How to Involve Teens in Children’s Ministry: 7 Need-to-Know Tips

September 26, 2022

Are you wondering how to involve teens in children’s ministry? When people tell me teenagers shouldn’t be allowed in kids ministry, my heart breaks. Let me tell you why.

My parents have been in ministry my entire life. They also involved me in ministry my whole life.

I was 7 the first time I was in a puppet skit. I was so short, I had to stand up in the bottom part of the stage (instead of kneeling).
At 10 I taught my first preschool class. Granted, the class had only three kids. But I followed the curriculum every week.
I was 16 when I was in charge of my own puppet team one weekend every month. My team consisted of about 10 kids and young teens, and we ministered to about 300 kids.
Almost every summer of my childhood involved traveling and ministering with my parents at VBS and summer camps. So many road trips…

I’m not saying this to brag on myself. Trust me, I have my own problems. I’m saying all this to brag on my parents.

In the Bible, Paul (a teacher) talks to Timothy (a young person, new in ministry). In 1 Timothy 4:12 he says: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young. But set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

I’m going to turn the verse around a little. I want to use it to challenge you, the children’s ministry leader, to not look down on youth in your church. Instead, you can learn more about how to involve teens in children’s ministry. For example, you can:

Help teens set an example.
Teach them how to be an example.
Give kids a place to shine.

How to Involve Teens in Children’s Ministry: 7 Pointers

1. Give them a job.

Don’t just have teens sit in the back of the room. Give them something to do. Church was never boring to me because I had a job. I did puppets, taught classes, led a small group, and ran a summer day camp. It was new and challenging.

Here’s an infographic on jobs that kids and youth can do. And the list of how to involve teens in children’s ministry is really endless!

2. Trust them.

Give kids a job and let them do it! Don’t micro-manage. And if kids mess up, use it as a learning tool.

The first time I ran my own puppet team, I was 16. I was tired of the same old songs we always used. At the time, the band Hawk Nelson had just come out, and they had a song called “Bring ‘Em Out.” It was fun, so I chose to use it in a puppet skit.

After church, my dad calmly sat me down. He asked bluntly, “What did that song have to do with Jesus or the lesson?” I replied, “Nothing.” He then told me the songs should be about the lesson or some spiritual truth. He didn’t squash my spirit; he just provided direction for my creativity.

Over 5,000 Join Sean Feucht, Eric Metaxas in Times Square: ‘There’s a Church That’s Rising Up That’s Refusing To Back Down’

Jesse T. Jackson

September 26, 2022

Over 5,000 Join Sean Feucht, Eric Metaxas in Times Square: ‘There’s a Church That’s Rising Up That’s Refusing to Back Down' — Sean Feucht during the "Let Us Worship" event in Times Square on September 25, 2022. Courtesy of Sean Feucht.

Sean Feucht’s “Let Us Worship” tour stopped in New York City’s Times Square on Sunday night (Sept. 25) in an event that Feucht said “was hijacked with praise, joy and salvation…If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere!”

There was no stage, big light show, or video production, just Feucht’s band filling Times Square along with 5,000 other voices, the majority of which were New York City residents, singing praises to God in one of the busiest parts of the nation.

Feucht told ChurchLeaders that the NYPD said “they’ve never seen anything like” the faith-based Christian event they witnessed last night.

“When people say the church is dead here, don’t listen to them,” Feucht said. “God is moving, people are rising up. There is a bold church in the midst of, you know, the COVID pandemic and the lockdowns and the tyrannical government orders from the governor and mayor here. There’s a church that’s rising up that’s refusing to back down and we experienced that last night and it was very, very, very powerful.”

Videos of the event posted throughout social media show that thousands of people from all races and different denominations came together to worship God. Clips show people speaking in tongues, surrendering to God, praying over people, waving flags that read “Jesus,” dancing, and screaming the name of Jesus in the streets of New York.

Christian conservative radio host and best-selling author Eric Metaxas joined Feucht Sunday night. In response to Feucht’s Twitter message, “Revival just hit Times Square. No one wants to leave,” Metaxas said, “And keep in mind, we were there praising Jesus loudly not merely in Times Square last night, but at the very moment—sundown—when the Jewish New Year was beginning. Aslan is on the move!”

“Today when we worship we are doing spiritual warfare,” Metaxas told the crowd. “We’re not just singing songs. The enemy wants this city. The enemy wants to rob you and your children of salvation. Jesus wants you to stand firm and induce spiritual warfare. When we worship, I want you to know you are doing spiritual warfare—you are calling Jesus into this place and he is going to come and we are going to see his hand do things in this city.”

Albert Pujols Makes History With 700th Home Run, but Says His ‘Life’s Goal Is To Bring Glory to Jesus’

Jessica Lea

September 26, 2022

Major League Baseball (MLB) player Albert Pujols made history Friday, Sept. 23, when he hit his 700th home run on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pujols, who is not shy about sharing his Christian faith, expressed gratitude to God for his achievement.

“What a special night,” said Pujols. “To have my family in town and to do it at Dodger Stadium. I said it earlier, my joy, pretty much, of this game came back last year [while playing for the Dodgers] and being in the postseason. It’s pretty special with the Dodgers fans here, and I get both sides of this. [The Dodgers] get to enjoy this and I get to do it with a Cardinals uniform, which makes it even more special. I’m just thanking God.”

Mr. 700, #AlbertPujols! pic.twitter.com/ccQ4DQcXV0

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 24, 2022

Albert Pujols: Baseball Is Not My ‘Chief Ambition’

Albert Pujols, 42, is back with the team who drafted him and playing in what he has said is the final season of his career. He joins Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, and Hank Aaron as the only players in the history of the MLB to hit 700 home runs. Pujols and Aaron are also the only players to achieve 3,000 hits during their careers.

The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Albert Pujols in 2001, and he played for the Cardinals through 2011, winning two World Series with the team during that time. Pujols played for the Los Angeles Angels from 2012 to 2021 and for the Dodgers in 2021. When he got the opportunity to return to the Cardinals in 2022, Pujols did not hesitate.

Former teammate Skip Schumaker expressed his amazement at the hitter’s 2022 home run streak in an appearance on the Sports Spectrum Podcast prior to Pujols’ record-setting No. 700. Schumaker, now a bench coach for the Cardinals, said, “It doesn’t make any sense to me of how he’s doing this. I am the same age as him. I feel terrible. And he’s hitting home runs in the major leagues against young kids that nowadays are throwing every pitch 95 to 100 [mph]. And he’s catching up to it like it’s no big deal. And he’s the best hitter in the major leagues against left-handed pitching.” The Cardinals ended up beating the Dodgers Friday 11-0.

Yet Pujols says his remarkable achievements pale in importance to his Christian faith. “Believe it or not, baseball is not the chief ambition of my life,” he writes on the website for the Pujols Family Foundation. “Becoming a great baseball player is important to me, but it is not my primary focus. Because I know the Hall of Fame is not my ultimate final destination.”

