Barnabas File

We have probably heard a story something like this.     A loud crash is heard in an adjoining room.     Mom or Dad rushes in and finds a child in collapsed chair.     The child’s response: “It was already broken when I sat down on it.” Although the chair was probably not already broken when the child sat down, it certainly was not in shape to handle the weight of the child or perhaps some healthy childlike activity! This is a good illustration of what has happened to many congregations during the volatile events of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The church may have looked good on the outside and was functioning adequately, but the pressures of change brought on by these times exposed latent inadequacies.  In the fall, Pam Durso,   president of Central Seminary, and Carol McEntyre, pastor of First Baptist Church in Columbia, MO, conducted  a survey of  Baptist pastors  who had left their congregations between July 1, 2020, and Oct...

  Effectiveness can be learned.  Effectiveness must be learned. —Peter Drucker This quote affirms the late Peter Drucker’s belief that leaders are made not born.  Mark Miller cites Drucker in the Introduction to Smart Leadership to affirm that leadership can be learned and is based on making appropriate choices.  I must disagree with one word in the subtitle, however.  These are not “simple” choices but decisions that a leader practices until they become second nature.  With practice, they become part of one’s lifestyle. Miller, a VP at Chick-fil-A, has become a leadership guru in his own right.  Most of his leadership books have been written in the popular “fable” style, telling a story that embodies the principles he wishes to teach.  This is a more traditional approach that shares the insights of research, personal experiences about leadership, and practical suggestions for implementation. There is much here t...

As I was planning to write this blog, I came across a Facebook post from a person whose career I have followed for a couple of decades.  This is a guy that I really admire.  He posted a long narrative on his FB page that said that he is no longer pursuing the “big dream” but has decided that there is a better way to do life.  He has pulled his resume decided to concentrate on a trade where he can work with his hands, something that gives him great satisfaction.   A key ingredient in this decision was his experience during the COVID crisis. He thought that eventually the financial need would cause him to get serious about finding a job and get back to the expectations that others had for him. Well, it’s not happening that way.   There are many people out there who have experienced an alternate reality during the pandemic, and it has changed their perspective on life.  Some call this “the Great Resignation” as many choose to give up their ...