Affirming and Improving Clergy Effectiveness
Clergy effectiveness is on the mind of virtually every denominational leader today. Indeed, many judicatories have initiatives underway to define, assess, and improve clergy effectiveness.…
Browsing: Pastoral Ministry
Articles
New Tool to Help Clergy Get Feedback
The Lewis Center has worked with hundreds of clergy, and we know that clergy want to improve. But often they do not feel they have…
The Importance of Clergy Mentoring
The early years of ministry are often beset with predictable anxieties and questions. Even with the best of seminary training, new pastors quickly discover that…
Clergy Mentor Resources Available
Research and experience both point to the importance of clergy mentoring, particularly in helping those in the early years of ministry. But clergy mentors indicate…
Authenticity in Leadership
When I walk into a church, I can tell almost immediately if the leader is authentic, transparent, and warm. If so, the entire congregation exudes…
Helping Families Cope during Pastoral Transitions
We are often unaware of the grieving that goes on in our families and our congregations around times of transition. Spouses, for example, may feel…
Leading the Small Membership Church
Small membership churches have a history of making do without a lot of leadership from persons outside. Many were started by laypersons gathered in homes,…
Clergy Health — A Mixed Portrait
Studies of clergy beginning in the 1700s consistently found that clergy lived longer than other professionals. But by the middle of the twentieth century something…
Supporting Younger Clergy
I had the privilege of being with the national United Methodist camp and retreat leaders who gathered in California recently. One of the things I…
Passing the Mantle: Crisis or Opportunity?
Four years ago a new bishop came to serve our area. For the first time in my ministry, I was older than my bishop! Around…