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, ‘You Have To Put [God] at the Center of Everything That You Do’

Jesse T. Jackson

September 26, 2022

During an interview with CBS’ Cody Benjamin earlier this month, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts shared that he keeps God the center of his life after realizing that “God is everything.”

The 2020 second round pick is in his third year as the Eagles starting quarterback and has his team off to a 3-0 start after beating Carson Wentz and the Washington Commanders 24–8 the third week of the 2022 season.

“I’ve just matured and realized that God is everything and he’s worthy of praise,” Hurts said as he discussed his faith. “You have to put [God] at the center of everything that you do. That’s what I believe.”

Jalen Hurts Says Family Taught Him About God

Jalen Hurts credits his family for his strong faith due them teaching him about God. “All my spiritual wisdom, all of my wisdom as a whole, comes from him, in some way, shape or form, whether that be passed down from my father, my mother, my grandmother,” Hurts said. “I just think, in all the things that we experience in life — good, bad or indifferent — you have to keep him in the center.

The young, electrifying quarterback explained that God is at the center of all he does and deserves all the praise for the man he is today. Hurts shared in the interview that someone asked him if by being an African American NFL quarterback in Philadelphia he feels like he has to “open up or be a certain way.”

T.D. Jakes’ Daughter, Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts, Anointed To Succeed Her Father

Stephanie Martin

September 26, 2022

Sarah Jakes Roberts — Screengrab via YouTube @T.D. Jakes

At the final Woman, Thou Art Loosed! conference, which concluded on Sept. 24 in Atlanta, Bishop T.D. Jakes handed the reins of his successful women’s-empowerment ministry to his daughter, Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts.

The 65-year-old Jakes called his daughter to the stage, saying she was “walking into her destiny.” He emphasized that he was anointing her not through DNA, birth order, favoritism, or nepotism. “If I did not know that the hand of the Lord was upon you, I would never do this,” he said.

As Jakes poured oil on his daughter’s head, he prayed that God would bless her with strength and power. She then collapsed and remained on the stage as her father told all the attendees he was declaring “a new season in your life.”

Sarah Jakes Roberts Continues Father’s Legacy

Through her Woman Evolve ministry and a book of the same title, Sarah Jakes Roberts encourages women to “break up” with their fears and “revolutionize your life.” She also co-pastors two branches of The Potter’s House church—one in Los Angeles and one in Denver—with her husband, Touré Roberts.

On social media, her proud father writes: “I have watched you grow from my baby girl into a leader, changemaker, and influencer with a reach far beyond generations of women. You’ve touched the lives of so many, and as your earthly father, I’ve never been prouder! It is my distinct honor to pass the torch to you. You’ve earned it and will excel wherever God takes you for women’s empowerment!” Jakes vows to “always be there to put my coat over you for as long as I live, and gladly so. For as I decrease, I will watch God increase you!”

In her 2014 book “Lost and Found,” Jakes Roberts describes overcoming struggles including a pregnancy at age 13, a marriage at 19 that ended in divorce, low self-esteem, and more. By dealing with guilt and shame, she was able to transform from insecure and fearful to a “powerhouse” who helps other women “evolve into the best version of themselves.”

Bishop T.D. Jakes: ‘I Must Decrease’

After 30 years of conferences and 45 years of preaching, Jakes said to his daughter, “The time has come that I must decrease, and you must increase.” He describes the leadership transition as a beginning, not an ending, and he refutes the notion that it’s “weak” for a man to empower a woman.

Abuse Survivor Jennifer Buck Asks SBC President for Meeting; Barber Says Not His ‘Priority’

Jesse T. Jackson

September 26, 2022

In an ongoing effort to find out who is responsible for leaking a highly personal story detailing her abuse, Jennifer Buck reached out directly to Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) President Bart Barber requesting an in-person meeting to discuss events that happened earlier this spring.

Jennifer, who is the wife of outspoken SBC pastor Tom Buck (First Baptist Church in Lindale, TX), had detailed in writing her personal story about early, difficult years in her marriage. The writing also included information about sexual abuse she says she experienced during childhood. Jennifer ultimately decided to keep the writing private, but alleges it was leaked anonymously in retaliation after Tom Buck confronted leadership at another SBC church regarding a confirmed sex abuser who was on staff.

Tom and Jennifer have openly spoken about their difficulties early in marriage. The Bucks have previously stated that their marriage problems culminated one afternoon when Jennifer playfully placed a cold can of Coca-Cola on the back of her husband’s neck. Tom reacted in anger by grabbing her hand and slapping her on her wrist.

Stunned by the exchange, they say they both realized Tom’s actions had reached a level of abuse their marriage had never experienced. The situation scared Jennifer and Tom as well, prompting him to seek immediate help.

Through biblical individual and marriage counseling, Tom said he repented of his anger issues and was mentored into becoming a man of God in his marriage, a man who desired to put his wife above himself. Jennifer says she first doubted such a thing would ever happen, but now, years later, sees “in our suffering, God taught us and equipped us for the family and ministry he had prepared for us.”

Giving all credit to God, the Bucks are celebrating 35 years of marriage this year.

In 2018, Jennifer and Tom say they decided to share her story with Rachael Denhollander. Denhollander is an attorney, former advisor for the SBC’s Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF), current attorney for the SBC’s Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF), former gymnast, and sexual abuse survivor.

Albuquerque Church Security Guard Killed, Suspect Arrested

AP News

September 26, 2022

Church Security Guard — Photo by David von Diemar on Unsplash.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A suspect has been arrested in connection with the death of a security guard at an Albuquerque church, authorities said Sunday.

City police said 35-year-old Marc Ward was taken into custody Saturday. It was unclear Sunday if Ward has a lawyer yet who can speak about the case.

Police said 61-year-old Daniel Bourne was killed in the church’s parking lot Friday night.

His body was found in an adjacent arroyo and police said Bourne was apparently run over by a vehicle and dragged.

Prior to that, police said Bourne had sent his supervisor photos of a suspicious truck near the church along with the license plates and that is what led them to the suspect.

Authorities said Bourne served as a commander for the Bernalillo County Fire Rescue for 20 years and retired in 2008.

They said Bourne is survived by his wife and three children.

This article originally appeared here.

Cuba Approves Same-Sex Marriage in Unusual Referendum

Cristiana Mesquita

September 26, 2022

Same-sex Marriage — Cuba's President Miguel Diaz Canel speaks to the press after casting his vote at a polling station during the new Family Code referendum in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. The draft of the new Family Code, which has more than 480 articles, was drawn up by a team of 30 experts, and it is expected to replace the current one that dates from 1975 and has been overtaken by new family structures and social changes. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

HAVANA (AP) — Cubans have approved a sweeping “family law” code that would allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt as well as redefining rights for children and grandparents, officials said Monday, though opposition in the national referendum was unusually strong on the Communist Party-governed island.

