Dr. Smith was also a consummate churchman. He was the first stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) – a position he held for 16 years. In 2000 he was elected to be the moderator of their General Assembly. Dr. Smith loved and still loves the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. He... Continue Reading

“Please pray for the peace of God that surpasses all understanding for Lance and Rachel and all of the children,” Abigail’s uncle said. “Abigail loved Christ with all her heart, and we know that she is with Him now. While we are left here in grief and sorrow, we cling to Christ’s promises that Abigail... Continue Reading

After twelve years of service, six of these as our Executive Director, Dr. Tim Lane has resigned from CCEF. Dr. David Powlison has been appointed as CCEF’s new Executive Director.  Dr. Powlison has been a leading voice in biblical counseling for nearly 30 years as an author, counselor, and professor. He has written numerous articles on counseling and ministry.... Continue Reading

Derek Thomas posted on his Facebook page that he has been called as Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church (ARP) of Columbia, S.C., on Sunday, August 11, 2013. Honored and deeply humbled by the news this morning that I have been elected Senior Minister at the historic First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC. [Editor’s note: the... Continue Reading

A bill under consideration would assure that employees insured under church plans could use the same tax credits offered to people on government exchanges. In June, Democratic Senators Mark Pryor (Ark.) and Chris Coons (Del.) introduced the Church Health Plan Act of 2013 aimed at allowing church employees to apply for tax credits. More than 1 million pastors and... Continue Reading

A “bad” relationship and “messy” divorce point to the great fear that spurs the wedlease idea. Marriage carries inconvenience and dissatisfaction. People get hurt, make mistakes, and inflict harm. The modern West has stripped away safeguards against the all-consuming self. Easy divorce, lax cultural expectations, and enshrined fulfillment pave the way for social disassociation. It... Continue Reading

I will admit that some smaller churches are so far down the life-cycle and so dysfunctional that they are unlikely to ever turn around, but I also know that there are many smaller churches that are just praying that someone will come to lead them who believes in them. When such a person accepts the... Continue Reading

Minutes before my wife’s mastectomy, the surgeon called me into the prep area with unbelievable news: A routine blood test had revealed that Carol was pregnant with our third child. Experts from around the country advised us to terminate the pregnancy to give my wife the best chance for survival. We politely declined their advice,... Continue Reading

Why was it that I was feeling this constant urge to get away from my children if I loved them so much? Add to that the sincere Christian desire to live a life of self-sacrifice for the sake of the well-being of others and one has a recipe for burnout. The guilt led me into... Continue Reading

Dr. Davies’ election as successor to Dr. Jensen thrusts the 62-year-old archbishop-elect into the international Anglican spotlight, making him one of the de facto leaders of the conservative renewal movement of the Anglican Communion – and arguably the most influential “white” archbishop in the Communion after the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.   The Diocese... Continue Reading