Home > Church Leaders > The Pastor > Pastor's Role
Between "Failure" and "Fraud"
I hear two voices—assessing, accusing. Which will I listen to?
by Mark Labberton
Leadership Journal, Winter 2008
An Efficient Gospel?
The modern world was inclined toward reduction, efficiency, and things you can count.
by Tim Keel
Leadership Journal, Winter 2008
Alien Nation
One pastor's perspective on the immigration debate—and immigration opportunity.
by Isaac Canales
Leadership Journal, Fall 2007
Chronics Overload
When the needy get too needy.
by Dan Schaeffer
Leadership Journal, Fall 2007
The Zoloft Dispensation
Pastoring in the meds age, when everybody's on something.
by Elliott Anderson
Leadership Journal, Fall 2007
My Death
Darin announced his suicide plans online, and followed through. How can I help our small town cope with his very public pain?
by Keith Mannes
Leadership Journal, Fall 2007
At Gunpoint
Called into a tense standoff, the only weapons I had were listening and love.
by Mark Sutton
Leadership Journal, Fall 2006
The Christian Vision Project
The African Planter
Nairobi Chapel pastor on mission trips, and working well across cultures.
An interview with Oscar Muriu
Leadership Journal, Spring 2007
How Would Jesus Pastor?
The unpredictable Charles Sheldon gave it a try.
by Chris Armstrong
Leadership Journal, Winter 2007
From First Chair to Second Fiddle
Your calling to ministry may lead from senior pastor to associate.
by Angie Ward
Leadership Journal, Winter 2007
Time-Release Reconciliation
After our fight, Doug and his wife left the church. So why do I, and they, still care?
by Clark Cothern
Leadership Journal, Summer 2006
Our Strange New Home
We weren't from around here. We could choose either to make this place ours, or never fully arrive.
by David Goebel
Leadership Journal, Summer 2006
Nothing But Time
by Mark Labberton
Leadership Journal, Summer 2006
Redeeming a Needy Neighborhood
Not all communities have too much. How one church brings the gospel to the economically distressed.
A Leadership Interview with James Meeks
Leadership Journal, Summer 2006
Preaching Past TiVo
Do you tell the whole truth to people who want only certain parts?
A Leadership Forum
Leadership Journal, Summer 2006
Three Kinds of Leadership
For three different situations.
by Dan Kimball, Mark Driscoll, and Leith Anderson
Leadership Journal, Spring 2006
Organizational Pain
Symptoms that your group isn't functioning well—and treatments for the deeper problems.
by Branimir Schubert
Leadership Journal, Spring 2006
The Good to Great Pastor
An interview with Jim Collins.
Leadership Journal, Spring 2006
Humble Pie
4 good lessons from a bad decision.
by Mark Vroegop
Leadership Journal, Spring 2006
License to Thrill
In my city, prostitution is legal and preaching is dangerous.
by Brian Newman
Leadership Journal, Winter 2006
Anatomy of a Bad Hire
Four mistakes I made that you should avoid.
by Jack Connell
Leadership Journal, Winter 2006
Desperate Times
How did sex become just skin-on-skin instead of soul-to-soul?
A Leadership Forum
Leadership Journal, Winter 2006
DNF
Many in ministry Did Not Finish. What can we do about that?
by Gordon MacDonald
Leadership Journal, Winter 2006
Finding the Serendipities
A leader's role: making "accidental" discoveries.
by Lee Eclov
Leadership Journal, Winter 2006
The Joy of Preaching Sex
For better intimacy at home, we need more sex in the pulpit.
by Bryan Wilkerson
Leadership Journal, Winter 2006
Sharp Curve Ahead
When God began a painful and wonderful transformation in my father's heart and church, I thought I was merely along for the ride.
by Scott Hodge
Leadership Journal, Fall 2005
To Discipline Touchy Tom
He was a patriarch, leader, and sexual predator. Was the church ready to stand up to him and his family?
by Name Withheld
Leadership Journal, Fall 2005
Four Words that Make Me Cringe
What's so great about their old church back home? And why should I care?
Leadership Journal, Fall 2005
A Controlled Burn
Leading change is a dangerous, consuming calling.
