Confusing Momentum with Vision
During my presentation to our Board of Trustees which initiated our current presidential transition, I opined many older leaders often confuse vision with momentum. What does this mean and why is it an organizational problem? Effective ministry leaders cast compelling vision for their church or organization and their constituents are enthused by that vision. The […]
Mission Tension
Can you imagine a law passing unanimously in the House of Representatives and with a 97-3 majority in the Senate? It happened in 1996. That law was the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which legally codified the definition of marriage as one man married to one woman. President Clinton signed the law, settling the issue […]
An Outside Perspective
My summer travels included teaching a seminar as part of our international Doctor of Ministry program, meeting this time in Turkey. One of the most interesting aspects of the trip was a robust conversation with a secular, Muslim, Turkish cab driver—who was more versed on what is happening in the United States than many Americans. […]
Western Pastors
One of the interesting aspects of living out my ministry calling on the West coast has been dealing with the negative impressions some have of pastors who work in this context. For example, when I first moved west, one person told me, “The only pastors who move to the West are those who can’t get […]
Honor Where Honor is Due
Dr. O. S. Hawkins will conclude his service as president of Guidestone this week. O. S. and his wife, Susie, are a gift from God to Southern Baptists. Their impact through pastoral ministry, denominational service, and entity leadership has shaped and blessed a generation of leaders and their legacy will reverberate through succeeding generations. Much could […]
Mission Alignment
Healthy Culture
In his book, The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle defined organizational culture as “a set of living relationships working toward a shared goal.” This is a value-neutral definition. When the living relationships are unhealthy and subset groups of people have their own shared agendas, culture is created—but not the kind of healthy culture needed for organizational […]
Value of Being a Southern Baptist
More than 25 years as a Southern Baptist denominational executive, preceded by more than a dozen years as a Southern Baptist pastor, has shaped my perspective on navigating the vagaries of working among and with the large network known as the Southern Baptist denomination. It can be a daunting and at times disappointing task. Here […]
Maintaining Mission Discipline
When an organization faces challenging circumstances, the temptation is to focus decision-making on solving presenting problems. While some fires do have to be put out immediately, veteran leaders know better than attempting to regain organizational health by focusing on the tyranny of the urgent. The best example in our seminary’s history was when we experienced […]