Barnabas File

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Project Maven: A Book Review

The publication of Katrin Manson’s book Project Maven: A Marine Colonel, His Team, and the Dawn of AI Warfare came a month after the launch of Operation Epic Fury. The operation targeted thousands of Iranian military and strategic assets. And made some tragic errors. The identification and targeting of these sites were provided, in most cases, using artificial intelligence. Manson’s thoroughly documented book recounts how that came to be. Under the leadership of Marine Colonel Drew Cukor, an effort was initiated within the Pentagon in 2017 to use AI not only for battlefield surveillance but to target people and resources. Manson also recounts the evolution of this project to the ultimate goal—removing humans from the decision-making process. Project Maven is a military artificial intelligence platform developed by Palantir. Originally launched in 2017 to analyze drone and survei...

What Does the Future of Church Leadership Look Like?--Five Shifts

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:19, NIV) In previous posts, we considered context, calling, and possibilities for church leadership in the future. I am convinced that the Spirit of God is always at work among God’s people, providing ways forward that will allow the church’s mission to flourish. In this post, I suggest five key issues for the church today, shifts in thinking from our current ways of dealing with them to new strategies, and leadership skills need to make the shift. You may find my suggestions unsettling, even controversial, but please give them some thought. First, a shift in theological training and the leadership roles of clergy. With a decline in the number of seminary students who are seeking the Master of Divinity degree and the increase in ...

A Challenge to Denominations to Provide Coaching for Leaders

Something exciting is happening in our culture. Churches and their leaders are being called upon to step up and provide hope and community in these challenging times. This is a time for believers to engage. In recent years, many religious leaders have seemed content to sit on the sidelines, wring their hands over the “decline of the church,” and avoid the charge of Jesus that “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40, NIV) Bold leadership--foot washing and witness--go hand in hand, but this only happens when leaders are empowered and supported. In his new book, Coaching as Spiritual Practice: Deepening Faith While Deepening Impact Edward Hammett suggests one strategy to provide that kind of support. “I would like to propose that churches, denominations, judicatories, and districts begin to cooperate to employ a coach in ...

What are the Qualities of a Coaching Leader?

Do you have what it takes to be a coaching leader? A coaching leader is someone who encourages another person to identify his or her goals, discover the resources available to pursue those goals, develop action plans together, and then walk along beside that person in the process of achieving the person’s goals. A coaching leader can apply these skills in working with groups and teams as well, multiplying his or her impact as a coach by including others in the process. A coaching leader is strong in the elements that Daniel Goleman attributes to emotional intelligence: Self-awareness. Self-regulation. Motivation. Empathy. Social skills. These are skills that can be learned once a person understands his or her own emotional intelligence profile. The more that you, as a leader, can manage each of these areas, the higher your emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is essential to be an effective coaching leader. In ad...

Coaching: A Guide for the Journey

The first real “job” for which I was paid was as a math tutor. Considering that I failed Calculus in college, this is rather ironic. I was a junior in high school and my math teacher recommended me as a tutor for an eighth grader. The parents paid me ten dollars a session. As I began working with this young man, I realized pretty quickly that he already knew what he was supposed to do. He understood the calculations and was probably a better math student than I was! The key was focus. He needed someone who would just sit with him, respond to his work, and provide encouragement. I did not need to be an expert; I just needed to be there. I find myself in the same situation very often as a leadership coach. As I talk with a client, I discover that not only does the person have the best knowledge of the situation we are discussing, but he or she has some ideas about how to address it in a p...

Let’s Go Down to the River to Pray

I was recently in a group where we were invited into a time of Centering Prayer. The host asked each of us to select a “sacred word” as a focus for this time. Of course, I chose two works: “living water.” This a significant phrase for me both inspirationally and theologically. I grew up on the Gulf Coast and spent many summer days on the beach, both swimming in and observing the Gulf of Mexico. The expanse of the Gulf reflected for me the immensity and power of God. Its vastness spoke of God’s omnipotence and omnipresence. In my more mature years, I have come of appreciate another source of water--mountain streams. The flowing grace of a stream with its gentle mummering, calls me to consider the intimacy of God. I accept and glory in the majesty of God, but most days I need to feel the closeness of God. There are a couple of references that encourage me in this thought. The Didache ...