A Leadership interview with Steven Goodwin
Leadership Journal, Fall 2005
Heir Apparent
A retiring pastor and his successor discover what it takes to make a transition plan work.
by Skye Jethani
Leadership Journal, Fall 2005
Clean Out the Sludge
A theology of turnaround.
by Gordon MacDonald
Leadership Journal, Fall 2005
"It's Just Not Working"
Frustrated by his ineffectiveness, this pastor did something … he admitted the truth. The first step toward change.
by Bill Hull
Leadership Journal, Summer 2005
In Search of a Real Friend
Why is it so hard for us in ministry to form deep, lasting friendships?
by Kathy Callahan-Howell
Leadership Journal, Spring 2005
A Casualty in My Own War
Amid clashing cultures, I was becoming the very thing I hated.
by Chris Seay
Leadership Journal, Spring 2005
Saying the Hard Stuff
Sometimes we have to deliver an unwelcome message.
by Gordon MacDonald
Leadership Journal, Spring 2005
Dr. Jekyll & Pastor Hyde
Beware: personality traits that you're not even aware of can undermine your ministry.
by Doug Anderson
Body Politics
Amid political tensions, when is a pastor to speak out and when to refrain?
by Gordon MacDonald
Leadership Journal, Fall 2004
Mopping Up After Confrontation
After our fight, Doug and his wife left the church. So why do I, and they, still care?
by Clark Cothern
Leadership Journal, Winter 2004
Helping Others Answer the Call
Your response to those who feel called may affect the future course of their ministry.
An interview with Maxie Dunnam
Leadership Journal, Fall 2003
Rescuing the Pastor Search
Why can't the pastor's job hunt be faster and more professional?
by Mark Lauterbach
Leadership Journal, Fall 2003
Job Seeker Jilted Again
Candidating means you gotta handle rejection.
Leadership Journal, Fall 2003
The Fine Art of Rejuvination
How 3 leaders renew the call when they're confused, tired, or just plain mad.
by Heidi Husted, Roberta Hestenes, and Jim Coyl
Leadership Journal, Fall 2003
Taking New Ministry Risks For God
Tired of playing it safe, this pastor hears a higher (and harder) calling.
by John Jackson
Leadership Journal, Fall 2003
Tired of Your Calling?
How 3 leaders renew the call when they're confused, tired, or just plain mad.
by Heidi Husted, Roberta Hestenes, Jim Coyl
Leadership Journal, Fall 2003
When Your Wife Resents Your Call
A disconnect at home has a variety of causes.
by Linda Riley
Leadership Journal, Fall 2003
Gordon MacDonald on Answering God's Call
So what exactly is "a call to ministry"?
by Gordon MacDonald
Leadership Journal, Fall 2003
The Church's Love/Hate Relationship with the Pastor
Attitudes toward a pastor emerge from deep, dark sources.
by Kevin A. Miller
Leadership Journal, Fall 2003
Pastor Aids End of 50 Years' Guilt
50 years after a regrettable bombing raid, a vet ends his silence—because a pastor knew what to ask, and when.
by David Hansen
Leadership Journal, Fall 2003
Leading When You're Uncertain
You can't always be sure, but you'd better be clear.
by Andy Stanley
Leadership Journal, Summer 2003
Call me Pastor "Pool Guy"
"Going to church" like "going swimming" means different things to different people.
by John Covell
Leadership Journal, Summer 2003
Sometimes You Just Need to Disappear
The best pastoring doesn't happen in the office.
by Gordon MacDonald
Leadership Journal, Spring 2003
Ministry at the Makeshift Memorial
After a kidnapped child was found dead, how could I help at the impromptu wailing wall?
Connie Regener
Leadership Journal, Spring 2003
Currents
Time for Self-Assessment, and What is Spiritual Leadership?
Winter 2003
Strain of Confidentiality
To talk or not to talk—that is just the first of the questions.
by Kathy Callahan-Howell
Winter 2003
Tripped
Private conversations are the reason for the pastor's public actions. When the actions are criticized, should the conversations be revealed?
Winter 2003
Where Judgment Begins
Sorting the tangled elements of ethics and integrity.
A Leadership Forum
Winter 2003
Preacher in the Hands of an Angry Church
Jonathan Edwards's church kicked him out after 23 years of ministry, but the crisis proved his greatness was not merely intellectual.
by Chris Armstrong
Leadership Journal, Winter 2003
Ministry to Missing Members
How to respond when people drop out of church.
By John S. Savage
Leadership Journal, Fall 1996
Too Tranparent
Amid personal crisis, I wanted my church to know the truth. Instead I said too much.
by Al Detter
Fall 2002
Putting People Off the Bus
Leadership Weekly readers debate firing church workers.
