Barnabas File

McConnell and Herron (CBF photo) I have stopped counting how many Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly meetings I have attended.   I always come away having enjoyed the fellowship with friends, former students, and colleagues; however, I sometimes have left asking myself, “What did we really accomplish here?”   Not this year. The meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, affirmed that CBF is making progress in many ways.   I was particularly impressed by three things this year—the affirmation of women in ministry, the presence of young adults, and the balanced leadership between laity and clergy. First, the overwhelming attendance at the Baptist Women in Ministry meeting at First Baptist Church, Greensboro, on Wednesday night was a testimony to the leadership of executive coordinator Pam Durso and the persistence of the “founding mothers” of the organization.  BWIM has continued to champion the role of women in all ministry roles.  We now se...

The whole idea of the missional church—being the people of a sending God—is a popular concept among many believers today, but how is it actually being practiced? I recently received a newsletter from friends who live in an Asian country.  This family has immersed themselves in the local culture in order to share their Christian faith.  They embody a missional approach to Christian witness.  Although I cannot give specifics of where they serve, I would like to paraphrase some of the initiatives they have pursued in this setting. First, they call out indigenous leadership.  Those who have been raised in the culture are the most effective missionaries in that culture.  Recently, my friends have partnered with a seminary in the country to provide internships for students.  They are mentoring these young people to become Christian witnesses and leaders. Second, they recognize that “foreigners” (such as themselves) can be catalysts, but they should...

If you are a believer, you have probably had a family member or friend approach you and say, “Please pray for me.”   What is your response when someone asks this?   Why you?   What exactly do they expect you to pray for?   What is your approach to prayer or your practice of prayer? Prayer is at the center of the Christian life.  As good Jews, it was certainly on the mind of Jesus’ disciples.  Luke 11: 1 says, “ One day Jesus was praying   in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord,   teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ (NIV) Jesus responded in this way:   “And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?   Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be t...

Life coaching has become very popular as a personal development process in the last two decades, but coaching is still an unregulated profession.   Anyone can print up business cards proclaiming that he or she is a life coach without any specific training, certification, or licensure. When Mark Tidsworth asked me to join Pinnacle Leadership Associates as a coach four years ago, he did so based on my background and experience in working with young adults, church leaders, and campus ministers over three decades of ministry.  During that time, I called out, encouraged, and empowered men and women to follow God’s leadership in their lives.  As I think back, I was practicing coaching with all of these individuals without any particular training in the process. As I started my work with Pinnacle, I was smart enough to realize that there was a lot about coaching that I did not know.  I set a goal to receive the basic coaching certification—Associate Certified Coa...

“You’re not my boss!”  In recent years, this has been a favorite response from children who don’t want to do what they have been directed to do.  This is a cry for freedom from unwanted or unpleasant direction.  Of course, this response fails to recognize that the person giving the direction probably is that child’s “boss”—a parent or teacher, for example. As an adult, I have never seen “boss” as a negative term.  I have sometimes used it as an expression of respect and even affection.  Sometimes it is nice to know who is in charge and who will take ultimate responsibility for a decision, thus giving some structure and order in often chaotic circumstances. Most often, the word “boss” is defined as one who exercises control over workers whether they are skilled or unskilled.  When I looked at one online source, both “boss” and “leader” were defined as “a person who leads, guides, or inspires others.” I will grant that some people are habituall...

The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in America, has reported last year’s numbers gathered by Lifeway Christian Resources and leadership is not happy. According to the report, “ the nearly 16-million-member Southern Baptist Convention . . . lost more than 105,000 members and 188,000 Sunday worshipers. . . .This marks its sixth straight year of membership decline. ” Numbers don’t lie, but they don’t always  tell the truth.  The good news is that there are probably thousands of individuals who attend Southern Baptist churches each week who are not members, don’t think membership is important, and may never become members of a church although they will be regular attendees.  For a younger generation of believers, membership is not important (despite what the American Express commercial says).  They find the church they like, the one where their friends go, or where they experience spiritual growth and ...