The measure — which contains more than 400 articles — was approved by 66.9% to 33.1%, the president of the National Electoral Council, Alina Balseiro Gutiérrez, told official news media, though returns from a few places remained to be counted.

The reforms had met unusually strong open resistance from the growing evangelical movement in Cuba — and many other Cubans — despite an extensive government campaign in favor of the measure, including thousands of informative meetings across the country and extensive media coverage backing it.

Cuban elections — in which no party other than the Communist is allowed — routinely produce victory margins of more than 90% — as did a referendum on a major constitutional reform in 2019.

The code would allow surrogate pregnancies, broader rights for grandparents in regard to grandchildren, protection of the elderly and measures against gender violence.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who has promoted the law acknowledged questions about the measure as he voted on Sunday.

“Most of our people will vote in favor of the code, but it still has issues that our society as a whole does not understand,” he said.

The measure had been approved by Cuba’s Parliament, the National Assembly, after years of debate about such reforms.

A major supporter of the measure was Mariela Castro, director of the National Center for Sex Education, a promoter of rights for same-sex couples, daughter of former President Raul Castro and niece of his brother Fidel.

But there is a strong strain of social conservatism in Cuba and several religious leaders have expressed concern or opposition to the law., worrying it could weaken nuclear families.

While Cuba was officially — and often militantly — atheist for decades after the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro — Raul’s brother — it has become more tolerant of religions over the past quarter century. That has meant a greater opening not only the once-dominant Roman Catholic Church, but also to Afro-Cuban religions, protestants and Muslims.

Some of those churches took advantage of the opening in 2018 and 2019 to campaign against another plebiscite which would have rewritten the constitution in a way to allow gay marriage.

Opposition was strong enough that the government at that time backed away.

This article originally appeared here.

Study: More Than 3/4 of Republican Evangelicals Want US Declared a Christian Nation

Bob Smietana

September 26, 2022

Capitol — Photo via Unsplash.com @haroldrmendoza

(RNS) — When it comes to politics, there are few things Democrats and Republicans agree on.

One exception: Making America officially a Christian nation would be unconstitutional.

That’s true even for Americans who would like the country to be Christian.

Seventy percent of Americans agreed the U.S. Constitution would not allow “the U.S. government to declare the United States a Christian nation,” according to the University of Maryland’s Critical Issues Poll. That includes 81% of Democrats, 73% of Independents, and 57% of Republicans.

Just under two-thirds (62%) of Americans said they opposed the idea of the U.S. officially becoming a Christian nation. That includes 83% of Democrats, 64% of Independents, and 39% of Republicans.

Sixty-one percent of Republicans said they favor “the United States officially declaring the United States to be a Christian nation.”

“Our new University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll suggests that declaring the United States a Christian nation is a message that could be broadly embraced by Republicans in the midterms and 2024 presidential race,” wrote University of Maryland professors Stella Rouse and Shibley Telhami in an op-ed for Politico. “But our findings also see limits to its appeal — and over the long-term, Christian nationalism could be a political loser.”

The questions about Christian nationalism — the idea that Christianity is an essential part of American identity and that Christians should run the country — were part of a larger poll of 2,091 participants conducted May 6–16, 2022. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.14%.

Pollsters also looked at the ways religion and politics affected views on Christian nationalism in several different religious traditions. Baptists were split, with 46% percent saying that declaring the United States a Christian nation was constitutional and 54% saying it was not.

Catholics (69%), non-Christians (85%) and other Christians (69%) were more likely to say that declaring the U.S. a Christian nation was not allowed under the Constitution.

Baptists (67%) and other Christians (52%) were more likely to favor declaring the U.S. a Christian nation than Catholics (40%) or non-Christians (11%). In every group, Republicans were more likely to be in favor of declaring the U.S. a Christian nation than Democrats.

Evangelical or born-again Christians — a category that crossed denominational lines, said Telhami — were most likely to support the idea of the U.S. becoming an officially Christian nation. Among Republicans, more than three-fourths (78%) of those who identified as evangelical or born-again favored declaring the United States officially Christian. Among Democrats, 52% of those who identify as evangelical or born again agreed.

Support for Christian nationalism is popular among older American Christians and could strengthen the Republican base, wrote Rouse and Telhami.

“However, this strategy may be short-sighted,” they wrote for Politico. “As our findings demonstrate, there is strong opposition to declaring the U.S. a Christian nation among younger Americans, and even younger Republicans. For that reason, the GOP may want to tread carefully or risk alienating rising generations.”

American Christianity has declined in recent years, from 78% in 2007 to 63% in 2020, according to Pew Research, while about a third of Americans now claim no religious affiliation. Recent projections by Pew Research found the U.S. could lose its Christian majority by 2070.

A 2021 Pew Research survey found that 69% percent of Americans said the federal government “should never declare any religion as the official religion of the U.S.” Fifteen percent said the government should declare the U.S. a Christian nation.

Only 13% of Americans said the federal government should advocate for Christian values, while 63% said the government should advocate for values shared by people of many faiths.

About one in five Americans (18%) said the Constitution was divinely inspired. Three in 10 said public school teachers should be allowed to pray with students.

This article originally appeared here.

US Catholic Bishops’ Report to the Vatican Shows a Church Split by Politics

Claire Giangrave

September 26, 2022

US_catholic_bishops — Clergy attend the fall General Assembly meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Nov. 17, 2021, in Baltimore.(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Catholics in the United States are deeply divided over issues as disparate as LGBTQ inclusion, clerical sexual abuse and celebrating the liturgy, according to a summary of consultations carried out in dioceses across the country in recent months as part of Pope Francis’ Synod on Synodality.

“Participants felt this division as a profound sense of pain and anxiety,” the U.S. bishops wrote in a summary released Monday (Sept. 19) to the public after being sent to the Vatican last month.

In 2021, Francis launched a global discussion, requiring parish churches and a host of other religious organizations to gather their congregations to talk about how they view the hierarchy and issues facing the church. The discussion would inform a summit of bishops at the Vatican scheduled for October 2023 on the topic “For a Synodal Church: Participation, Communion and Mission.”

Bishops’ conferences were tasked with collecting comments made at the parish level and sending them to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who produced a report for the Vatican.

To collect the information from the over 66.8 million Catholics living in the United States, bishops divided the country into 15 administrative regions, including one representing the Eastern Churches. Contributions by Catholic organizations and individuals were grouped into a 16^th region.

A total of 290 documents were sent to the U.S. bishops to summarize.

In a section of the document titled “Enduring wounds,” the bishops wrote that Catholics have brought divisions born in the political arena, including views on the Eucharist and the celebration of Mass, into the pews.

A controversy about whether Catholic pro-choice politicians, including President Joe Biden, should be allowed to receive Communion at Mass has fractured Catholic communities in recent years and led U.S. Bishops to launch a $28 million three-year process to “restore” and “revive” the Eucharist.

Francis’ decision last year to strongly restrict the celebration of Mass in the Old Latin Rite, which the pontiff believed had become a rallying cause for conservative dissent, has led some Catholics to lament “the level of animosity” and “feeling judged” in the church, the USCCB report said.

