I recently had breakfast with the pastor of a large congregation in Atlanta. Towards the end of the conversation, she paused, leaned across the table, and whispered almost as if she was worried I would think she had lost her mind completely, “I have a crazy, huge dream of what our church could be in the world.” She then went on to outline one of the most exciting, visionary strategies that I have ever heard from a pastor. By the... Read more
Last week I met with several congregations to talk to their leadership about their future. In one meeting, a wonderful woman was frank and vulnerable as she talked about how she was fully supportive of the future for her church, yet still she grieved what was no more. Grief married to joy is a genuine experience in so many areas of our life that it is a healthy thing to acknowledge: Our children grow up healthy and strong, but they... Read more
By Michael Piazza Yesterday was the second Sunday of Lent. In the assigned Gospel lesson, we were told that some Pharisees warned Jesus that Herod planned to kill him. That came as no surprise to Jesus, because Herod had killed his cousin John the Baptist. What might have surprised Jesus, though, was who was warning him. For modern Christians, it is almost a curse to call someone a Pharisee. By that, we mean they are legalistic, judgmental, narrow-minded. That is... Read more
By Tony Robinson It won’t be news to most church leaders that the consumerism that has become a part of the cultural ethos of North America has infiltrated our congregations. Lay leaders who are making stewardship calls may field complaints that the church “isn’t meeting my needs.” Clergy may find themselves trying to figure out how to talk about a wedding as a service of worship when it is pretty clear that the couple see it as a celebration of... Read more
Anthony B. Robinson Bottom line challenge for many congregations is remembering who and whose they are, that is their identity, and why they are, their mission or purpose. And while congregations need to engage these questions in light of their own story, time and place, they also need to be in touch with core biblical teachings and texts and what they offer us with regard to identity and mission. So here are ten key biblical texts that address the identity... Read more
Anthony B. Robinson It won’t be news to most church leaders that the consumerism that has become a part of the cultural ethos of North America regularly shows up at church. Lay leaders who are making stewardship calls may field complaints that the church “isn’t meeting my needs.” Clergy may find themselves trying to figure out how to talk about a wedding as a service of worship when it is pretty clear that the couple see it as a celebration... Read more
As I travel around the country speaking to various groups, I often spend time talking about the leadership crisis facing the church. We simply are not attracting the kinds of people that we need to lead our churches today. I say this not to diminish the excellent ministries many of our church leaders offer to our existing congregations, but the truth is that the church as a whole needs more entrepreneurial leaders, people who can start new churches or radically... Read more
We are in the final stages of the political campaigns. We made it through the conventions, and now we prepare for the debates. Frankly, I am exhausted with it all. Like most Americans, I already know who I am voting for in this election. I already know what vision of the country I wish to be a part of manifesting. So, we can stop with the endless ads, pundits and 24 hour news cycles. Enough already. But I am intrigued... Read more
By Tony Robinson As someone who teaches and writes about church leadership, and who works with congregations as a consultant, I have been an advocate for thinking and talking about a congregation’s “core mission,” or “purpose.” And I still am. I continue to believe that a basic challenge facing many congregations today is they just aren’t all that clear about why they are there. They have lost a sense of compelling mission or purpose. Leaders are people who remind an... Read more
This summer I was asked to deliver two lectures on Mainline Protestantism for the annual Craigville Colloquy on Cape Cod. One of those lectures focused on the work of Berkeley intellectual historian David Hollinger on what he calls “ecumenical” Protestantism. I find his analysis helpful for those wrestling with the theological and institutional issues facing the so-called “mainline” and “progressive” Christian churches and their interfaith partners. Here’s the lecture: craigville colloquy 2012 lecture 2 PDF Read more
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