When it comes to marriage, I chose wisely. I can readily identify with Churchill’s assessment: “My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.” This week Amanda and I are celebrating our…
Toward a deeper understanding of Baptist ordination
The first thing I learned walking into a job at a Baptist church in West Jefferson, North Carolina was that the frontier of freedom in the Church is found in Baptist life. I was raised United Methodist and pursued ordination…
Remembering John Claypool on the 10th anniversary of his death
I have been told that long before I stepped foot on the campus of Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology the issue of what students ought to call professors was addressed at a staff meeting. At a relatively small school…
7 things I (re)discovered on sabbatical
C.S. Lewis once said that most of us don’t need to be told new things, but rather reminded of old truths. This has certainly been true in my own journey these past few months. On June 1, I entered into…
One year later: The search process revealed
A year ago today, I announced to all my friends that my days of searching for a church were over (at least for the extended future, anyway). After nearly a year of editing resumes, filling out questionnaires, meeting with search…
Pastor, please stop!
By Bill Owen (Note: our plug-in for sharing links is not cooperating today. Please follow the link below to read the story.) http://chchurches.org/pastor-please-stop/ Pastor, please stop! Becoming an effective, emotionally intelligent pastor requires more than delivering a good sermon, making timely…
A parting gift: Rejection from the church
It was my fifth visit to St. George Cathedral at the Alaverdi Monastery. Positioned on the picturesque Alazani River valley of Kakheti, surrounded by vineyards against the backdrop of the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains, the cathedral beckoned me to return. Along…
How do preachers end a sermon?
Several weeks ago, I wrote that it takes nothing short of a miracle for a pastor to write a sermon every week. It is true that sermons are the stuff of miracles, and I stand by my premise. Yet, for…
Thinking beyond stereotypes about bivocational ministry
Because of many unwarranted stereotypes about bivocational* ministry in some denominations, congregations, and Christian cultures or tribes, it is unfortunately seen as second-class ministry. This is overwhelmingly not true. Such a perspective limits the possibilities of innovative congregational staffing patterns…