Leadership

Only Use Authority in the Fear of God

By Mark Dever | 08.29.2022

Is all authority abusive? Is all authority—by virtue of one person having power over another person—in its very nature, abusive?

Do Elders Receive Their Authority by Congregational Vote?

By Caleb Morell | 08.19.2022

Is the congregation, by affirming an elder through congregational vote, conferring authority upon him or simply recognizing him as a God-given gift to the congregation? 

Preacher, Don’t Forget to Speak to the Children

By Ray Van Neste | 08.16.2022

Week in and week out, the same group of unconverted people come to our worship services—and we practically ignore them.

Book Review: Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered, by Wanjiru M. Gitau

Review by Conrad Mbewe | 08.11.2022

In ‘Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered’, you have a Christian who is also a social scientist using her professional tools to understand why one church in Nairobi, Kenya has flourished among and impacted a generation of millennials. 

Working Harder Than Any of Them

By Nick Gardner | 08.08.2022

The temptation for slothfulness and inattentiveness to the pastoral office is still present in our day, whether through excessive social media use or the general temptation to be lazy, brought on through material prosperity.

Book Review: Mission Affirmed, by Elliot Clark

Review by Matt Rhodes | 08.04.2022

If you’re trying to answer the question, “How can sending churches partner fruitfully with missionaries?” then you might want to start by reading this book.

Love for the Immigrant Church is Patient

By John Lee | 08.02.2022

Some in the immigrant-church conversation are tired and ready to quit. Others insist on immediate change. How should we approach this discussion?

How Should Immigrant Congregations Who Speak Different Languages Relate to One Another?

By John Lee | 07.11.2022

Could the way congregations of different languages relate to one another be informed by how denominations connect churches?

Aspiring Pastors Need Encouragement, Too: 5 Ways Paul Encouraged Timothy

By Zack DiPrima | 07.06.2022

Encouragement from anyone is always good. Encouragement from seasoned saints—especially pastors—builds up young leaders in a pronounced way. 

How to Have Fruitful Conversations About the Immigrant Church

By John Lee | 07.01.2022

Having a productive conversation about the immigrant church requires both cultural and ecclesiological fluency.

On Keeping Your Greek and Hebrew in Ministry

By Matt Emadi | 06.27.2022

Are the original languages really that important?

A Conflict of Visions: Comparing Rick Warren’s SBC Speech and Juan Sanchez’s Convention Sermon

By Alex DiPrima | 06.23.2022

Rick Warren’s brief address and Juan Sanchez’s convention sermon at the SBC annual meeting represent two different, competing visions of ministry and the local church.

Book Review: The Gospel-Driven Church, by Jared C. Wilson

Review by Zach Schlegel | 06.23.2022

Jared C. Wilson’s “The Gospel-Driven Church” holds up a biblical picture of success and exposes misguided ones.

13 Pillars for Planting Healthy Churches

By Matt Rogers | 04.11.2022

What ingredients are necessary to plant healthy, strong, biblical churches—and sustain them?

The Ordinances: A True and Better Identity Politics

By Bobby Jamieson | 9Marks Journal: Expressive Individualism in the Church | 03.18.2022

What can unearth and uproot and undermine the unbiblical assumptions that animate identity politics and threaten to tear apart what God has joined together? I would submit a simple, perhaps surprisingly obvious answer.