Leaders who understand their role as shepherds do not peer down at their people from a holy hayloft and drop an occasional bale of sustenance in the form of a finely-crafted homily. Neither do they allow their flocks to live in false peace. Shepherd leaders live among their people and pay “careful attention … to... Continue Reading

“Working multiple jobs is nothing new to pastors of small, rural congregations. But many of those pastors never went to seminary and never expected to have a full-time ministerial job in the first place. What’s new is the across-the-board increase in bi-vocational ministry in Protestant denominations both large and small, which has effectively shut down... Continue Reading

“According to the newspaper, school president Jim Montgomery has confirmed the closing, but declined to comment further pending the issuance of an official statement. Chamberlain Hunt Academy is an old school and has roots in Oakland College, which became Alcorn State after Oakland was sold to the state of Mississippi when it was unable to... Continue Reading

There are always a number of people who have gifts of mercy and are relationally strong in helping others with wise counsel. Often, they have gained these skills and character qualities through the hard knocks of life. You know who they are because people talk about how they have been helped by them.   The... Continue Reading

The Spirit impressed upon me that I must be that “servant” (singular) who stands faithfully in the breech on behalf of the church God has brought me to serve.  I am to follow the model of the Servant Intercessor, who pleads day and night for His church. My very call as a pastor is one of prayer... Continue Reading

“It started with attending pastors’ conferences. They featured well-known pastors of large churches, but average pastors were never invited to share their experiences. These events were all about success and getting results. I was in the middle of a painful season of ministry. I needed something that wouldn’t discourage me or add to my spiritual... Continue Reading

  It is now excruciatingly clear we live in a time where some people who have political power are on a crusade against people who, in their view, commit moral thought crime. A religious college loses all reason for existence if it must conform to a diametrically opposite moral code….If a religious school cannot act... Continue Reading

“Many church members have contact with the unchurched every week, if not every day. They go to school with them, work with them, live beside them – and sometimes live with them. What church folks don’t do, though, is see the unchurched as “sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36), as spiritual beings in need of... Continue Reading

His letter listed three reasons for his resignation. “The ongoing narrative from the president’s office presents interpretations of facts that differ significantly and regularly from what I believe to be true,” Phillips wrote. “Second, I do not believe I could contribute anything substantive to the board that would be heard. … Third, the president indicated... Continue Reading

The political repercussions are complex. The answers are not simple. However, the humanitarian need is also complex, and these are children, not pawns in a political debate.  If many conservatives are joining the anti-child lobby, I would call upon Christians to come out from them and be separate. If you are pro-family, contribute to a... Continue Reading