Leadership

The Lord, Alone, is on His Throne

The sudden boom of elevation in leadership materials has begun producing some ministers who know the ‘how’ of leadership, but cannot articulate the ‘why’ of Christian vocation with sufficient theological depth. In this week’s post, Peter Hartwig, theologian in residence at National Community Church and MDiv candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary, addresses the pressing issue to dethrone the study of leadership and, in the process, reconsiders its relationship to theology itself. ... Read More...

Spring Cleaning: Skeletons in the Closet

We often conceal our vulnerabilities beneath the surface of a smiling countenance, curated social media or distinguished job title. Should we demand justice as Christians when we see hate crimes materialize without attending to the deeper issue? In this week's article, Dr. Richard Harris, communication's professor at Southeastern University and former (renounced) Grand Dragon of the Indiana KKK, discusses a seven step process in addressing the infirmities within us. ... Read More...

A Kinder and Gentler Nation: A Tribute to George H. W. Bush

At his inauguration in 1989, Bush implored that Americans have a responsibility “to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world.” In this week's discussion, Dr. Zack Tackett reminisces the impact of George H.W. Bush's presidency on our nation and dispenses a powerful parallel to how the church may learn from his gentle, political posture.... Read More...

When Not All is Well With Our Souls

Many believe that those who occupy pastoral roles should be all things to everyone; however, this type of believing is unbiblical and unhealthy. Escalated emotional exhaustion often goes unresolved, which leads to destructive outcomes for leadership. In this week’s article, Dr. Jim Vigil addresses three main characteristics of ministerial burnout and how to best defend against them.... Read More...

An Advocate for Pastoral Accountability

While the church preaches grace and forgiveness, the right systems are often not instated to ensure that leaders are held accountable for personal and communal actions. Stemming from our last post, in which Dr. McNaughton provided solutions to help leaders confront inward struggle, this week's article exhibits a personal story from a pastor's daughter who dealt with contributing to false perfection. ... Read More...

What Can We Learn When Leaders Fail

As temptation subsumes consumers of all different scopes, spiritual leaders are also bombarded with inner and outer conflicts that strongly tempt them to stray from God's direction. Dr. McNaughton, professional church leadership consultant and Southeastern University professor, guides us through four key commitments he created to help church leaders navigate and realign themselves into their Christ centered calling. ... Read More...

Fostering Authentic Spirituality in the Church

How can we construct a healthy community that embraces dialogue upon spiritual questions we may not hold the answers to? Humility shifts the paradigm from appearing to know all spiritual answers into one that acknowledges God’s transcendence. In this week’s discussion, we expound upon the sacred art of questioning and why incorporating it is vital for developing an authentic functioning faith. ... Read More...

Looking Back to Forge Ahead

This year ECCLESIAM launches anew seeking to explore larger issues. Quite a few noteworthy things happened within the church and around the world this summer. What methods can the church employ to cultivate an accountability culture and a confessional environment that invites healing? From mental health to creativity to personal temptation from the pedestal of leadership, we seek to cover and provide pensive, theological, and biblical answers forward through the many struggles that currently confront the church.... Read More...

Spirit-Led Business

I believe we can think of our lives as an integration between physical and spiritual qualities. There is an all-important point to keep in mind in our discussion and that is that "God is a Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24). However, in what ways can this understanding of God affect business decisions?... Read More...