Twitter was abuzz last week when Scott Aniol took to the platform to dump cold water on a woman who was celebrating her pastoral ministry degrees. Aniol wrote, “Theological seminaries should not be giving women degrees in pastoral ministry. Full…
Best known as an author, Gary Chapman also served the same Baptist church for 50 years
Gary Chapman is best known for writing the bestselling book Five Love Languages, but he also has served a local congregation — the same congregation — for 50 years. He recently retired from full-time ministry but hasn’t retired from carrying…
Twister blows up a crisis in the BubbaDoo’s family
I’m used to the phone ringing at odd hours. Or at least as used to that as you get. Nothing about the sacred call upon a minister’s life for vocational work completely smooths over untimely interruptions. If the call comes…
Pastors, speak your truth while you still have time
“Make your peace with being honest in ministry today. Don’t wait until you’re older or find the ‘perfect’ church. If you aren’t honest today, you may never make it that far.” I was a youth minister when my pastor and…
Longitudinal study of 50 clergy approaches the 10-year mark
Embracing and implementing intuitive and redemptive approaches to ministry is the goal of an ecumenical and national study that has tracked the faith and professional development of 50 ministers for a decade. Eileen Campbell-Reed and Christian Scharen, co-directors of the…
Nine chapters that summarize how I got from there to here
When we became the co-pastors of Park Road Baptist Church in 2000, we were introduced to the Park Road Clergy, an informal fellowship of six churches within about a mile of our office. For 20 years, six pastors have met…
TV news career prepared pastor for hectic ministry life
The directors of television newscasts lead intense, even frantic professional lives. They work long, caffeinated hours weaving together the up-to-the-minute contributions of producers, photographers and anchors into — they hope — coherent broadcasts. It’s much the same as shepherding a congregation, says Erica Van Brakle, a veteran of TV news production-turned-American Baptist pastor.