“Christian Nationalism” Misrepresents Jesus, So We Should Reject It

By Jonathan Leeman | 10.31.2022

Christian nationalism doesn’t push forward toward the eschaton, but backward toward the old covenant. It’s anti-new covenant. It nominalizes Christianity and, within a generation, undermines it altogether.

Why Missionaries Should Value Professionalism

By Matt Rhodes | 10.27.2022

Many of us fondly remember John Piper’s “Brothers, We Are Not Professionals”. But there’s another type of professionalism that is manifestly not what Piper intended to criticize. It is the day-to-day pursuit of excellence in ministry.

5 Effects of Expository Preaching on a Church

By Anand Samuel | 10.21.2022

How does sitting under expository preaching 52 Sundays a year change a church?

How to Examine Qualifications in Elder Candidates

By Joel Kurz | 10.11.2022

Find the men in your church who are already eldering. Get to know them and, as you do, keep 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 in mind. Once you’re reasonably confident this man ought to be an elder, I recommend a process of formal evaluation.

Pastors Govern Sober-Mindedly

By David Mathis | 10.07.2022

Pastor-teachers do more than teach. They are called to lead—leadership that requires they be, both individually and collectively, sober-minded.

How Did ‘Church Planting Movements’ Gain a Foothold Within the IMB?  

By Caleb Morell | 10.06.2022

In his book Strategy Coordinator: Changing the Course of Southern Baptist Missions, R. Bruce Carlton sets out to provide a historical analysis of what he considers the most significant shift within the strategy of the International Mission Board since its inception in 1845.

Assessment Questions for New Elder Candidates

By Jeramie Rinne | 10.04.2022

What kinds of questions do you ask to assess the readiness of a prospective elder?

The New Testament’s First Administrators

By Brad Thayer | 9Marks Journal: The Pastor and Church Administration | 09.30.2022

Acts 6 offers a paradigm for the “how” and “why” of church administration.

Administrators: Playing with Calculators or Building Up the Body of Christ?

By Mike Carnicella | 9Marks Journal: The Pastor and Church Administration | 09.30.2022

Good administration and good administrators are a gift from God. Don’t neglect these gifts just because they seem boring or nerdy.

Pastors, Don’t Forget to Shepherd Your Deacons

By Gus Pritchard | 9Marks Journal: The Pastor and Church Administration | 09.30.2022

Pastors’ delegation of work to deacons should not lead to abdication of their duty to oversee.

From the Archives: Why an Administrative Pastor

By Ryan Townsend | 9Marks Journal: The Pastor and Church Administration | 09.30.2022

There are many reasons why a church may want to consider an administrative pastor as its second (or third or fourth) hire.

Hiring and Firing

By Brad Wheeler | 9Marks Journal: The Pastor and Church Administration | 09.30.2022

Managing a church staff in wisdom is necessary for a joyful ministry.

Evaluating How an Elder Is Ruling

By Bob Johnson | 9Marks Journal: The Pastor and Church Administration | 09.30.2022

How do you conduct a job performance review for the elders (particularly the paid staff elders)? In other words, how do you determine if an elder is “ruling well”?

Why Clear Job Descriptions and Staff Structures Serve the Church

By Ryan Townsend | 9Marks Journal: The Pastor and Church Administration | 09.30.2022

Job descriptions and a clear org chart or staff structure are essential tools for organizational excellence and faithful management.

Why Pastors Should Submit to Each Other

By Jeff Wiesner | 9Marks Journal: The Pastor and Church Administration | 09.30.2022

Fellow elders and founding documents guard a senior pastor against the pride of authoritarianism.