I have been in full time ministry for 24 years. Wow. That doesn’t seem possible. Actually, that is almost half my life. Mostly, I am grateful for every second — even the most challenging moments have taught me more about…
Gone fishin’: The SBC and me
Recently I came across an excellent article in Baptist News Global about cooperation (or lack thereof), among Southern Baptists in how we present Jesus Christ as the only hope for the spiritually lost and dying residents of our planet. Derek…
My hybrid church
Let me tell you about my church. My church meets every Friday from noon until around 6:30 p.m. My church has no pews but plenty of folding tables and chairs as well as boxes and bins filled with groceries. My…
No one ever talks about how hard it is to come back from sabbatical
“You should go on sabbatical more often,” said Marijane on her way out of church last Sunday. She noticed what others had too. I was preaching with more energy, like back when I was first called to Northside six years…
Still a high and holy calling
I want to say a word on behalf of a sometimes overlooked category of ministry. I refer to the Baptist pastor who maintains a sense of God’s calling to ministry and serves God and people faithfully, month by month, year…
The Jesus Room
The Jesus Room lies in the bowels of Richmond’s cavernous First Baptist Church, one of those stately old churches that takes up most of a city block. It’s a part of the basement floor of the church, comprising a community…
Our untapped treasure
Do you know any old ladies? I mean the ones gerontologists refer to as the “old-olds”? They are in their late 80s, their 90s and even 100s. With our advancing technologies and expanding life spans, there are more of them…
This church’s ministry is on the move
A North Carolina church has tapped into a mission field it hopes other congregations might emulate by helping people on the move. A pastor and volunteers at Circle of Mercy in Asheville say the church’s moving ministry combines muscle power,…
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…