Pastoral Leadership

“I have been devouring news and studies of churches and other organizations that are poised to move positively in the future. These organizations are not succumbing to the inevitability of life getting worse and organizational health deteriorating…. they are looking up and looking around to see the new paths and the new possibilities in this new reality.” - Thom Rainer

“When asked by Barna about how concerned they were that the election will impact their church, 33% of respondents said they were ‘very concerned,’ while 41% said ‘somewhat concerned.’” - CPost

“Despite passage of a local mask mandate this summer, Van Noy said he was ‘exercising his freedom’ by not observing it. He told congregants he wasn’t suggesting they disobey laws, but said, ‘In this case, we can peacefully and biblically resist, without violation of the Godly standards we submit ourselves to.’” - C. Leaders

“The first is that we’ve backed away from a biblical definition of a leader—humble, gentle, kind, faithful, loving, servant. The kind of character qualities that are in the Timothy passage when it talks about qualifications for elder” - Paul David Trip

“Yes, there has always been the reality of churches mixing in too much politics, but this is different. It’s not necessarily about the pastor being too political, as would be the common claim before our current political climate. Today’s criticism is more focused on what the pastor is not. This usually takes form in two different outrages…” - F&T

“I (Matt Smethurst) recently read Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli’s helpful new booklet, How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics? (Crossway, 2020). It’s an ideal resource for church leaders to recommend and give away to their congregations during a contentious election season. The following 20 quotes caught my attention.” - TGC

“It’s too early to know exactly how vaccinations are going to play out in the church, but I don’t think you have to be an inveterate skeptic to imagine it’s more likely to bring division than unity.

“More than a week after at least 51 members of Calvary Chapel of San Antonio in Texas got infected with COVID-19 since the congregation started meeting in person, the church’s pastor says he takes full responsibility. … adding, ‘We kept all of the rules to the letter of the law.’” - CPost

“If we’re going to help our people, we pastors must cultivate humility. We need to grow in our Christlikeness to help others do the same. So how do we do it? Here are a few ways to cultivate humility in ministry.” - 9 Marks

“We must not misunderstand the injunction against being quarrelsome. Clearly, by both precept and example, Paul did not envision the ideal pastor as a nice, soft, somewhat passive, universally liked, vaguely spiritual chaplain.