The polarization has also affected the church hierarchy, with the divisions among bishops — and sometimes between bishops and the pope — becoming “a source of grave scandal,” the summary stated.

“This perceived lack of unity within the hierarchy seems to, in turn, justify division at the local level,” the document said.

Connected to the topic of polarization was “marginalization.” The report emphasized calls by many Catholics for the church to become a more welcoming and open space. Two groups most marginalized, it suggested, were those who lack social or economic power and those whose lifestyle is condemned by church teaching.

Migrants, ethnic minorities, the unborn and the poor belong in the first group, according to the document, which also included women, “whose voices are frequently marginalized in the decision-making processes of the Church.”

The second group included members of the LGBTQ community and divorced and civilly remarried couples. “Concerns about how to respond to the needs of these diverse groups surfaced in every synthesis,” the document said.

The question of LGBTQ Catholics was especially troubling, with “practically all synodal consultations” stating that the lack of welcome was at least in part responsible for the hemorrhage of young people from the church. “The hope for a welcoming Church expressed itself clearly with the desire to accompany with authenticity LGBTQ+ persons and their families,” the summary stated.

American Catholics also asked for a greater involvement of lay people, again singling out women. “There was a desire for stronger leadership, discernment, and decision-making roles for women — both lay and religious — in their parishes and communities,” the report stated.

Catholic teaching forbids women from becoming deacons, priests, bishops, cardinals or popes and limits their role in the liturgy, interpreting Jesus’ and his disciples’ masculinity as sanctioning an all-male liturgy and clergy. The church also condemns homosexual acts as a sin and considers gay individuals “intrinsically disordered.”

The divisions and politics tearing at the Catholic Church in the United States occur in the context of “the still unfolding effects of the sexual abuse crisis,” the document said. “The sin and crime of sexual abuse has eroded not only trust in the hierarchy and the moral integrity of the Church, but also created a culture of fear that keeps people from entering into relationship with one another and thus from experiencing the sense of belonging and connectedness for which they yearn.”

Despite these challenges, the bishops said, Catholics shared a desire for more church activities, especially for families, to be experienced together and demanded better formation of seminarians and a greater focus on how to translate homilies into action.

The report relayed to the Vatican the “skepticism and suspicion” that hung over the synodal discussions as the process got underway. But once faithful embraced the listening spirit of the discussions, the bishops said, the meetings were embraced as a “seed of renewal” to mend the fractures in the community.

“The synodal consultations around the enduring wounds caused by the clergy sexual abuse scandal, the pandemic, polarization, and marginalization have exposed a deep hunger for healing and the strong desire for communion, community, and a sense of belonging and being united,” the bishops wrote.

The U.S. bishops’ summary, along with those of hundreds of bishops’ conferences around the world, are currently being studied at the Vatican, which will release a document in the coming weeks to guide the discussions of faith groups and organizations divided into seven “continental groups.”

This article originally appeared here.

Don Hinkle, Longtime Conservative Missouri Baptist Editor, Has Died

Bob Smietana

September 26, 2022

(RNS) — Don Hinkle, a longtime Southern Baptist newspaper editor known for his conservative politics and colorful bowties, has died at age 68.

“With great sorrow we learned that Don Hinkle, founding editor of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Pathway newspaper, has gone to be home with the Lord Jesus,” the Missouri Baptist news journal announced on social media Thursday (Sept. 22). “He will be missed.”

Shannon Baker, president of the Association of State Baptist Papers, in an email, called Hinkle “such an asset to Southern Baptists,” and said, “I will certainly miss his expressive conversations and intellect as well as his genuine kindness to me.”

For two decades, Hinkle was editor of The Pathway, the official publication of the Missouri Baptist Convention, founded in 2002 amid a feud between conservatives and moderates in the state. Conservative leaders hired Hinkle, a former newspaper editor turned seminarian and Christian journalist, to lead the new publication—meant to rival Word&Way, a longtime Missouri Baptist publication.

Hinkle had recently announced plans to step down at the end of the year to focus on public policy work for the state convention.

“Whenever we would visit we would talk about everything from Jesus, politics, sports, bowties and the state of journalism amongst other things,” said the Rev. Jon Nelson, president of the Missouri Baptist Convention, in an email.

But Nelson remembered Hinkle chiefly as someone who cared deeply about the convention’s churches. In announcing his own retirement, according to a Pathway report, Hinkle said, “It has been a privilege to serve as editor of your state newspaper. It doesn’t belong to me. It doesn’t belong to anyone here in this building. It belongs to you. It belongs to the churches of the Missouri Baptist Convention.”

Born September 14, 1954, Hinkle grew up in Springfield, Tennessee, outside Nashville. He went to work in 1975 at his hometown radio station, then as a reporter and editor in the Air Force for 10 years before working at several metropolitan newspapers, including the Tennessean in Nashville.

Before becoming editor of The Pathway, he was the editor of the Columbia Journal, south of Nashville, and a national correspondent for Baptist Press, the SBC’s official news outlet.

He earned master’s degrees in Christian education and theology from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, according to his online biography.

The early years as editor of The Pathway were difficult, as the state convention was involved in a long-running legal battle over control of a major conference center, Word&Way, a Baptist foundation, and other entities. Those lawsuits and controversy in the Missouri convention led to staff restructuring and leadership turnover, Hinkle recalled in reflecting on his 20 years as editor.

“There were many nights I went home, shedding tears in frustration. It felt like the MBC was on the brink,” Hinkle wrote.

The Pathway eventually grew to about 30,000 in circulation, Hinkle added.

Hinkle was no stranger to controversy. In 1997, he wrote “Embattled Banner,” a defense of the Confederate battle flag as a Christian symbol. More recently, he warned of the dangers of critical race theory in the Southern Baptist Convention and criticized the SBC’s Nashville-based Executive Committee for hiring a law firm that was LGBT affirming and for waiving attorney-client privilege in an abuse investigation.

Small Church, Small Impact? It Might Actually Be the Opposite

Brad Hill

September 26, 2022

Either the glass is half full, or it’s half empty. We’ve all heard this expression before, and many of us find that we land on one side or the other as we approach life and work. We either have enough, or we don’t — people in the pews, volunteers to help, ministries to serve, digital presence, money coming in. In our digitally connected, social media dominant culture, it can be easy for pastors and leaders to compare themselves to others’ platforms, charisma, or content cycles.

The glass, it seems, is always half-empty for too many church leaders. We believe that if others have many people, a large platform, or a powerful presence, there is no room for us to have the same.

Stephen Covey, John Maxwell, and others have talked about this as the difference between having a scarcity mindset versus an abundance mindset. “Scarcity thinking,” Maxwell writes in his book Intentional Living, “has nothing to give. It is preoccupied with receiving. Scarcity thinking is all about me. It says, ‘There’s not enough to go around. I had better get something for myself and hold onto it with all I have.’” An abundance mindset, on the other hand, is akin to understanding that God really does own the cattle upon a thousand hills (see Psalm 50:10), that all good things come from Him, and that His gifts are overflowing.

