Pietism & Conflict
Some bad effects of the pietistic heritage of fundamentalism and evangelicalism tend to make conflicts worse: An all-or-nothing view of people and... Read More
Visiting the Mission Field (Part 3)
There are more reasons for pastors to visit the mission field than I’ve listed so far, but I’ll stop my list with... Read More
Visiting the Mission Field (Part 2)
So far, I have suggested that visiting the mission field does wonderful things for a pastor’s knowledge about missions and his zeal... Read More
Visiting the Mission Field (Part 1)
In 1999, I had the privilege of accompanying a missionary on his survey trip to Tanzania. I had been overseas before, but... Read More
Free and Informed Choices
Each spring I teach a section in a third-year pastoral course aimed at helping aspiring pastors deal with change and conflict in... Read More
Assumptions Affect Interactions
Please allow me to share three anecdotes before making some comments about how our assumptions can affect our interactions. All come from... Read More
Learning from History, not Reacting to It
It’s commonly said that hindsight is 20/20, but that simply isn’t the case. In fairness, most people use it not to claim... Read More
Start with the Mirror
“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your... Read More
Leadership Vision
Anyone who has read, listened to, or studied contemporary leadership theories knows that vision is touted as “the essential ingredient for successful... Read More
Pharisees Don’t Make Good Leaders
That may seem like an odd title, but it captures a leadership principle that is important. I hope it is obvious that... Read More