Leadership Journal, Fall 2002
When It's Time to Leave
8 indicators that you should go.
by Gordon MacDonald
Summer 2002
When Not to Leave
3 indicators that now is not the time.
by Paul Anderson
Summer 2002
Ministry's Double Binds
Sometimes, no matter what you do, you end up in the wrong.
by Kevin A. Miller
Summer 2002
My Post-Pastoral Degree
Five things I've learned since leaving the pulpit.
by Mark Galli
Leadership Journal, Summer 2002
Building a House You Can Live In
John Ed Mathison's plan produced a 30-year pastorate (so far).
by Eric Reed
Leadership Journal, Summer 2002
The Learning Curve
Changes that keep pastors and churches fresh.
A Leadership symposium
Leadership Journal, Summer 2002
Currents
You're torn between those who want change now, and those who want it never. What do you do?.
by Ken Fong, Erwin McManus, and Cheryl Sanders, and Sam Williams
Spring 2002
Ground Forces
At places like Ground Zero , sometimes your best ministry is ice water, fresh socks, and a hand on the shoulder.
by Molly Shotzberger
Winter 2002
Good Neighbor Policies
What I learned about ministry from Mr. Rogers.
by Greg Asimakoupoulos
Leadership Journal, Winter 2002
Seduced By Power
Forget money and sex. The real temptation is "king me".
by Gary Sinclair
Fall 2001
Fall 2001
Self–Test: What's My Type?
What personality type is most likely to show through in your ministry.
by Doug Anderson
Fall 2001
The Art of Self Leadership
Your toughest management challenge is always yourself.
by Bill Hybels
Summer 2001
Ministry on Steroids
What drives us to pastor faster, higher, stronger?
by Jim Mellado
Leadership Journal, Spring 2001
A Wretch Like Me
Yes, sin is serious and incessant, but you don't have to live in defeat.
by George Verwer
Leadership Journal, Spring 2001
In This Together
After a 30-year pastorate, Stuart and Jill Briscoe reveal temptations overcome, a ministry-marriage nourished, and the wonder of it all undiminished.
interview by Marshall Shelley, Eric Reed, and Drew Zahn
Leadership Journal, Spring 2001
Pulpit Confessions
Three views on preaching about sin—your own.
by Todd Hahn, Alberto Guerra, and Joe Stowell
Leadership Journal, Spring 2001
Seven Sirens
How the ancient Deadlies continue to tempt today.
by Randy Rowland
Leadership Journal, Spring 2001
Number Eight
What's the eighth deadly sin for church leaders today? Here are your nominations.
by Doug Webster, James MacDonald, Roberta Hestenes, Kirk B. Jones, and Jim Wilson
Leadership Journal, Spring 2001
Screwtape's Strategy for Pastors
A devilish letter reveals insidious plans to render you harmless.
by Calvin Miller
Leadership Journal, Spring 2001
BiblioFile
Books to help you understand and withstand sin.
by Drew Zahn
Leadership Journal, Spring 2001
When Pastoring Means Re-Parenting
How do you build a church with people whose upbringing was seriously flawed?
by Gordon MacDonald
Leadership Journal, Winter 2001
Seeing Through Bivocals
The unexpected benefits of working in two worlds.
by Gerald Morris
Leadership Journal, Fall 2000
Rivers Run Through Them
What changes, and what doesn't, when your ministry shifts from Montana to Cincinnati.
by David Hansen
Leadership Journal, Fall 2000
Warrior, Chief, Medicine Man
Learning about ministry's ancient ways from those older—and younger—than ourselves.
interview by Marshall Shelley and Eric Reed
Leadership Journal, Fall 2000
Pastor's Progress
How 5 ministers are reinventing their role somewhere between Mitford and the Celestial City.
by E. Glenn Wagner, Terry Swicegood, Cheryl Sanders, Michael Foss, and Sam Williams
Leadership Journal, Fall 2000
Broader Pastures, More Breeds
History has seen the pastor's task expand.
by Marshall Shelley
Leadership Journal, Fall 2000
Pages on Pastoring
The way it is, the way it ought to be, and how some are handling the discontinuity.
by Eric Reed
Fall 2000
Pastor and Activist
How pastoral leadership reaches beyond "church activities."
by Edward Gilbreath
Leadership Journal, Summer 2000
How I Stopped Dreading Weddings
Bringing grace and peace to tension-filled extravaganzas.
by Jody Vickery
Leadership Journal, Spring 2000
The All-Purpose Pastor
You don't have to "do it all," but every pastor needs three essential skills.
by Gary Fenton
Leadership Journal, Winter 2000
The Day I Burned My Green Card
Real ministry didn't begin until I made the commitment to stay.
by Daniel L. Bohlman
Leadership Journal, Fall 1999
The New Reality In Motivation
The old appeals aren't working anymore. How to deal with the growing gap between key leaders and the grassroots.
by Kennan L. Callahan
Leadership Journal, Fall 1999
Beyond the Summit
Bill Hybels' pace at midlife—all-out, fully devoted, sustainable. A Leadership interview.
by Dave Goetz and Marshall Shelley
Leadership Journal, Summer 1999
5 Moral Fences
What one pastor does to protect himself from himself.
by James MacDonald
Leadership Journal, Summer 1999
Turn It the Other Way
Four places you have to do ministry backwards.
by Judson Edwards
Leadership Journal, Summer 1999
Staying Sharp in a Small Town
Down home values don't have to include lower standards.
by Richard Doebler
Leadership Journal, Summer 1999
Called to Be a Loser?
