Barnabas File

I recently read a blog entry by Rami Shapiro, a rabbi who now has a teaching and writing ministry, in which he states, “If I were to get back into the religious community business I would open a coffee house rather than a synagogue.” This brought to mind remarks by Rex Miller in The Millennium Matrix . In discussing new congregational models, Miller says, In the future many emerging congregations will begin to look like extended spiritual families. This kind of ethos will extend into neighborhoods, with Christians favoring the common bond of proximity over church affiliation as a basis for home groups. In some ways we are moving to a modernized parish model. (p. 204) I think that both observers are pointing to a potentially powerful church model that would speak to both young adults and many empty-nester older adults. This decentralized approach or “modernized parish model” would benefit from some of the ethos of a coffee shop as well as the characteristics of the first Christian commu...

At the end of the year, I will finish my work as coordinator of the Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. At that point, I will be into my tenth year in that role. It has been challenging to serve as the first full-time state worker for this group of progressive Tennessee Baptists, but it is time to move on. Some have asked me what I plan to do in “retirement.” Now that some things have fallen into place, I can describe my plans as a four-legged stool, but one that I will probably stand on rather that sit upon. First, I plan to spend added time with family. With four grandchildren here in Murfreesboro--age range 4 to 21--Rita and I have plenty of opportunities for grandparenting right here at home. We also have a grandson in California and a granddaughter and three great-grandchildren in Wisconsin, so we will take our grandparenting on the road from time to time as well. Second, we will continue to be active in our church—First Baptist, Murfreesboro. A fellow church member and I ho...

While in Winston-Salem this week, our group had the opportunity to visit the Divinity School at Wake Forest University and dialogue with Bill Leonard, the dean of the school. The div school at WFU is one of the best of the new theological schools related to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. It combines the advantages of a classical university-related theological curriculum with a commitment to training ministers for the church. Actually, North Carolina is greatly blessed with theological schools! In addition to the one at Wake Forest, there are divinity schools at Campbell University and Gardner-Webb University as well as a Baptist House at Duke Divinity School. I applaud what these schools are doing and the training they are providing not just for North Carolina students, but those from other states as well. These schools also provide a number of full-time and part-time staff members for churches in the state. On the other hand, what about those states that are not so blessed? How c...

Several years ago in another life, I was asked to provide some leadership training sessions for campus ministers in neighboring state. I always enjoyed these opportunities for dialogue with colleagues. One of the topics I addressed on this occasion was the importance of collaboration in ministry. My intention was to discuss the value of working together and learning from other people. I was surprised by the response of at least one of the participants. He said, "Well, yeah! That's just common sense." Maybe it is, but how many of us practice it? We often see Christians violating the collaboration ideal in two ways. First, we want to compete rather than collaborate. Second, we assume that we (or some particular person) is the expert with the final answer. I have often found that much of value is not only offered but discovered in collaboration. When people with different experiences, backgrounds, and gifts gather around an issue or project about which they sincerel...

As I was walking in the local mall today, I noticed that a rather large clothing retailer had closed their store there. As I thought about it, I remembered that the local newspaper had reported that this particular business had relocated to another (newer) shopping area in our community. They are not out of business, but they have moved to attract a different (perhaps larger) clientele. They are adapting to the times. Nothing lasts forever. We talk a great deal about the future of the local church. Some congregations prosper in their present locations, but others relocate to "greener pastures." Some may merge with other congregations, some transition into ministry with a different group of people, some change their style of worship, and seem even choose to close their doors. The congregation that nurtured me as a youngster eventually sold the facilities to an ethnic church and merged with another congregation; the resulting congregation has prospered. I have been reading The ...

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Something of no redeeming social value that you just like to do? Mine is superhero movies. The newest one on the scene is "Iron Man." It is a great "popcorn movie" (although I don't eat at the movies that much). "Iron Man" stars Robert Downey, Jr., an actor whose real-life struggles mesh well with those of his character, brilliant industrialist/inventor Tony Stark who seems to be addicted to the traditional vices--women, gambling, fast cars, and alcohol. In a life-changing experience, Stark (literally) attempts to reinvent himself with the help of a lot of high tech gear (think Thomas Alva Edison mixed with Bill Gates and add steroids). This is a fun movie (with some significant plot holes) but it also gives us some things to consider (which will certainly be addressed in the sequels). First, can a guy this deep into hedonism really turn his life around? It seems that his trusty "girl Friday" and his Air Force c...