One of the things we talk about at Gloo is what it looks like to “release the collective might of the Church.” We take an optimistic view that every church, regardless of size, has immense capacity to change lives. Yet not every church has full stack access to programs, tech, or content to maximize that capacity.

If resources aren’t accessible inside the four walls, churches can sometimes default either to “we’ll try to build our own” or “we just don’t offer that here.” For many reasons, churches haven’t always been able to partner well with each other, nor do they have easy ways to partner with other organizations who have the potential to fill their gaps.

So, how do we get all parts of the Church working better together?

We have spent years building an online platform and infrastructure that connects the faith ecosystem so that all parts of the Church can come together such that the glass is always half full and ideally, overflowing. The body working together — that’s the essence of “collective might.” What that means is that, as followers of Christ, we begin to re-embrace an understanding of the fullness of God in all things. Just as the loaves and bread never ran out and the wine never ran dry, this is the reality of how God provides for — and uses — all of us today.

The Collective Might in Our Churches

Even before COVID-19 radically changed our churches, there were signs of a scarcity mindset. As pastors with congregations of 100 looked at pastors of 5,000-member, big-budget megachurches, it seemed that scale equaled success. And then COVID-19 came, and many of us went into a scarcity mindset, believing that our 35 people weren’t enough to truly engage in God’s mission.

It uncovered an important question: Are attendance and budget size really the most important metrics?

Yes, we love it when many people come to faith, and many communities are flourishing. But we also know that Jesus cares about the one lost sheep, the woman at the well, and the man born blind. When we begin to see our churches as not “just 35 people” but instead as “35 people to grow and multiply” who are uniquely gifted and empowered by God to change our world, everything changes.

Single moms, business owners, retired teachers — all are filled with the fullness of God to be on mission in unique and powerful ways. And it doesn’t stop there. Life experiences and struggles are also potential launch points to release God’s goodness to the world. Those who have wrestled with mental health issues in the past can now come alongside others who are struggling. Those who come from diverse faith or non-faith backgrounds likewise play a role.

From Consumption to Contribution

The movement from abundance-to-scarcity is a mindset shift, but it’s not the first step. First, we need to acknowledge that God has wired every person with the innate longing to contribute. Every person has something to give. In the context of the body, they might be a hand, foot, eye or mouth… and they may need help discovering just what that calling is. When people move from being consumers to being contributors, they truly realize their God-given potential in the body of Christ.

3 Situations Where You Might Be Gossiping Without Realizing It

Dale Chamberlain

September 25, 2022

Gossip is toxic. All throughout the scriptures, God warns us against it. And that’s because it’s so damaging. It tears families, friend groups, and even entire communities apart. It sows dissension in the Church and breeds mistrust among the people you depend on most.

Here’s how Solomon puts it in Proverbs.

A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. (Proverbs 16:28)

In short, a “whisperer” is an agent of destruction. If you’re a follower of Jesus, this isn’t news to you. We all know that we should never engage in spreading gossip. Yet it’s so tempting. We gossip far more than we would like to admit.

In fact, we gossip far more than we even realize.

Gossip is so tempting that we can do it without even noticing that it’s exactly what we’re doing. But just because we aren’t intentional about our gossip, that doesn’t make it any less damaging. It’s one of those “small” sins that feels relatively harmless–until it destroys relationships.

So if you’re serious about being someone who’s trustworthy, empathetic, and safe to talk to, you need to constantly watch yourself when it comes to gossip.

Here are three situations where you might be engaging in gossip without even realizing it.

1. Divulging Too Many Details During Group Prayer Request Times.

This is a classic trope in Christian circles. We’ve all been in a small group meeting where we heard someone share a titillating secret about another person who isn’t present, all under the guise of “prayer requests.”

“Pray for Emma’s son. I hear he’s getting into trouble and running with the wrong crowd.”

“Please lift up our elder board in prayer. I heard they got into a major disagreement at their meeting last night.”

“Let’s keep Mike in our prayers. He’s been really irritable lately. I think there may be some issues he’s dealing with at home.”

These may be legitimate prayers. However, in a group setting, too often we share far more detail than is appropriate. We take an honorable deed (praying for someone) and turn it into a sin (dishing about what may or may not be going on in their life).

Sometimes when people do this, it’s malicious. They intentionally spiritualize their gossip by calling it a prayer request, so they can sin and look spiritual at the same time. We all know people like that. And if you’re smart, you avoid them like the plague.

That’s not always the case though. Perhaps I’m too much of an optimist, but I’m inclined to believe that it’s not even a majority of cases. I think most of us overshare about someone else not because we have malicious intent, but simply because we’re undisciplined in what we talk about.

The solution then is to be more disciplined in what we say. As James puts it, we need to bridle our tongues.

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (James 1:26)

The next time you’re thinking about sharing in a group on someone else’s behalf, consider whether it would be better to keep it to yourself.

2. Not Discerning When Someone Said Something to You and Assumed You’d Keep It in Confidence.

Along the same lines, many of us are far too free and loose with what has been shared with us in other settings too. You may be talking with one friend and see a connection with something that another friend told you earlier that week. So you bring it up to make conversation.

It may be harmless. However, sometimes when a friend is talking with you, particularly if it’s a close friend, there’s an implied confidentiality in the conversation. Meaning that they weren’t intending to share details about their life situation, their struggles, temptations, or frustrations with anyone other than you.

Endurance: How to Make the Long Run of Leadership

Dan Reiland

September 25, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

The primary difference between doing a short-run and a long-run is endurance. COVID is teaching us that no matter how much we want a difficult circumstance to end sooner, it’s going to finish its course. The good news is that COVID will end, but we must still endure the reality that it’s not over yet. Endurance is required. Don’t quit. Endurance is a quality consistently found among great leaders. It is a sister to resilience, as the ability to “bounce back from a setback.” Endurance means the long run of leadership. It’s the ability to just keep going regardless of the obstacles and pressure.

A great picture of endurance is going for a run.

You don’t need much endurance to run a ½ mile, and you need very little preparation. You can wear nearly any kind of clothing, probably even wear the shoes you have on, and walk out your front door to do a ½ mile run.

To run 10 miles, however, is quite a different story. You need to practice 1-2 miles, then 4 miles, then 7 miles, etc. You need the right shoes, a little water with you, a predetermined route, and the physical capacity of enduring 10 miles on foot.

Leadership is the same way. If you are going for the long-run, endurance is required, and that involves preparation.

As a leader, endurance combines the conviction of your values, commitment to do the work, and making the right choices along the way.

I’m in my 39^th year of the long run of leadership; I can share 4 insights that will help you go the distance.

4 Insights to Make the Long Run of Leadership

1. Set your values and pre-decide.

If you don’t know your values as a leader, it’s a little like running a race without knowing the course. If you literally don’t know where to run, you can’t possibly win.

