I am in my tenth year as a solo pastor. In that time, I have led our congregation through a lot of changes. Our first Sunday together, I candidated for a down and out congregation that had just moved into a newly renovated space. They had already offered the pastorate to someone else, who had… Continue reading My Advice to Future Pastors
Category: Ministry Connections
Too Casual?
I am all for casual dress. I am a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy during the week. I like to be comfortable. I love my driving caps, and my pair of bright red Converse All-Stars. I do not, however wear those things when I am ministering publicly. That's not to say I somehow transform… Continue reading Too Casual?
Just a Pause
In January of 1776, a small book by a recent immigrant to America took the colonies by storm. Entitled Plain Truth Addressed to the Inhabitants of America Containing Remarks on a Late Pamphlet entitled Common Sense, the pamphlet was published in all the major cities of the colonies and in short order was found virtually… Continue reading Just a Pause
Eleven Things You Need to Understand about Your Pastor
Lyn Swenson is one of our dear friends and a veteran of decades of ministry in Japan. He is a member of our congregation and a voice always worth hearing. This Sunday, after the worship gathering Lyn handed me a newsletter from First Baptist Church, Portland, Maine. The newsletter included something that Pastor Keith Moore… Continue reading Eleven Things You Need to Understand about Your Pastor
Hillbilly Preachers, Homosexuals and Speaking Grace
A video of a North Carolina pastor was making the rounds of the internet recently. Pastor Charles L. Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church begins a diatribe on placing "lesbins, q-u-weers, and hom-o-sessuals" (that's how he pronounces the words) in what amounts to concentration camps so they will die out. The video has over a… Continue reading Hillbilly Preachers, Homosexuals and Speaking Grace
Worth Reading
Churchleaders.com had a great article on the vulnerability of pastors. Worth reading.
All in the Family?
A couple of days ago, I wrote a blog on Commodus, the Roman emperor who inherited his rule from his father Marcus Aurelius. My original intention had been to write about choosing people who are qualified rather than people you are close to but somehow I got sidetracked. This entry from Out of Ur got… Continue reading All in the Family?