“While the Episcopal Church has established a continued pattern of steady decline since the early 2000s, the unbroken trend is relatively recent: the church lost only 18,000 members in the 1990s, a plateau that dropped off about the time Gene Robinson of New Hampshire was consecrated the church’s first openly partnered gay bishop. Overall, the... Continue Reading

“Tobler has never quite learned to be obedient. Stubborn to a fault, he remains invincibly ignorant of the meaning of the command come. He will come eventually, of course, but only on his own terms. The biggest problem, however, is that Tobler is an inveterate thief. He loves to steal stuffed animals, socks, and other... Continue Reading

“The church is not to be foolishly optimistic and expect a favorable reception from all men. Christ’s body should not be surprised when the ministry of Christ separates friends and family members. The Prince of Peace, who gives peace to his own people, came not to give peace to the earth. Some will welcome the... Continue Reading

“After learning that Eric was connected to Louise and that Louise and her family were being placed in quarantine because he had fallen ill in her apartment, my first question was, “Could I visit her?” Somehow, instinctively, I sensed that in times like these, the role of a pastor is to be present. I wish... Continue Reading

“God has uniquely gifted every person. Leaders are tasked with seeing those gifts, feeding them, and giving people room to use them to the fullest extent. Micromanagers either cannot or will not do this. They see people as tools to be wielded or foolish sheep to be shepherded. They cannot recognize that the people under... Continue Reading

“The church is to welcome everyone as guests and observers, to hear the gospel preached and taught. The church is not itself, though, to be made up of unrepentant people. That’s why scandalous sin is to be disciplined, and why the Lord’s Table is to be offered only to those in right fellowship with God... Continue Reading

“We are all debtors who cannot pay their debts to God. Yet God has been gracious enough to grant us forgiveness in Jesus Christ. It is no wonder that in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs His disciples to say, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” There is a parallel, a joint movement... Continue Reading

“Jesus says to us today, as he did to Pharisees, if you think yourselves far removed from murderers – you who are free from actual bloodshed – have you not hated, insulted, or wished someone dead? A murderer actually carries out this wish. But you have the same kind of anger as a murderer, and... Continue Reading

“The purpose of this post is to call pastors to see the importance of committing themselves to the church of God, first and foremost–as men who shepherd His flock on a weekly basis; and then, having given themselves to this glorious work, give themselves to theological writing, training and ministry for the well-being of the broader... Continue Reading

“The biggest disappointment is not people who transfer to another church. I’m okay with that if it helps them better grow in their relationship with Christ. I’m talking about people who quit going to church altogether. They are in one day — out the next. What happens to them? Why do they leave?”   One... Continue Reading