Our neverending task
By Nate Adams In addition to a great faculty of Illinois pastors and church leaders, last month’s 2019 Illinois Leadership Summit welcomed Mark Clifton as its primary speaker. Mark has been a pastor, a...
View ArticleDevotional: Pastor’s priority
Read: Acts 6:4 (ESV) “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” By Adron Robinson There are 168 hours in a week, and most weeks they seem to go by way too fast. Each week...
View ArticleThe Briefing: Southern Baptist membership at 30-year low
Giving is up amid declines in baptisms, membership, and worship attendance The most recent Annual Church Profile reports collected by the Southern Baptist Convention show continued decline in key...
View ArticleImproving ordination
More careful interview process needed to protect churches By Grace Thornton, with additional reporting by the Illinois Baptist The ordination process of Southern Baptist churches is a weak spot when it...
View ArticleGrilled, not toasted
By Eric Reed Two things surprised me about my ordination: the interview was not nearly as painful as I anticipated, and it was scheduled 90 minutes prior to the evening service where I was to be set...
View ArticleWhat kind of influence are you?
In the golden age of piracy, a pirate captain had power, authority, and a wide-brimmed hat that set him apart as commander of his ship. His crew agreed to follow their captain wherever the seas took...
View ArticleTo protect and serve
By Nate Adams Some churches have business meetings every month. Some have them once a year. My home church has probably the most common practice, gathering once a quarter to hear reports and consider...
View ArticleThe Briefing: Church leaders and mental health
Pastor’s death by suicide renews calls for help for hurting leaders California pastor Jarrid Wilson died by suicide Sept. 9 after preaching that day at the funeral of a woman who had taken her own...
View ArticleThe Briefing: 2020 candidates talk faith and LGBTQ rights
O’Rourke: Opposing same-sex marriage should mean losing tax-exempt status “There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for any institution or organization in America that denies the full human...
View ArticleThe Briefing: Which pastors preach the longest?
Study finds big differences in preaching An analysis of nearly 50,000 sermons found church-goers experience a wide array of sermons, depending on their branch of Christianity. Pew Research Center’s...
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