Barnabas File

" And I tell you that you are Peter,  and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades  will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18, NIV) If we read this statement of Jesus in the larger context, we can argue that the emphasis here is not so much on Peter as on his declaration of Jesus as the Messiah (v. 16).  The universal church--made of all believers throughout time--is built upon this belief.  This is the message declared by all local congregations as communities of faith and expressions of the universal church. Thirteen years ago, my friends Chuck and Martha Strong saw the birth of a church built upon this profession of faith.  They had a vision for a “free and faithful” church based on Baptist principles in Olive Branch, Mississippi, a growing suburb of Memphis, Tennessee.  Three Memphis congregations as well as the state CBF organizations in Mississippi and Tennessee came alongside the Strongs, their daugh...

" And I tell you that you are Peter,  and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades  will not overcome it.” --Matthew 16:18, NIV When Jesus made this promise, he was certainly referring to the church universal rather than individual congregations.  There were many churches in the Middle East, Asia Minor, Greece, and elsewhere that flourished in the years after Christ’s death and resurrection that no longer exist. Were they vital and effective fellowships in their day?  Of course they were, but times changed and the individuals (and sometimes buildings) of those churches have passed from the scene. Although we may not want to admit it, not every local congregation is going to exist forever. Economic, demographic and even political shifts may affect the viability of a congregation.   The church in Mobile, Alabama, that nurtured me and ordained me to the ministry no longer exists. About 30 years ag...

Faith-based social entrepreneurship is gaining traction.     Visionary leaders, many of them young adults, are seeking to meet needs outside of ecclesiastical structures.     Their motivation for doing this might be addressed in another blog, but the trend is growing.    In a recent article published by the Association of Theological Schools, writer Linda Kay Klein identified the top five qualities of a successful faith-based entrepreneur. Purpose-driven.  Faith-based social entrepreneurs are driven by internal rather than external motivation.  Rather than seeking recognition, money, or freedom from guilt, these trailblazers have a clearly identified positive goal in mind. They see a need and want to meet it.  When they encounter barriers, they are driven to overcome these difficulties because they have a clear focus on what they want to accomplish. Resilient.   Successful social entrepreneurs have often overcom...

Although the statement, “First, do no harm,” is not actually part of the Hippocratic Oath for physicians, it was coined by the Greek philosopher Hippocrates to  remind medical practitioners that, although they wish to heal their patients, they have an equal capacity to do harm.  I think this directive also applies to church consultants.  I have been known to share the statement, “There is no problem that a consultant can’t make worse,” but in my practice as a consultant, I certainly try to avoid this. Churches call upon consultants for a number of services:  staff development, visioning, transitions, conflict resolution, fund raising, security audits, building planning, and many other things.  At Pinnacle Leadership Associates , we deal primarily with the first four.  What has been your experience with church consultants? If you are planning to contract with a consultant, let me suggest several things for you to consider....

Whether we want to admit it or not, our actions and decisions each day are as programmed as if we were computers. The word “routine” applies not just to humans but to computers as well. I n computer programming, “routine” and “subroutine” are terms that describe any sequence of code that is intended to be called up and used repeatedly during the execution of a program. They are shortcuts to speed things up. We function smoothly most days because we have developed certain habits related to hygiene, eating, dress, relationship, and exercise that are second nature.  In the same way, we use paradigms to process what we experience even if those paradigms are fictional.  For example, we talk about the sun rising in morning and setting at night when we are the ones moving.  We have adopted patterns for processing information that usually give us reliable results and makes sense of our environment.   As with most things, a strength ca...

Church architecture has always fascinated me.     The spaces we create for worship and their theological implications challenge my thinking about how we try to express the spiritual through the physical.    One of the most interesting and challenging papers I wrote in seminary was on the subject “The Church and Architecture” for Dr. John Newport’s Philosophy of Religion class. In recent years, I have come to realize how easy it is to confuse sacred space with sacred presence. Sacred space--whether constructed or naturally occurring--provides an environment where we can prepare to encounter God.  Sacred presence occurs whenever we perceive God in a meaningful way.   There can be a beautifully designed sacred space, but we do not necessarily find God there unless our hearts and minds are prepared to do so.  We have all visited beautiful spaces that were created for the worship of God, but meaningful worship no longer takes ...

“Some see things as they are and ask why.     Others dream things that never were and ask why not?”--George Bernard Shaw One of the greatest challenges that Jesus seems to have encountered with his disciples was a lack of imagination.  He used parables and illustrations to explain his vision of the Kingdom and expand their perception, but their responses were often tied to the old paradigms; for example, “Who will sit on your right hand and your left hand the kingdom of God?” (see Matthew 20:20-28) Although Jesus built upon the Hebrew teachings about the Kingdom of God, they only provided a beginning point for him.  He was not interested in the preservation of the Temple in Jerusalem and its sacrificial practices.  He was not concerned about elevating the people of Israel to the top rung of civilization. He could care less about the place of Israel in the world economy of the day.  Jesus was invested in fulfilling the p...

