In undergrad I took a reading course on Church history. Our reading list involved a great variety of texts from early Christian primary sources to comprehensive histories of the crusades, Reformation, and more. Yet in the thousands of pages of Church history, the name Sanders never crossed my…
“Giving their lives in the same direction.” These were the words my friend and fellow ECS alum Nathan Cachiaris said to me as we talked about the subject of mentoring several weeks ago. I’d told Nathan I was writing an article for the Ministry Resource Center on mentoring. Toward the…
My steps have been captured by the slogan, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things love.” And this slogan is only worth saying if my essentials list is short. If I decide that all my convictions are essentials, then it would be simpler if I just didn’t use the slogan. Colloquially, I say, “If we can arrive in eternity to find out which of us was right, then our disagreement might have been important, but it clearly wasn’t essential.”
As a federal holiday approaches when we will recognize the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is important to remember that he is the first and only clergy person to be so honored. Most of us are familiar with some, if not all of his…
“In this book I argue that we should acknowledge a through line that stretches from the positive portrayal of female disciples in the Gospels to the work of female disciples in our own contexts. We should invite these stories into our conversations and allow them to inform our…
There are no perfect churches, no perfect church leaders, and no perfect church leadership bodies. I guess I knew that on some level, over 30 years ago, when Christ’s vocational ministry through me began. Nonetheless my excitement for ministry and lack of experience allowed…
This book review talks about the death of a family member due to mental illness. If you or someone you know are struggling with mental illness or suicidal thoughts, help is available. My very first funeral as a minister was…
How can we talk about church finances in a healthy way? Let’s face it, it is a sensitive topic to bring up in a church. Having said that, in the past twelve years, hundreds of congregations in the United States have permanently closed their doors due to lack of funds.
It feels weird to have been at this work long enough to actually have some perspective. But the calendar doesn’t lie! This year marks 43 years in ministry, and in December I will step down from a 28-year ministry with Hopwood Christian Church in Elizabethton, TN. On to more adventures!…
Researcher Matt Bloom begins Flourishing in Ministry, his work on pastoral wellbeing, with the story of Carolyn. Carolyn discovered a love for theology and ministry in college and switched vocational paths from medicine to ministry. Her time in…
