A newly released Pira Survey of the Biblical texts reveals the real reasons why the unchurched do not attend church and the results are sending shockwaves through the seeker-driven and missional camps. Chris Rosebrough, lead researcher for Pira, the organization responsible for this Biblical survey said, “For decades the conventional wisdom in the broader church growth and missional... Continue Reading

“He had lost everything,” the Rev. Morgan Roberts said, … “He had lost his position. He had lost his reputation, which was huge in the denomination. Fortunately he hadn’t lost his marriage….” Mulder himself says, “What I did was terribly wrong. It was a violation of my marriage vows, my ordination vows. I will always... Continue Reading

On the blog NonProphet Status, and now in the book, Stedman calls for atheists and the religious to come together around interfaith work. It is a position that has earned him both strident — even violent — condemnation and high praise. Stedman talked with RNS about how and why the religious and atheists should work... Continue Reading

Dr. Sills claims the movie makes a “reductionist argument that the war was over slavery,” and says that this “is tantamount to saying the Iraq and Afghanistan wars…were over petroleum.”  That is laughable.  Here’s the main difference: Southern leaders and secession documents both state that the war was indeed over slavery.      It should... Continue Reading

What is the legacy of a great church leader? Is it his books? Is it his blogs or his podcasts? Is it the recording of his sermons? Is it his inspirational life story? ….It might indeed involve any or all of these; but surely above all else the legacy of the church leader is his... Continue Reading

All of us are haunted by the work under the work—that need to prove and save ourselves, to gain a sense of worth and identity. But if we can experience gospel-rest in our hearts, if we can be free from the need to earn our salvation through our work, we will have a deep reservoir... Continue Reading

Preaching is extremely important, but having a charismatic and gifted speaker is not the stand-alone element you need to grow your church—or turn it around. Preaching is a core element of the church, but focusing on preaching alone—or trying to find a talented communicator—is not the answer to church growth.     There’s a lot... Continue Reading

I propose that every time a congregation in the United States calls a pastor from another country, that congregation …also send back some form of subsidy to the communion that lost its minister to the United States. Monetary assistance would be one form…U.S. Reformed and Presbyterians might also consider sending to other Reformed communions…young ministers... Continue Reading

Every Christian and every church already has a creed in the sense that they all “think the Bible means something and that its teaching can be summarized” in different words. “The only difference is whether one writes the confession down, so that others may scrutinize it and judge whether its teaching is consistent with Scripture,... Continue Reading

With all branches of the government, including the courts, stridently working to maintain its acquired powers, there seems to be little to protect the American people from the fast-growing electronic surveillance state. Making matters worse, Congress has chosen to dig the hole even deeper. The Senate is set to vote on a bill which will... Continue Reading