By R. Kevin Johnson I passed a Muslim woman on the street wearing a hijab. She walked quickly with her head down. She acted like she didn’t want to be noticed. She looked scared. Perhaps her fear is justified given…
Barna: American reading habits shape churches, spiritual development
By Jeff Brumley Publishers and marketers are certainly aware that Americans, thanks to smart phones and tablets, are reading fewer and fewer paper books these days. But pastors and other church leaders need to track those trends as well, the…
Seminaries, spiritual formation and personal story
By Ron Crawford I am indebted to the thoughtful response of Scott Hudgins to my response to Brett Younger’s original article about seminary education. I will not review these two fine offerings but will extend the conversation. A key point…
There is nothing wrong with seminaries that a disruptive strategy couldn’t fix
By George Bullard In recent times we have witnessed a dialogue around the role and function of seminaries. This dialogue has been generated primarily by people involved in seminaries, divinity schools and other forms of higher education. Thus, their perspective….
How seminaries form ministers: a much-needed conversation
By Scott Hudgins A recent column by Brett Younger, an associate professor at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology, raises important questions about the changes in theological education, especially the emergence of exclusively online programs that are often described as…
Seminaries forging a future
By Ron Crawford A response to “Seminaries reluctantly selling their souls,” by Brett Younger. So, I bought the microwave oven anyway! Typically, my wife and I reach a consensus before we make major purchases; in the early 1980s a microwave…
Are seminaries ‘selling their souls’?
Brett Younger, associate professor of preaching at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta, is one of the best writers in Baptist life today.He is at his best when writing satirical, humorous columns on the church and its various…
Excellence eludes pastors not passionate about vision
By George Bullard Early in my ministry I served on the national missions staff of my denomination. These were wonderful years. I served with a group of highly committed staff with a deep passion for helping leaders, congregations and local…
Fighting poverty about more than serving meals, advocates say
Lauren Sturdy and Jeff Brumley Imagine standing on a riverbank looking up at a roaring waterfall, watching as person after person washes over the edge, plunges into the water and drowns. A caring person has two options — pull them…