Every once in a while, we get a glimpse of the Church doing what it was created for. Any impression or expectation that the Church was – or ever will be – perfect this side of heaven is mistaken. There is plenty of evidence of that in the letters of the Apostle Paul to the … Continue reading When the Church Shines!
We see it time and again. Whether you have been blindsided by a leadership decision or experienced a slow “death spiral” in a ministry role, the spiritual and emotional toll of a forced exit is great. Trauma is not too drastic of a word to use to describe what ministers and their families encounter when … Continue reading Uncovering the Trauma of Forced Ministry Exits
I just finished reading this extremely thought provoking book by Dr. John Koessler, and I highly recommend it for everyone – but especially for the exited pastors among us. The title was what first drew me to purchase the book. It was a mind grabber. However, Dr. Koessler’s ability to be both pastor and theologian … Continue reading The Surprising Grace of Disappointment – Book Review
“Finally, brothers,rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” – 2 Corinthians 13:11 (ESV) “I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.” – George … Continue reading The Restoration Tree – a Parable for Exited Pastors
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”- 1 Timothy 4:16 As part of my duties as a ruling elder in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, I regularly witness ordination exams. We gather at our presbytery meetings and grill the new candidates for … Continue reading The Exited Pastor’s Golden Opportunity
I have lived through hurricanes. When I was much younger, growing up in Florida, there were several times when my family huddled together in our boarded-up home, lighting candles when the power went out and listening to the fury of the passing storm. Once the “all clear” was given, we would step outside to survey … Continue reading Exited Pastors: The Ruined Landscape
In the course of keeping up with all the blogs, articles and postings on Facebook regarding the state of today’s pastors, I am noticing a trend. Most of what I am reading lately can be summed up into two groups: the “here’s the list of things that a pastor should do (or not do) to … Continue reading Peter’s Story – an encouragment to pastors
It's been a busy couple of weeks. (I hate ever saying how busy I am, even if it's the truth.) So I am catching up on my posting and thought I would share a couple of links to some other bloggers that have challenged me over the last few days. The first one comes from … Continue reading In the Meantime…
In part one of this short series, I talked about the need to be aware that conflict is inevitable in ministry. Another component in finding hope in the midst of conflict is the matter of self-awareness. We all enter into our walk with Jesus and into our ministry with a baggage claim in hand. Though … Continue reading Finding Hope in the Midst of Conflict – Part 2
If I were to ask you for the most common reason pastors are exited from their churches, what would be your guess? Lousy theology? Bad work habits? Lack of concern for the members? Drawing from numerous studies conducted over the last 4 decades, the experts agree that conflict – “the ugly pastor/pew rift over how … Continue reading Finding Hope in the Midst of Conflict – Part 1
AN ENCOURAGING WORD 