Epworth UMC, Lexington, Kentucky, circa 1950: a five-hundred-seat sanctuary filled to capacity, a full roster of Sunday school classes, and over one hundred missionaries and… read more

Who is my neighbor?” The lawyer asked Jesus a good question, regardless of what motivated him to ask it. Jesus defined neighbor in the broadest terms, but we have narrowed… read more

How did St. Paul do it? How did he manage to start and sustain so many different churches, in so many different cultures, in such a time of change? We have the same desire to… read more

My friend and fellow young pastor slouched in his office chair and spoke in an exasperated tone. “In the past few years, I have tried everything I know of to help this… read more

Over the course of the last few years, I have found myself traveling often and, consequently, attending different churches. Sometimes my wife has been with me, sometimes not. Too… read more

Last week on Ministry Matters, United Methodist Bishop Will Willimon kickstarted a debate over small churches and their worthiness of denominational support and subsidy. Ignoring… read more