We often talk about the importance of the destination, but how you take the journey can not only alter how you experience the destination but even if you get there or not.

For example, if among your (short) list of values are generosity, personal health, and honesty, you can immediately see how that would shape how you lead. If you don’t know your values, you can’t make good decisions.

When you possess the conviction of your values, and that takes time, you can then begin to pre-decide what you will and won’t do so you are not tempted by pressure or emotion to make an unwise decision.

Leaders who are not guided by values at a convictional level are nearly guaranteed to derail over time.

2. Understand the art of making good and wise trades.

A major contributor of a meaningful life and successful leadership is the art of making good and wise trades.

For example, you make trades every day about where you place your energy, hours, and resources. They either focus at home or work, and both are required.

Very few leaders can stay home all the time, and we know it’s not healthy to work all the time. You are trading asks, pressures, desires, and outcomes every day.

You need to get really good at it.

Essentially you are trading time and resources back and forth, attempting to achieve your dreams according to the guidelines of your values.

Making trades is a never-ending and imperfect art, but some leaders get really good at it while others struggle all their lives. The starting point is knowing your desired destination and the values that will guide your path.

Don’t allow yourself to get too shaken when you make a mistake, and you experience a setback. Make better trades tomorrow.

That leads us to the need to calm your soul and find peace of mind.

3. Practice learning how to calm your soul.

Leadership can be difficult under normal circumstances, and when you add any of several current cultural tensions and top it all off with COVID, leadership can become overwhelming.

Leaders who stay the course for all that God has in mind have learned how to calm their souls and experience joy even under setbacks, curveballs, and great pressure.

Three things have helped me and countless other leaders:

Slow down
When you’re running at a good pace for a long period of time, your heart is not at rest. It’s the same with your spiritual soul.

Far too many leaders live with low-grade anxiety nearly all the time. It’s not a clinical problem, and they function well, but it robs them of deep inner joy and peace.

Take daily and weekly time to slow down. Be still and quiet. Breath deep – clear your mind. Reflect on the great blessings of your life.

Invest in deep relationships
I’ve never met a leader who did not understand what it means to invest in deep relationships, yet many do not.

We could discuss the many reasons and causes, but let’s focus on the importance.

We are created for relationship, not isolation. We are designed for interdependence, not independence. Beautiful and deep relationships are at the core of a meaningful life.

Battle fear and worry
Fear is a useful and God-given emotion, but when it takes over, you are robbed of God’s peace. The best antidote to fear is action.

Worry is a complete waste of time; focus on what you can do, what you can influence, and leave the rest to God.

The end result is greater joy.

4. Do the work.

You will not achieve anything of meaning or value without significant effort over a very long time.

At some point, the long run of leadership involves work, lots of hard work. There is no escape, but when you are pursuing a dream, guided by your values and experiencing joy, you can go the distance.

You might not land the full fruition of your dreams, but your life will still be well lived with great meaning.

I have learned that everyone defines working hard differently; that is perhaps part of the “making trades” I referred to earlier.

So, let’s not judge each other.

What is clear, however, is that hard work will stretch you, drain you, make you think, and at times will push your limits.

Leadership is hard work; if you signed up for anything less, you are in the wrong seat. When you wrestle that truth down, you are positioned for greater results and greater joy.

And you will likely run the distance.

This article on the long run of leadership originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

3 Ways To Exchange Your Negativity for Gratitude

Tamara Chamberlain

September 24, 2022

I don’t know about you, but I’m really tired of all the negativity and complaining—much of it oozing from my own heart.

This year has brought about many situations and events to be critical of. And it’s so easy to turn a healthy discipline of critical thinking into mere complaining. Certainly, we can’t pretend the issues of our world don’t exist or just speak toxic positivity over them. But we have to watch how far down the critical road we allow ourselves to walk.

The last coupe of years have been a perfect set up for some of the darkness of our own hearts to be on full display. A shift in our culture, society, and churches has taken place. And in many cases, it hasn’t been for the best. The tension surrounding us has caused us to care less for the heart and soul of others and to care more about stating the “facts” of a situation, regardless of the harm that brings.

What we read, listen to, and expel from our mouths is covered in negativity and downright complaints. This is an exhausting spiral. It’s incredibly draining to ourselves, as well as those around us.

So how do we stop the cycle? How do we climb out of the pit that continues to suck us back in day after day?

Going into hiding isn’t the answer. I’ve tried that the last few weeks and it hasn’t helped much. We can’t just avoid what’s happening, because as Christians we are called to be light and salt into the world. In order to do that, we have to actually know what’s happening in the world and be able to engage the world where they are.

One of the greatest ways to combat a heart of negativity and complaining is to discipline yourself to have a heart of gratitude. I know many of us become a bit more mindful and intentional about being thankful during the holidays. But this year has proved we need to be more disciplined in this area daily, and not just seasonally.

When I talk about a heart of gratitude I mean more than the canned statements like, “I’m so grateful I got to wake up today and that I have air in my lungs.” Maybe I just have some real maturing to do in this area, but these kinds of responses feel a bit disingenuous and unattainable to me. I want to discipline myself to develop a heart of gratitude in ways that impact my life in the day-to-day and reposition my entire way of doing life.

I’m still new to this journey of intentionally developing a lifestyle of gratitude. But I think there are some tangible ways we can balance our complaining and negativity with thankfulness and gratitude.

Here are three.

1. Confess Your Ingratitude

It’s probably safe to say that no one sets out to be ungrateful. And yet, we all know someone (hmm, maybe ourselves) who is never grateful. Gratitude has to be developed and learned.

Recently I gifted a pretty exciting gift to a small child. And though she didn’t know what it was, she knew a gift was coming. I was really looking forward to seeing her overjoyed excitement that can only come from a surprised child. But that didn’t happen. As soon as I walked in the door she said, “Where’s my present?”

Churches With ‘For Sale’ Signs—Here’s What Happened

Dale Hudson

September 24, 2022

There is a church building that is for sale down the street from my house. Weeds and vines have grown over from years of no maintenance being done. The roof needs repairing. The windows are boarded up. The grass is overgrown with tall weeds.

When I drive past it, I often wonder what happened? I imagine at one time it was a thriving, growing ministry. The laughter and giggles of children echoed through the building. Young parents conversed with each other. You could hear the sweet sound of babies in the nursery.

But gradually…over the years, the congregation begin to age. The young families turned into middle-age families. Their children grew up and went off to college. Their children grew up and begin to drop out of church.

The “for sale” sign is there for one reason. They didn’t effectively pass along their faith to the next generation. Many churches are headed for permanent retirement. They’ve failed to pass on the faith baton effectively. They felt hanging onto their songs that were written in 1921 was more important than engaging the next generation in worship. They weren’t willing to invest in children’s ministry, which could have attracted young families. They didn’t give the next generation the opportunity to lead and give input into the future of the church. They didn’t have a vision that was compelling enough to engage the next generation.

