The ordination ceremony for Abigail Eltzroth happened in Asheville at Jubilee! – a nondenominational faith community – with Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan presiding. Eltzroth, 64, said she is the second woman in North Carolina ordained by the rebel group, called the Association of the Roman Catholic Women Priests   An international group defiantly opposed to... Continue Reading

The goal and benefit of effective church administration is more than simply running things well, it’s communicating to each person in the church that they are valued and important to the life of the church. Each time we work hard to inform, we are communicating: “You are important; we want you to know about this... Continue Reading

“A kind pastor does more than preach, he enters into the lives of those entrusted to his care. He does so without favoritism and guile. He engages with members of the body: the old and the young, the rich and the poor, those who look like him and those who don’t, the confident and the... Continue Reading

Paul told the Ephesian elders, “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:27). He could not simply address his favorite issues but intentionally sought to address the issues of God’s will for sinners and for the redeemed.   I had a conversation with a minister friend who... Continue Reading

In the history of the church the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers has waxed and waned. Indeed, shortly after the death of the apostles a tiered and hierarchical view of the church began to (d)evolve. The loss of the idea of God’s covenantal purposes brought with it a loss of this doctrine and... Continue Reading

“The critical role of catechesis in sustaining the church continued to be apparent to subsequent evangelical trailblazers of the English-speaking world. Richard Baxter, John Owen, Charles Spurgeon, and countless other pastors and leaders saw catechesis as one of their most obvious and basic pastoral duties.”   Historically, the church’s ministry of grounding new believers in... Continue Reading

“Long before Google Maps, GMI began as an innovative way to support the church, helping foreign missionaries become more effective with custom maps, infographics, and other resources. This week, the organization announced that its changing funding structure—underscored by a changing approach to mission—will force it to close.”   Global Mapping International (GMI) will close its... Continue Reading

“Oliveto’s election is historic in that she is the first openly gay bishop of the UMC. Oliveto faced several complaints over her election violating the Book of Discipline, which states that noncelibate homosexuals cannot be ordained.”   The United Methodist Church’s highest court has ruled that a regional body violated the denomination’s rules when they... Continue Reading

The son of a teetotaling mother and a preacher father who drank occasionally and socially, T. B. Welch had taken his mother’s side in the family arguments and been a teetotaler his whole life. Serving alcoholic wine at Communion bothered him greatly, but no acceptable substitute existed that he knew of. His impetus to develop... Continue Reading

No, the actual church isn’t the church in the stock photos. (Not sure what those guys raising their hands out in the middle of wheat fields are doing but I’m fairly certain it does not resemble what takes place in your worship service.) The actual church is a motley crew of sinners who are more... Continue Reading