pastors

According to new research from the Barna Group, a majority of Christians and nearly 50 percent of the general population believe churches should be offering care and counseling to their communities. Most pastors, though, disagree.

Church leaders are increasingly promoting adoption and foster care for their members even as fewer members are involved in the processes, according to a new LifeWay Research report that surmises the drop may be attributed to the pandemic.

The pastor or church staff member or the chairman of a committee or a church officer has overstayed his/her welcome.

Let’s talk about how to tell.

One church I pastored had a vivid illustration of what happens when a member holds a position so long they begin to “own” it. Behind the church–same block–sat the synagogue. Across the street from the synagogue sat the funeral home, owned by one of our deacons. One day this good man told me, “Preacher, we could have bought the land the synagogue is sitting on for a pittance years ago.”

Our growing church needed additional land, which is why we were having this conversation.

He said, “When the house that used to sit on that property came up for sale, the people wanted $30,000 for it. I was willing to raise the money and buy it. I felt we’d be needing that property in the future.”

“The trouble was that Mr. McClanahan, the church treasurer who had held that job for decades, vetoed it. He said that was just too much money for that piece of land, and we would not pay it.”

“No one, including the preacher, wanted to stand up to McClanahan, so we let it go.”

“And now,” the deacon said, “We can’t touch that piece of ground for a million dollars.”

He was right in that. I’d asked around discreetly and found that out.

A church where I was guest-preaching was in the act of trying to dislodge a church secretary who had held that office since Noah was a little boy. Even though she was in her mid-70s and long overdue for retirement, she would not budge. As the unofficial church boss, the woman would not change her way of doing things, would not agree that the pastor had the right to have an administrative helper who would do what he asked, and would not agree to go away quietly. (I have no idea how it turned out. These things rarely go smoothly.)

So, here are ten signs the person has held this church job too long.

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I can’t begin to tell you how many pastors I’ve engaged over the last three years who are shells of who they once were. And often because their churches are shells of what they once were. In case you haven’t heard, the state of the church since COVID is not good.

Warren, who co-founded Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, in 1980 with his wife, Kay, shared that his condition has challenged his current ministry goals, including wanting all people worldwide to have access to a church and the Bible in their mother tongue.

The home, which is now a retreat center for pastors and missionaries in need of rest, still remains in good condition and contains memorabilia from the Grahams’ young family life, including photos, books, and furnishings.

The recent study by the Barna Group also found a decrease in pastoral confidence in their calling, including their sense of well-being.  

For several weeks, Christians and non-Christians alike on social media have debated video clips by Stanley about homosexuality. Pastor J. D. Greear says Christians must follow the example of Jesus, whose “unstoppable power came from being filled with both grace and truth.”

The church has been a central part of the Christian faith since New Testament times. We are even said to be living in the "Church Age." Today, there is such a wide spectrum of church types, denominations, and ways of conducting a worship service and leading a congregation. The health of the global Church is more important now than ever, and while innovative approaches to church outreach may be helpful, it's of utmost importance to have God's Word, prayer, and clear preaching of the Gospel as central to a church's mission. These 10 Christian leaders, from past and present, offer insight into marks of a healthy church and warning signs that a church is going down the wrong path. Is your church being faithful to the Great Commission and offering Gospel-centered worship each week?

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Half of the Protestant pastors surveyed in a recent poll said they are concerned that the economy is hurting their churches.