Commenting on Paul’s statement that he cared for the Thessalonians as a father (1 Thess 2:11), Calvin articulates an important aspect of pastoral ministry. unquestionably, no one will ever be a good pastor, unless he shows himself to be a father to the Church that is committed to him. Nor does he merely declare himself …
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Commenting on Acts 20:20 where Paul says he taught the Ephesians “both publicly and house to house,” Calvin states: This is the second point, that he did not only teach all men in the congregation, but also every one privately, as every man’s necessity did require. For Christ hath not appointed pastors upon this condition, …
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“There is no place for a weak spine in the ministry of a leader. Men who stand up for the truth, who bow down to only God, who praise only godliness and rebuke all unrighteousness; these are the men we need. Men who will not snap under the pressure of rebellion from their people, who …
Happy Reformation Day! I was privileged to speak in chapel today at Union University for our Reformation Day chapel and chose as my topic, “The Care of Souls: The Heart of the Reformation.” My main point is that the Reformation was not simply an academic or abstract discussion but arose from the pastoral care of …
Recently David King, pastor of Concord Baptist Church in Chattanooga, visited my pastoral ministry class and shared ten key reflections on pastoral ministry. I asked David to come because he is a great example of faithful, patient ministry, holding fast to the Word and really loving his people. We all benefited greatly from David’s comments, …
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Earlier this year I mentioned The Call conference for pastors to be held at Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh, Scotland. I was blessed to be apart and benefited from all the messages. I have mentioned some of them along the way but just recently noticed that video of all the messages has been posted online. So, …
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While working on a project on what is taught about the church in Hebrews I came across this quote from F. F. Bruce (in his commentary). He is discussing Hebrews 13:17, the verse which provides the name for this site. This is a great comment: “There would always be a tendency throughout the churches for …
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February 25 I will have the privilege of participating in a conference for church leaders at Charlotte’s Chapel in Edinburgh, Scotland. “The Call: Leadership Conference” will have as its theme “The Leader as Shepherd” and will take place from 9:30am to 4:00pm. The cost is just £15 which includes lunch and over 10 books on …
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Mark Galli’s recent article in Christianity Today by this title is well done and resonates with the concerns of this blog. He begins by noting a typical website which suggested “chaplain” type pastors led to church decline and instead encouraged us to look for pastors with innovative ideas which would lead to “growth.” In fact …