Reflections & Research
Discover what we are learning about what helps pastors thrive
October 15, 2019
Why storytelling matters
When the church uses storytelling, it becomes a shared space where each person is a part of history, writes a poet and author. My grandmother tells a story, entirely in Spanish, of a viejita, an old woman, who collects small logs on her way to her casita, her little home, and gets caught in an aguacero, a downpour. […]
read moreabout Why storytelling mattersOctober 15, 2019
Four key strategies that help pastors flourish
Pastors who implement practices like prioritizing their mental health or nourishing friendships flourish in their careers, the Duke Clergy Health Initiative found. Reading the Bible in the early morning quiet. Taking a walk along a greenway. Accepting a congregant’s offer of help. According to research conducted at Duke University, these practices, done with intention, can […]
read moreabout Four key strategies that help pastors flourishOctober 1, 2019
Sharing a building leads to a shared mission for an AME church and a Latino congregation
Two pastors built a friendship across barriers of language and culture, uniting their congregations and together reaching out to their community. On a bright Sunday morning in September, the congregation of Turner Memorial AME Church gathers at its Hyattsville, Maryland, building. A pastor is delivering an impassioned message. Applause crackles through the space as worshippers […]
read moreabout Sharing a building leads to a shared mission for an AME church and a Latino congregationSeptember 17, 2019
Black women change the conversation on reconciliation
Q&A with Chanequa Walker-Barnes By Chris Karnadi, Assistant Editor, Faith and Leadership The theologian and psychologist investigates the history of the reconciliation movement and offers, in her new book, a womanist view that recognizes the complexity of racism and centers the conversation on its victims. When Chanequa Walker-Barnes was at Duke Divinity School pursuing […]
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