Jonathan Howe

Every pastor leads with a finite amount of trust. Theologians might call it credibility; leadership writers call it relational or political capital. Whatever the term, it functions the same way: it accumulates slowly through faithfulness and depletes quickly through avoidable mistakes.

Many churches enter January with excitement about a new ministry year—only to be faced with the reality that they’re beginning it with a staff vacancy. Whether a pastor retired, a staff member relocated, or a role has shifted, leading into the new year short-handed brings real weight. But this season doesn’t have to derail ministry. In fact, it can sharpen your mission.

Typically the posts on this site are evergreen in nature and rarely reference current events. But after watching the unfolding saga of Lane Kiffin moving to LSU this past weekend, I read a post that addressed a lot of the generic motivations and ideas around coaches taking new jobs midseason and knew there was a parallel to the Church and pastors moving from church to church.

As I reflect on SBC25 in Dallas, one word keeps coming to mind: Grateful.

DALLAS (BP)—Two days after a four-alarm fire ripped through the historic sanctuary at First Baptist Dallas, the church gathered for worship in the nearby Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Sunday morning, June 21.

With the recent announcement of a sixth candidate throwing their hat into the ring for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) presidency, the collective response has been a mix of surprise, amusement, and perhaps even a touch of exasperation. Social media platforms buzz with comments and jokes about the growing number of contenders, but beneath the surface lies a more profound challenge—one that beckons us to reconsider our approach to this pivotal decision.

NASHVILLE (BP) — With two months left in the 2023 fiscal year, the National Cooperative Program Allocation Budget remains ahead of the annual budget, but gifts reported in July were short of monthly budget projections.

NASHVILLE (BP) — Nine months into the 2023 fiscal year, the National Cooperative Program Allocation Budget remains nearly $2 million ahead of budget after another strong month of giving in June with more than $16.1 million given nationally through the Cooperative Program.

PLANO, Texas (BP) – A civil suit claiming defamation and negligence by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) and its former president, Paige Patterson, has been dismissed.

While the two most important elements you need to have on the front page are the church address and service times, what else does a church website need?