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,…
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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,…
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…
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…
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…
How are the practices of ministry understood and how are they learned? Is there an organizing principle for all the functions of ministry, or do…
Brooks Holifield of Candler School of Theology has offered a monumental service to the church in his comprehensive and richly documented history of clergy in…
If you will be moving to a new congregation this summer, keep in mind the importance of ending your ministry well at your current location.…
The Washington Post recently published a series of in-depth stories on each of the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. The feature article on former Baptist…
Having attended a workshop on transitioning into a new appointment, I kept remembering the stress put on the importance of your “first official day.” “You…
Self-care is a key to staying fresh and creative in ministry over the long haul according to Jim Somerville. I’ve been an ordained minister for…
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., writes clergy must focus clearly and passionately on those they are serving now, rather than hoping for something better in the…
David McAllister-Wilson recommends Jackson Carroll’s book about pastoral excellence that draws from sociological research and interviews with pastors. “Tend your career with care. Take the…
Margaret Marcuson discusses the tension between individuality and togetherness for church leaders using the metaphor of a string quartet. Leaders straddle the tension between togetherness…
Ann Michel discusses how decades of ordination of women has led to progress with regard to the understanding of women’s leadership, but challenges remain. This…
Dwight Zscheile outlines how the paradigm of pastoral leadership has changes over the centuries, suggesting that today’s leaders must reclaim the task of leading through…
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., discusses excellence in pastoral leadership in terms of character, competence, and contribution. These are necessary for fruitful leadership. “What is your…
Lawrence W. Farris has written Ten Commandments for Pastors New to a Congregation, a guide for clergy in their early months and years in a…
This article is reprinted by permission from Leading Ideas, a free e-newsletter from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary available at churchleadership.com.