Barnabas File

A great deal is written about Millennials   and their expectations of life.   This evokes much discussion that ranges from “the sky is falling” view to “who cares?”   I don’t believe the end is near, but I also realize that those of us in ministry need to understand the perspectives and inclinations of an emerging generation of leaders.   Some of what is written is broad generalizations about Millennials, but those of us who have contact with them on a regular basis know that many of the observations are on target. In a recent article, Ray Williams cited a study by Deloitte titled, “ Mind the Gaps: The 2015 Deloitte Millennial Survey.” The research collected information from more than 7,800 Millennials representing 29 countries. There were some interesting conclusions about what motivates Millennials and what they look for in leaders and at work.   Consider these items: First, the study stated that “Millennials believe that business needs to ‘...

When I posted a blog on “Calling a Woman as Pastor" last week,   I was responding out of concern about the inconsistency of progressive churches and their search committees in affirming women in ministry but failing to call them as senior pastors (head of staff) when the opportunity arises.   The response to that blog has been overwhelming.    According to my blog platform, the post has been viewed over 800 times in one week.   This is 100 views over my top ranked post prior to that ("The Importance of Dialogue") which has been up for 4 1/2 years! Why did this happen? First, evidently this is a topic that people in which people are interested.   Second, friends shared this blog in their networks.   Third, this is a topic about which I am passionate.   The role of women in ministry has not always been a front burner topic for me.   I was never hostile to women in leadership roles. For most of my life, I was just indifferent.   In...

Sitting in a hospital waiting room recently, I was struck by the diversity of the people there.   Our community, like so many across the country, is an interesting mix of people of varied ethnic backgrounds.   This is the new reality where there will be no clear majority population in the United States.   We will be a nation of minorities!   Along with this ethnic diversity comes an interesting mix of culture, religion, and non-religion. This mosaic of cultures challenges churches and religious institutions to look at ministry in new ways.   We are no longer “Protestant, Catholic, Jew”—the neat categories Will Herberg used in the fifties to describe the American religious landscape. At that time, “interfaith marriage” was often between members of Protestant denominations (Baptist and Methodist, for example) rather than Christian and Muslim or Buddhist and Christian. How will we address this challenge? First, many seminaries are already embracing...

From time to time, I receive a call from a member of a pastor search committee that is considering a woman as their senior pastor (which is a term that I don’t find anywhere in scripture, but I understand the concept).   I am always flattered that the candidate has chosen to use me as a reference, so I take the opportunity very seriously.   I must admit, however, that I come out of some of those conversations a bit frustrated. The interviewer usually has a set series of questions, and I try to respond appropriately while pushing the boundaries a bit.   By doing so, I am often able to engage the interviewer more informally and address some concerns specifically related to women in a pastoral role.   As a result, I am no longer surprised when the caller will say something to the effect, “But there are some on our committee who feel that she does not have enough experience.”    On one hand, if the concern is that the candidate does not have any ...

The writers of the Psalms are very transparent about their feelings.   In the 150 chapters of the book, one can find hymns of praise, celebration, wisdom, and anger.   Those expressing personal anger are usually called psalms of lamentation.   They are very candid—beseeching God to regard and deal with the problems of the psalmist and/or the people. They sometimes sound like they are accusing God for their problems but they usually come back to acknowledging God’s care. Most often the writer strikes a balance as in Psalm 9:13-14, NRSV: “Be gracious to me, O Lord . See what I suffer from those who hate me;  you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,   so that I may recount all your praises,  and, in the gates of daughter Zion, rejoice in your deliverance.” In this psalm, the writer also uses the term “enemies” to refer to those who cause the writer suffering.   Too often, we think that this approach of dividing h...