A theology of self-improvement for pastors.
by Douglas J. Brouwer
Leadership Journal, Summer 1999
Good Pastor, Lousy Leader
How I came to terms with my role in the church.
by Matthew Woodley
Leadership Journal, Summer 1999
"Pastor, Do You Love Us?"
A painful question forced me to learn the art of romancing the congregation and modeling true love.
by Scott Reavely
Leadership Journal, Winter 1999
Double Overtime
How to play your best after you've already given your all.
by Wayne Schmidt
Leadership Journal, Summer 1998
Finding Excellence in a Small Church
Our worship isn't slick, our church basement smells musty, and I have to do my own typing. So what?
by Steve R. Bierly
Leadership Journal, Summer 1998
Freed from Needing the Numbers
A better way to count what matters.
by Craig Brian Larson
Leadership Journal, Summer 1998
How I Realized I Was Hurting People
And what I did about it.
by Mark Lauterbach
Leadership Journal, Spring 1998
"Where Were You?"
Understanding why some people don't think you're accessible enough.
by Gary Fenton
Leadership Journal, Spring 1998
Workin' 5 to 9
Leadership's comprehensive look at how much pastors work—and how they feel about the load.
by Edward K. Rowell
Leadership Journal, Spring 1998
War of the Baseball Caps
To end it, I had to change the way I was leading.
by David Hansen
Leadership Journal, Spring 1998
How "Authentic" Should I Be?
Two leaders debate the value of transparency in ministry.
by James Emery White and William H. Willimon
Leadership Journal, Winter 1998
Finding Your Leadership Style
Ten different ways to lead God's people.
by Bill Hybels
Leadership Journal, Winter 1998
Progress You Can Measure
Overcoming discouragement so you can move ahead.
by Loren Seibold
Leadership Journal, Winter 1998
Finding Your Leadership Style
Ten different ways to lead God's people.
by Bill Hybels
Leadership Journal, Winter 1998
Operation Courage
Character is the fundamental attribute of great leaders. How to lead when the going gets tough. An interview with H. Norman Schwarzkopf.
by Ed Rowell
Leadership Journal, Fall 1997
The Price of Pastoral Leadership
It's worth paying these five hidden costs.
by Rich Nathan
Leadership Journal, Summer 1997
Pastoring with Integrity in a Market-Driven Age
Consumerism doesn't have to cause compromise. A two-part conversation with Brian Larson, Lyle Schaller, and Kent Hughes.
interview by the Leadership editors
Leadership Journal, Summer 1997
How Schuller Shaped Your Ministry
The grandfather of the seeker movement changed the way pastors approach culture. A conversation with Robert Schuller.
interview by Kevin Miller and Dave Goetz
Leadership Journal, Spring 1997
Faces of Change
Three stories of pastors who grew through transition.
by Steve Mathewson, Carey Casey, and Dee Duke
Leadership Journal, Winter 1997
Shepherd or Leader?
Which is Job One for today's pastor?
by H.B. London, Jr., and James Emery White
Leadership Journal, Fall 1996
Ministry to Missing Members
How to respond when people drop out of church.
By John S. Savage
Leadership Journal, Fall 1996
Your Leadership is Unique
Good news: There is no one "leadership personality."
by Peter F. Drucker
Leadership Journal, Fall 1996
Up to the Challenge
Nowhere are the demands and rewards of leadership greater than in the church.
by Bill Hybels
Leadership Journal, Fall 1996
Keeping the Adventure in Ministry
When your work seems stale, you can restore a fresh sense of partnership with God. An interview with Jill Briscoe.
by the Leadership Editors
Leadership Journal, Summer 1996
Browse More Leadership
Home | Building Leaders | Community Life | The Pastor
Preaching/Worship | Trends & Columns | Help Us Help You
Church Resources | Out of Ur Blog | Archives | Contact Us
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Try an Issue of Leadership Free!
|
 |
|
No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders.
If you decide you want to keep Leadership coming, honor your invoice for just $22.00 and receive three more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless.
Give Leadership as a gift
Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
