Profits Versus Prophets
When it comes to the big moral questions we face, Christians would prefer their pastors remain quiet. How exactly did we get to this place?
Meet the Pastor Behind That ‘Quitting the Church’ Essay
A pastor's last thoughts on leaving the ministry sparked a national conversation about clergy health and the future of the church.
As Churches Shrink and Pastors Retire, Creative Workarounds Are Redefining Ministry
As older clergy get set to retire, there are few younger seminarians to replace them — and few churches that can afford to pay them.
Saving the Farm: Heartland Clergy Train to Prevent Agriculture Workers’ Suicides
States such as Minnesota and South Dakota are offering suicide prevention training to clergy – a crucial, trusted presence in rural America. In the farmland, churches remain essential social gathering points.
When Politics Attacks the Pulpit
This issue of A Public Witness raises the alarm about political attacks on the importance of the local church and the role of pastors, warns how such attacks aid the decline of U.S. Christianity, and lifts up a different vision for discipling believers.
Spiritual Advisers Offering Final Comfort in Execution Rooms
For decades, Missouri executions played out in similar fashion. But that is changing now as spiritual advisors are present in the room, like Rev. Darryl Gray in November and Rev. Lauren Bennett in January.
Terrell Carter on What the Church Can Relearn about Reconciliation
On episode 84 of Dangerous Dogma, Terrell Carter, pastor of Webster Groves Baptist Church and executive director of Rise in St. Louis, talks about his new book Family Feuds: Forgotten Bible Rivalries and What the Church Can Relearn About Reconciliation.
Theological Schools Report Continued Drop in Master of Divinity Degrees
Professional degrees are gaining traction at theological schools across the U.S. and Canada, while the traditional ministerial degree, the master of divinity, is faltering, according to new data released late last month. Master of divinity programs constitute 35% of enrollment at theological schools overall –
Adriene Thorne of Riverside Church
In episode 78 of Dangerous Dogma, Adriene Thorne, the new senior pastor at the Riverside Church in New York City, talks about pastoring at this historic congregation. She also discusses becoming the first African American woman to lead Riverside and the challenges that churches face today.
Review: Church on the Move
Robert D. Cornwall reviews "Church on the Move: A Practical Guide for Ministry in the Community" by G. Travis Norvell. Churches can easily become insulated from the surrounding world. They create silos by turning turn inward, seeking to protect whatever space they have accumulated over