At least 100,000 American pastors should be clamoring for help. But they aren’t. They seem to have dropped out. Is this one reason why 80 percent of churches remain on plateau or in decline? Why have so many pastors just given up? I have seen two likely causes.   Over the past five years, my... Continue Reading

More and more, it’s critically important to be able to identify dangerous, destructive pastors BEFORE everything falls apart. Few things cause Christians to become disillusioned more than being ripped to pieces by a really bad pastor. Few things do more to sully the name of Jesus more than abusive spiritual leaders.   Over the last year, I’ve... Continue Reading

Our culture is in a heated debate over the nature of marriage and sexuality, which puts the church in a unique position to express God’s design. God designed men, women and children to flourish when we live according to His will for marriage and sexuality, but this is one of the most obvious stress points... Continue Reading

Of course, there is more you can do. Ask your pastor about good books on suffering, and ask others what is most helpful to them when the problems of the day seem overwhelming. You can always grow in your love and words. Expertise is not what makes you an adequate helper; faith, love, and your... Continue Reading

“Bill had no contradiction in saying that he elevated the worth of women in the church. He did. The contradiction comes when the idea of recognizing the value of women is explored as a reflection of what God gives. It does not appear that Bill came from that perspective.”   On the surface the greatest... Continue Reading

Lauren Manza, who identifies as lesbian, was unabashed in criticizing the Bible itself. She too grew up in a conservative family, and felt conflict with her upbringing. When speaking on same-sex marriage and the verses that traditionalists use to argue against it she said, “I believe if I sat down with Paul today, Paul would... Continue Reading

On the eve of the 2018 GLS, they admitted in a special congregational meeting that church leaders had failed to appropriately handle recent allegations of sexual misconduct against their founding pastor. Lead pastor Heather Larson announced that she was resigning immediately. The church’s elder board announced that its member would also step down in an... Continue Reading

You ought to be able to say yes to every one of these questions. A “no” to any of them is a serious warning sign that, at the very least, now is most likely not the time to attend seminary and pursue ministry. If you’re already in ministry, these questions may help you conclude that... Continue Reading

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and they weren’t listening to anything you were saying? You can see the exact moment they shut down. They have already figured out what they were going to say, and anything else you might say is not relevant. I think it is a problem for pastors. We... Continue Reading

I am conscious that Calvin’s comments may not be fully appreciated by all of my readers. We typically have a much lower view of the church in the twenty-first century than John Calvin did in the sixteenth. We tend to see the church as optional, salvation as private, and worship as personal and individualistic.  ... Continue Reading