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…
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…
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….
Church in the checkout line
By Amy Butler As the median age in my home is currently 16, I was the only one awake last Saturday morning at 7:00. I decided to make the most of the time and go grocery shopping. Grocery shopping at…
Bivocational ministry is a thing of great beauty
Jack was the bivocational pastor of the church I attended in Pennsylvania when that church licensed me to ministry as a step towards my ordination. Dale was the bivocational national leader for bivocational ministries among Baptists. Glenn was the bivocational…
It floats (or what it’s like being on Satan’s payroll)
Whenever I’m asked to describe my job as a professional Christian, I usually stammer something along the lines of: “I talk about God for a living.” Or, if I’m feeling especially cynical: “It’s mostly marketing, some plagiarism, and a bit…
Thinking outside the seminary
Seminary on $3 per day? I had a great seminary experience in the 1970s. I matriculated for nine years, and earned three degrees. The total cost I paid for my seminary education was under $10,000, which was just less than…
The Bible-denying racist liberal homophobe
The past year, like every year in Christian history, has seen significant amounts of Christian conflict. Consider the vitriol that spewed from the mouths of liberal and conservative Christians alike after multiple landmark Supreme Court decisions. Liberal Christians called (some)…
Flying blind
By Bill Wilson In flight, spatial disorientation is the condition in which a pilot’s perception of direction does not match reality. It typically results from flying into poor weather conditions with low or no visibility. Under these conditions the pilot…
The shocking un-truth about church budgets
By Amy Butler This is, hands down, the least favorite time of year for pastors everywhere: church budget planning season. Nobody likes budget planning, from the tedious work it entails to the way in which money necessarily informs the work…