In the twelve years I’ve been the pastor at Central Baptist Church in Palmyra, the church has been through a great deal. We have lost members to death, moves, and transfer. We’ve seen new friends come, only to be swept away again as their life-situations changed. We’ve struggled with the questions, “Who are we?” and…
Tag: Pastoring
The Centrality of Worship
What’s the most important aspect of worship? Many “contemporary” Protestants would likely say, “music,” as that’s almost become synonymous with worship over the past thirty years. I’ve been to churches where pastors get up in front of the congregation and say, “Well, that was some great worship. Now let’s hear from The Word.” Classical Protestants…
Accidental Pastoral Care
Sometimes I find it fascinating how my accidents turn out to be opportunities for connection. This morning I attempted to text a Brazillian pastor who has been attending Central the past several weeks. As it turns out, I accidentally deleted his cell number before I saved it into my contacts. In an odd circumstance, another…
Sometimes
I’ve written in the past about the strange world pastors inhabit. We come into spaces where people are at emotional extremes, from deepest grief to highest celebration, and we wonder if anything we do has any impact at all. We tell the story of Jesus, we try to share his love, and we long for…
Spiritual Foreshadowing
Early in September my family was invited over to the home of one of Central’s families to celebrate their daughter’s birthday 1. At one point during the meal my wife brought up the recent spike of families in Palmyra schools who do not speak English as their primary language. This is a new phenomena for…
Theological Education and the Future
The day prior to ABCNJ’s Annual Session we host a pastor’s academy which encourages pastors in their continuing education. I typically find a corner and go over my materials for the next day, and take some pictures for ABCNJ’s media arm 1. This isn’t because the academy sessions are bad, and certainly not because I…