Passing on our faith to the next generation is a big deal in Scripture. Verse after verse addresses the importance of sharing our faith, by words and actions, with the next generation.

We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.
(Psalm 78:4)

Why must we be so intentional about passing on our faith? If we do not pass on the faith, we will lose the generation coming behind us.

Churches that have a future always have a deep investment in the next generation. They care more about reaching the next generation than they do about their personal preferences, worship styles and current status.

Eventually, they will have to close their church doors and put a for sale sign out front.

If a church is serious about their future, they will make next generation ministry a PRIORITY.

If a church wants to reach the next generation, they will PRAY for God to help them reach out and share the Gospel with young families.

If a church wants to impact the next generation, they will have their best volunteer PEOPLE serving in children’s ministry.

How to Be a Non Anxious Presence in the Face of Criticism

Charles Stone

September 24, 2022

Criticism hurts, especially the non-constructive kind. We tend to stay away from such critics. But is that the wisest choice? Should we draw close to them instead of pulling away from them? In this post I explore the idea of not shunning your critics. Murray Bowen, the father of family systems, coined the phrase non-anxious presence. A non anxious presence describes a personal quality that when a leader exhibits it, can keep a family or a group’s overall emotional reactivity and anxiety down. He and others suggest that leaders should not cut off their critics, but should actually stay connected to them in a calm way.

What does a non anxious presence in a leader look like?

How to Be a Non Anxious Presence in the Face of Criticism

can truly listen to another, even if he or she is bearing bad news or criticism
can hold his emotions in check when in the hot seat
seldom gets defensive
can acknowledge the emotions of his critic
will calmly and courageously respond instead of reacting

Ernest Shackleton, one of the greatest explorers ever, modeled this non anxious presence with his Antarctica expedition crew as they were marooned for over a year in 1915-1916 after their ship was crushed by the ice. His calm presence and his drawing toward difficult crew members allowed him to lead them all to safety. Not one man perished. Here’s what he did.

His photographer, Frank Hurley would feel slighted if the crew didn’t pay attention to him and would become difficult to work with. Instead of isolating him, Shackleton gave him a place in his tent and often conferred with him.
His physicist, Reginald Jamer, was an introverted academic. Shackleton feared that his personality might invite ridicule that in turn could escalate into a serious issue. He made him a bunkmate as well.
When Shackleton selected a crew to take a lifeboat to sail from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island to assemble a rescue party for the entire crew, he selected the carpenter, McNeish. He chose him not only for his skills but also because he was concerned that McNeish could create discontentment with the men who were left.
Finally, Shackleton specifically picked two other crewmen because he felt they might cause trouble in his absence. In total, more than half of the group he chose were potential troublemakers.

So, how can we present a non anxious presence to those who are our critics or to those with whom our personalities rub? I suggest these five ideas.

When criticized, truly try to understand the critic’s perspective. Ask questions. Really listen.
When someone criticizes, thank them for sharing it.
Keep a good sense of humor. Don’t allow the criticism to suck the life from you.
Spend some social time with the critic so he can get to know you. Share some of your personal life story.
Do something thoughtful for your critic, something that he or she would not expect from you.

As counter-intuitive as this may seen, staying calmly connected to your critics can actually help you grow as a leader and move your church or organization forward. At what point do you believe you should you draw the line with criticism? That is, when should you cut if off before it truly damages you?

This article about how to be a non anxious presence originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

5 Ways to Sweeten Your Morning with God

Andrew Hess

September 24, 2022

A couple months ago I had the chance to interview Gary Thomas for the ChurchLeaders Podcast. It was a unique interview that really stuck with me. We talked about practical things leaders can do to enjoy deeper personal worship times with God. This conversation sparked significant changes to my own morning with God devotions, more than any other interview I’ve ever done.

Upgrade Your Morning With God

There are five upgrades I’ve made to my morning with God that have made a big difference in the grace I see flowing into my life during these quiet hours. May they bless you in the same way they blessed me.

1. Entering His Gates With Thanksgiving

Psalm 100:4 says,“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.”

Whenever we pause to come before God, we should come before him with an offering of thanksgiving and praise.

I start my morning devotions by remembering and writing down several things for which I’m thankful and have come into my life in the previous 24 hours. I’m training my heart to see the good things God is doing in my life right in that moment. This practice is helping me observe and be thankful for what I see God doing across the span of my life.

This habit shifts our hearts from focusing on all the things going wrong in our lives (our outstanding prayer requests, perhaps) to those things which are going great. Nothing cures a complaining heart as quickly as gratitude. Start your personal worship times by thanking God for the good gifts he’s recently brought into your life.

2. Reading a Bible Designed for Reading

Have you heard about the great shift happening in the world of Bible publishing? Several publishers have been producing Bibles designed for readers. By removing verses, notes, and section headings, Bible readers are left with nothing but the biblical text.

Crossway has released several new products with this strategy in mind. Their Reader’s Bible provides an outstanding reading experience. It’s a Bible designed to read and reread over a lifetime. If your goal is to let God’s Word wash over your heart and mind day by day, free from distractions, this Bible is an excellent choice.

Additionally, Crossway is releasing the 6-Volume Reader’s Bible, which I recently had the chance to preview. This Bible is any book lover’s dream come true. Well-constructed with thick, quality paper and a strong binding, it has already boosted my enjoyment of reading the Bible.

One last reading Bible I own and love is the Cambridge Clarion Reference Bi ble. This Bible includes chapters, verses, and headings, but has a beautiful layout perfect for readers. Like the Bibles mentioned above, it’s a beautiful resource I use regularly.

3. Hearing and Reading God’s Word

One of my biggest struggles in reading God’s Word is keeping my mind focused on the message. My mind often wonders to the many things I have to do or decisions I need to make.

An upgrade to my morning devotions that seems to have solved this problem is listening to the Scriptures as I read them. I listen to an Audio Bible on my phone while I read the words in a physical Bible. This change has helped me keep my attention on what I’m reading. There is something about reading and hearing God’s word at the same time that has almost completely eliminated my wandering thoughts during these times.

UPDATED: SWBTS Announces Adam Greenway’s Resignation Following Social Media News Leak

Jesse T. Jackson

September 23, 2022

Adam Greenway — Photo courtesy of Baptist Press.

Updated: On Friday afternoon (Sept. 23), less than 24 hours after the news spread on social media, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary(SWBTS) released a statement announcing the resignation of President Adam W. Greenway.

Greenway has accepted a role at the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) International Missions Board (IMB).

The seminary’s statement confirmed that O.S. Hawkins has been extended an invitation to serve as SWBTS’ active president.

“In receiving President Greenway’s resignation, we express our deepest appreciation for his more than three and one-half years of service to his alma mater,” Chairman Danny Roberts shared. “He came to Southwestern Seminary during a difficult time of transition and has worked tirelessly to lead the institution to serve well the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention. Among his other accomplishments, President Greenway has assembled an impressive faculty of scholar-ministers who are daily impacting the lives of their students. He also provided steady leadership during the COVID pandemic, which dramatically altered the delivery of theological education.”