A friend attended a special event at our church recently and remarked to my wife, “I don’t see your pastor here.”     Rita explained that our pastor was taking a sabbatical this summer.    The reply was, “Well, is he coming back?” The idea of a sabbatical for a pastor or staff member is still not understood by many church members. They either see the sabbatical as a way to ease a pastor into termination or deal with a problem. Quite to the contrary, the church that provides a sabbatical for a ministerial staff member is not only doing a good thing for the minister but for the church as well. The practice is being encouraged by organizations that provide grants for pastoral sabbatical, but many churches now build this into their personnel policies as well as their budgets. When I was chair of our church’s personnel committee several years ago, we expanded the sabbatical program to provide a sabbatical for every minister after each five years of service...

When I did denominational work, I frequently traveled by car and got into the habit of listening to audio-books, first on cassette tapes and then DVDs.     Now, of course, these are available as digital downloads on your iPhone or iPad.     Since the beginning of the year, I have had the opportunity to listen to four complete audio books.     As you will note, they cover a variety of topics and all provide interesting insights about people and culture. J. D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis Vance’s writing style is poignant, abrupt, and down-to-earth.  His memoir includes plenty of salty language that clearly expresses both his attitude and that of his family and friends growing up.  Vance is a success story.  Coming out of a declining area of southeast Ohio, he survived a difficult childhood to enter the Marines and eventually graduate from Yale Law School.  A Republican, h...

On Friday, July 6, a memorial service was held at First Baptist Church, Nashville, for Dr. Glenn Yarbrough.    Glenn was one of the people that I often recognize as a mentor, one who influenced me, shared his rich experience, and opened doors for me. Glenn provided my first full-time position in collegiate ministry when I graduated seminary in 1970. The situation was a challenging one, but he trusted my potential to address it effectively.  He was not happy when I left Middle Tennessee State University in 1976 to accept a position at Mississippi State University, but I was pleased when Carson-Newman College offered me a job in 1980 and Glenn called to let me know that he would be glad to have me back in the state.   In 1984, I had the opportunity to become his associate in the Student Ministries Department of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and to succeed him as director of that ministry in 1987. Glenn was a classic “Builder” in generationa...

In the middle of the last century, the ideal staffing of a mainline church looked like this:  a full-time, seminary trained minister (male); at least one associate (often seminary trained) who specialized in youth and/or children’s ministry; and a full-time or part-time music leader.  Of course, this was not the reality for every church. Many churches, especially rural churches, had a bi-vocational minister (one with another vocation), a volunteer or part-time music director, and lay volunteers for other ministries. As we move further into the 21 st century, the second model is becoming more common. Even mainline denominations which have high standards for ministerial preparation--both in the discernment process and in educational preparation--are looking at other options to fill the pulpits of churches who have both declining memberships and smaller budgets.  On the other hand, there are the non-denominational or community churches who place m...

One of the realities of church life in the 21 st  century is networking that is not tied to or limited by a particular denominational affiliation.     As churches identify and pursue their unique callings as part of the mission of God, they discover partners who can help them along the journey.     These may be missional partners, advocacy partnerships, or developmental networks. Pinnacle Leadership Associates has developed such a network to facilitate congregational and leadership development.  The network is currently made up of over 30 partners--church and judicatories--from seven denominational families. Becoming a partner allows access to all Pinnacle webinars, plus these services: Four  one-hour Coaching/Consulting Sessions - In person, by phone, or video conference; 20% discount on all Pinnacle Services; Participation in any Pinnacle Webinar or Teleconference at no cost; Participation in Monthly Network Video Conference ...

The Royal Family at the end of Season Two Season Two of The Crown does not quite measure up to Season One.     Perhaps it is because I miss Winston Churchill (John Lithgow) or because this season requires viewers to deal with the continuing affairs of Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby) and the boyish adventures of Prince Phillip (Matt Smith), but a handful of episodes are memorable.     Even so, Netflix’s The Crown is the still the best television series available.    Two of the best episodes of the season show the grit of the heroine and both involve Americans. In “Vergangenheit,” Queen Elizabeth (Claire Foy) is brought to a crisis of faith when her uncle, the Duke of Windsor (Alex Jennings), seeks a return to Great Britain and restoration to a place of influence.  Past events are disclosed that indicate that the former king once plotted with the Nazi High Command to become a puppet ruler if the nation were conquered by Germany. ...

The Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1980 encouraged states to establish land-grant universities (or colleges) across the United States. The mission of these institutions was to focus on the teaching of agriculture, science, military science, and engineering as well as the liberal arts.     This mission was somewhat in contrast to the historic practice of higher education to focus on a liberal arts curriculum. The Hatch Act of 1887 strengthened the work of these institutions by establishing a system of agriculture experiment stations, and the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 created a system of cooperative extension to be operated by these schools to educate people across the states--especially in rural areas--about current developments in agriculture, home economics, community development, and related subjects. Growing up in a city, I knew little about this vital part of America’s educational system until I began learning more about the history of higher education and then serving ...