has deliberately sought to destroy Ukrainian churches. Both sides have relied upon Christian themes during the fighting — Putin to justify the unjustifiable and Zelensky to inspire the Ukrainian nation to stand firm in the…
This year, view your church through the lens of a newcomer
A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from a friend seeking a reference for a place for him and his family to worship. His family is living in a suburb about half an hour from the capital city…