On Aug. 27, Alexander Lang preached his last sermon at First Presbyterian Church in Arlington Heights, Ill. A few days later, he wrote a column titled “Departure: Why I Left the Church.” Since then, I have seen Lang’s column shared…
On the other side of the pandemic, the report from America’s churches is mixed
Increases in attendance, giving and participation, and a decline in internal squabbling, may signal America’s churches are emerging from the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, new research shows. But the study — “Back to Normal? The…
‘Who sets the temperature in the sanctuary?’ and other questions pastor candidates ought to ask
After seminary, I was coming to the end of my one-year residency as a hospital chaplain. I was a few months from unemployment and had turned up the heat on finding a position. After a miserable experience in a church…
An interview with James MacDonald
Love him or hate him, James MacDonald is one thing for sure: A larger-than-life symbol of the stress and perils of leading a gigachurch — a role he now believes is impossible. Among evangelical pastors, MacDonald is both revered and…
The shift from positional power to relational power
You and I see it almost daily: A person doesn’t know when to let go of their position of power. A father or mother, high executive or low manager, a lay or professional leader, a bus driver or bus mechanic….
Year in review: Practical helps for clergy and lay leaders
Clergy and church lay leaders make up an important subset of BNG’s regular readers, and our content reflects this as we often present articles addressing the inner workings of church life. These include both news articles and opinion pieces written…
Gallup documents the role and influence of chaplains
American adults who have been served by chaplains hail the ministers for providing compassionate and effective care during some of the most difficult moments of life, a new study shows. “Most people say the interaction they had with a chaplain…
Colorado Springs clergy speak out against religious hate speech that leads to violence
In a city mainly known as home to highly influential evangelical ministries that preach against the LGBTQ community, more than 50 clergy have co-signed a letter calling for an end to religious hate speech. The letter from Colorado Springs, Colo.,…
New Baylor study finds pastors not as well trained in trauma care as they need to be
Most pastors believe their education prepared them to address the trauma of grief caused by a death, but the majority say their training did not prepare them to address other forms of trauma, including public health crises and sexual assault….