Reflections & Research
Discover what we are learning about what helps pastors thrive
September 3, 2019
How I lead from the middle
Serving as the second chair can sometimes devolve into micromanaging, but an AME minister employs three practices to help carry out a clear, consistent vision for her church. One of our newest members looked completely bewildered as we stood outside the locked church in the rain. A ministry leader had neglected to inform me about a […]
read moreabout How I lead from the middleAugust 20, 2019
A multilingual priest connects her congregation and its community through language and listening
By Chris Karnadi, Assistant Editor, Faith & Leadership The Rev. Audra Abt started a Spanish-language Mass and a health access ministry, meeting neighbors’ needs and rejuvenating a small church in Greensboro, North Carolina. In an apartment in Greensboro, North Carolina, fresh fuchsia crepe myrtle flowers brightened the front left corner of a table serving […]
read moreabout A multilingual priest connects her congregation and its community through language and listeningAugust 20, 2019
When does breaking news compel a preacher to rewrite Sunday’s sermon?
The answer depends on congregational and community context and begins with another question: What does the gospel have to say to a broken and brokenhearted world in this moment? It has happened repeatedly in recent years. On Saturday afternoon, around 3 or 4 o’clock, my phone’s screen flashes alive with a news alert from The New York […]
read moreabout When does breaking news compel a preacher to rewrite Sunday’s sermon?August 8, 2019
Lilly Endowment Inc. 2018 Annual Report
When the Rev. Joe Tito crisscrossed the border between McAllen, Texas, and Reynosa, Mexico, he saw firsthand the drama that his immigrant parishioners had so often described to him. When the Rev. Joe Tito crisscrossed the border between McAllen, Texas, and Reynosa, Mexico, he saw firsthand the drama that his immigrant parishioners had so often […]
read moreabout Lilly Endowment Inc. 2018 Annual Report