Stewardship is a word often used to describe our relationship with money or material possessions. A steward is someone who manages what belongs to another person, making the most impact for or bringing benefit to the owner. Our leadership roles should be viewed through a stewardship lens.
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (in Marietta, Georgia) received a $5.1 million offering in a single day for Great Commission causes last week, collected to honor outgoing senior pastor Bryant Wright and his wife Anne for 38 years of service. It’s typical of the Wrights to deflect any honor to them...
Thanksgiving has been steamrolled by Christmas. When I returned to my home airport after a one-day trip, this became evident in a fresh way. Overnight, the Christmas decorations have been installed and greeted me upon my return…on November 6! That’s too early for Christmas.
The challenges of men and women working together in ministry leadership are at the forefront of discussions in churches and ministry organizations today. Most of the conversations veer to the negative – harassment claims, abuse recovery, arguments over roles, etc. That’s unfortunate...
This week, I am speaking at multiple churches, schools, and other events in South Korea. These events are the result of more than 20 years of developing significant friendships in the Korean Baptist community – both here and in Korea.
While swapping stories with another ministry veteran, we shared some of the best advice we received when we were starting out as pastors. My friend told me, “A mentor put his arm around me one day and whispered, ‘Develop thick skin, but keep a tender heart.’”
At the Power of Our Pride Presidential Town Hall last week in Los Angeles, presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke made an interesting statement. The event was sponsored by The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the world's largest civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and...
Early Sunday morning, an email hit my inbox from a pastor announcing Jesus had told him to write a letter demanding President Donald Trump be impeached. He sent me the letter and wanted my support for his campaign. Any guess what the theme of his message was later that day?
Baseball has been part of the backdrop of my life. Playing as a young man and then coaching, umpiring, and administrating in various leagues has given me countless opportunities for sharing the gospel and serving people. For ten years, my baseball ministry culminated in my service as the...
Last week, Union Theological Seminary in New York had a chapel service in which they confessed their sins against plants to a collection of plants placed on the stage...