On this day one year ago I received a phone call from an esteemed elder in a Baptist church over … More
Category: Pastoralia
An inherited garden (a ministry parable)
We recently moved to a new home and, given how much outdoor spaces are now being used for entertaining, we … More
3 Reasons to Keep Going as a Pastor
Broadly, if not universally, these are extremely tough times to be a Pastor. Compared with the searing persecution of previous … More
Pastors, Covid, and Criticism
As the barriers erected by Covid 19 in the UK and Ireland start to lift a little, the prospect of … More
Some implications of an empty pulpit
Whether your cup is half empty or half full in the current global crisis, whether you credit or descry online … More
A Certain Sound through Preaching
How are we to answer the exigencies and anxieties of the hour? What tone of voice and approach should we … More
The loneliness of the long distance Pastor
At the moment it seems like everything is interim. The decisions that we were agonising over a fortnight ago about … More
Pastoral Repentance and Resolution
There is much that is notional and fleeting in the approach of a New Year, and there is a great … More
A Pastor in Therapy
In February of this year I burned out. It was a surprising, disconcerting, and ultimately enlightening experience. The full account … More
Handling encouragement in pastoral ministry
The swing of a pendulum can be a dangerous thing, correctives can oversteer away from one error and into another, … More
