by Ron Crawford | Nov 17, 2010 | Opinion
The Great Recession has created seismic shifts in religious life in America. During the Exceedingly Long Recovery, congregations need to pay careful attention to equations that describe our “new normal” or help pave the way forward. Low interest rates =...
by Ron Crawford | Nov 10, 2010 | Opinion
I’ve had the same “house plant” since 1981; it is one of those easy-growing plants that are hard to kill. I water it, fertilize it and change pots when the spirit moves. I bought it the year I moved into my first pastor’s office – a small room...
by Ron Crawford | Nov 4, 2010 | Opinion
I have always wondered why reasonable people would think a Baptist committee could ever reach a unanimous decision. Frankly, it is remarkable “unanimous” and “Baptist” appear in the same dictionary! As the old saying goes, “Where there...
by Ron Crawford | Oct 27, 2010 | Opinion
Ministers are catalysts for change. Many people are drawn to ministry because they perceive it as a caring profession. It is. It is a caring, supportive, affirming, nurturing and loving profession. Yet sometimes love needs to be tough. Let me say it another way....
by Ron Crawford | Oct 14, 2010 | Opinion
Images for ministry are really important. They frame the way we think about our jobs. My seminary education provided several images for ministry: shepherd (find the lost one), prophet (tell it like it is and they will ignore you), priest (get used by the system),...