Greenway said that “These days are incredibly challenging in the life of our denomination. They are also challenging times for academic institutions, particularly theological seminaries. In February 2019, Carla and I accepted the call to come back ‘home’ to Southwestern Seminary with an understanding of these challenges, but also with the strong desire to be part of the solution. What we failed to appreciate was the enormity of the reputational, legal, and financial realities that would welcome us to the Dome—only to be compounded by a global pandemic unlike anything we have ever experienced before. We have done our best to serve Southern Baptists by helping position our seminary for the future, but much, much work remains to be done. Nevertheless, in the Providence of God we sense a release from our duties here.”

Addressing his new role at the IMB, Greenway said that “we will continue to serve Southern Baptists as we have throughout the course of our lives and ministry. We believe our next assignment is not a departure from but a continuation along the journey God has always had us walk. We are thrilled that we are going to help prepare Southern Baptist missionaries for their work of addressing the world’s greatest problem—spiritual lostness—with God’s solution, which is the gospel of Christ. As we look forward to beginning a new chapter with Southern Baptists’ favorite entity, the International Mission Board, we ask for your prayers for us in this season of transition, and we pledge our continued prayers and support for our beloved ‘crown jewel.’”

Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) twitterverse is chirping about the possibility of a big forthcoming announcement pertaining to the resignation of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s (SWBTS) President Adam Greenway.

According to Baptist News Global’s Mark Wingfield, Greenway resigned as SWBTS’ president during a meeting with the seminary’s trustees on Thursday night (Sept. 22). Greenway, who succeeded the fired Paige Patterson, has served as SWBTS’ president for the last three-and-a-half years.

The Baptist news outlet said that although there hasn’t been an official statement by Greenway or the seminary regarding a resignation, they have “confirmed the news through four independent sources with direct knowledge of the situation.” Baptist News Global also reported that former Guidestone president O.S Hawkins will take over as interim president.

Former Baptist News Global writer David Bumgardner and SWBTS alum expressed his joy on Twitter following initial reports that Greenway was on his way out. “Yes, @AdamGreenway is an incompetent tool who ran my beloved alma mater into the ground. But he’s a moral monster and a bully who hides behind lawyers and dollars to prevent abuse victims from getting justice.”

SBC Voices, a blog dedicated to information, opinions, and discussing matters of concern regarding the SBC, posted that Baptist News Global had “jumped the gun” regarding the news of SWBTS’ president.

“I have received a reliable report from an authoritative source saying that Baptist News Global jumped the gun,” Dave Miller, former president of the 2017 SBC Pastors’ Conference and senior pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa, announced. “There may be some issues at SWBTS but at this point Greenway is still at the helm. The situation is fluid and could change.”

Miller said, “Count me among those who are pleased this is so. My guess is that this will be a story for days to come.”

The official news service of the Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press, posted on its Twitter page that “Baptist Press is aware of the speculation related to @swbts and continues to be in contact with the board chair. Our latest correspondence with trustee leadership does not match what other outlets have reported.”

ChurchLeaders has reached out to SWBTS for comment and will update as new details develop.

Pastor David Platt Warns Only Hell Awaits the Unreached: ‘Innocent People Don’t Exist’

Stephanie Martin

September 23, 2022

Innocent people in remote parts of the world who’ve never heard the Gospel message won’t go to heaven, says missions-minded Pastor David Platt. That’s because “innocent” people “don’t exist.”

In a message titled “Reach the Unreached,” Platt recently told the young-adult group at Watermark Community Church in Dallas that not having the opportunity to hear about Jesus is not “some kind of pass into heaven.” He urged listeners not to sit back and “waste your life” chasing “a comfortable Christian spin on the American dream” when so many people remain unreached.

David Platt, 44, is pastor of McLean Bible Church near Washington, D.C., and author of Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream. From 2014 to 2018, he served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Missions Board.

Pastor David Platt: We’re All ‘Condemned for Rejecting God’

Platt, who is often asked about the eternal destinies of unreached people, says although they’re “not accountable for what they’ve not heard,” that “doesn’t mean they go to heaven.” The reason? “They’re condemned for rejecting the God that has been clearly shown to them.”

“They’re condemned for rejecting the God that has been clearly shown to them.”

Some Christians think that because God is loving and gracious, he’ll just let people into heaven if they haven’t heard about Jesus, says the pastor. But that would mean sharing the Gospel with unreached people is “the worst thing we could do” for them. “If they have not heard the Gospel and that is some kind of pass into heaven,” Platt says, then bringing the good news would mean “now there’s a chance [they] can go to hell.” So “they would be like, ‘Just keep it to yourself!’”

Romans 3:19-20 makes it clear, Platt says, that “regardless of whether or not someone has heard the Gospel, all people stand guilty before God and sin and deserve eternal separation from him.” The good news is Paul’s declaration that “righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.”

Why Reaching the Unreached Is So Vital

In his message, Platt expresses frustration about why so few U.S. churches and Christians talk about the world’s 3 billion unreached people. The only answers he can fathom, he says, is either we don’t realize the number is so large or we think God will let them into heaven.

No “greater injustice” exists, says Platt, than billions of humans facing eternity in hell “while all the people who know how to go to an eternal heaven sit back and do little to nothing.” The pastor urges Christians to prioritize missions and outreach with their time and money.

Only one percent of U.S. church-spending is dedicated to overseas missions, he says. Instead, the bulk of congregational budgeting goes toward “making ourselves more comfortable in our [own] churches and ministries.”

Platt tells young adults that Jesus has put them “in a time and a place where there are more opportunities to get the greatest news in the world to people in the world than ever before.” God created us “for so much more” than pursuing worldly goals, he says.

How to Involve Teens in Children’s Ministry: 7 Pointers

1. Give them a job.

2. Trust them.

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Bishop T.D. Jakes: ‘I Must Decrease’

The Collective Might in Our Churches

From Consumption to Contribution

1. Divulging Too Many Details During Group Prayer Request Times.

2. Not Discerning When Someone Said Something to You and Assumed You’d Keep It in Confidence.

4 Insights to Make the Long Run of Leadership

1. Set your values and pre-decide.

2. Understand the art of making good and wise trades.

3. Practice learning how to calm your soul.

4. Do the work.

1. Confess Your Ingratitude

How to Be a Non Anxious Presence in the Face of Criticism

can truly listen to another, even if he or she is bearing bad news or criticism

can hold his emotions in check when in the hot seat

seldom gets defensive

can acknowledge the emotions of his critic

will calmly and courageously respond instead of reacting

Upgrade Your Morning With God

1. Entering His Gates With Thanksgiving

2. Reading a Bible Designed for Reading

3. Hearing and Reading God’s Word

Pastor David Platt: We’re All ‘Condemned for Rejecting God’

Why Reaching the Unreached Is So Vital

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