"It’s not about me…" This is the resounding thought in my mind when I study and deliver the Word of God. To do so, I actively avoid inserting my life, actions, or family (they are thankful for this) into illustrations. But on occasion, I come to an impasse where my experiences and the text collide. A few Sundays ago, in the text of 1 Peter 2, I shared my experiences on trying to suffer well under unjust accusations. For those that missed the illustration, I’ll recount it here

A pastor approaches his responsibilities with many different experiences, abilities, and priorities. No two pastors are alike, and, at the same time, each pastor stands holding the same Bible. If you look across the churches, their commonalities exceed their differences, though they are led by different men. Each church is filled with various needs and congregations that reflect their heritage, culture, and geography. There are older congregations that require more physical c

A pastor approaches his responsibilities with many different experiences, abilities, and priorities. No two pastors are alike, and, at the same time, each pastor stands holding the same Bible. If you look across the churches, their commonalities exceed their differences, though they are led by different men. Each church is filled with various needs and congregations that reflect their heritage, culture, and geography. There are older congregations that require more physical c

A pastor approaches his responsibilities with many different experiences, abilities, and priorities. No two pastors are alike, and, at the same time, each pastor stands holding the same Bible. If you look across the churches, their commonalities exceed their differences, though they are led by different men. Each church is filled with various needs and congregations that reflect their heritage, culture, and geography. There are older congregations that require more physical c

This is a follow up to a blog entitled “Why Baptist Churches Moved Away from a Plurality of Elders.” In this blog, I would like to address reasons Baptist churches moved away from elders and their move back. First and foremost, among the ideas of why Baptist churches should move back to a plurality of elders is because the Word of God makes clear church leadership/polity. The Bible Clarifies Leadership In the middle of the qualifications for elders, you find these verses: 1 T

“Elder” is an uncommon title for those in Baptist churches who are in leadership. Why is that? What happened that caused Baptist churches to move away from the title “elder,” the plurality of the role in leadership, and why do we need to make our way back? “Elder” in the Bible “Elder” in the Bible is often interchanged with pastor/bishop/overseer. We see a number of biblical texts that use the term “elder.” Sometimes in the Old and New Testaments you will see “elder” used to