Not all opportunities present themselves as such. One showed up recently as a record-setting snowfall, and a good dose of ice that canceled most church services in our neck of the woods. My home church did not cancel services (no judgment here for those who did cancel because it is always a difficult decision). Continue reading “From Adversity to Action”
Tag Archives: pastor
Leading Effectively in 2025
As we begin a new calendar year, it is a great time to think through one’s leadership priorities for the next 12 months. Every leader in Christian ministry, whether a local church pastor or an organizational leader, must care well for people, address emerging problems and advance the mission of their church or organization. KeepingContinue reading “Leading Effectively in 2025”
A Thriving Local Church
The Kentucky Baptist Convention is made up of 2,350 local and autonomous Baptist churches in voluntary cooperation to reach Kentucky and the world for Christ. What if all those churches were thriving churches? I recently preached revival services in a normative size Kentucky Baptist church. The church is rural in its geographic context. It hasContinue reading “A Thriving Local Church “
Living in the Fourth Quarter
I turned 60 on Nov.3, and was more excited about that pending birthday than any other since turning 16 or 21. The reason for the excitement is the potential for this season of ministry leadership. Those who are living in the fourth quarter have gained a lifetime of experience and should know themselves well enoughContinue reading “Living in the Fourth Quarter”
Join Us in Paducah
On Nov. 10, Kentucky Baptists from across the state will begin gathering in Paducah for a variety of ministry-related activities, culminating in the 187th KBC Annual Meeting being held at Paducah’s First Baptist Church. Many from our state convention have been to more annual meetings than they can count, while for others this annualContinue reading “Join Us in Paducah “
5 Secrets to Ministry Longevity from a Seasoned Pastor
Many of us in ministry leadership are grieved by recent revelations of high-profile pastors who were discovered to have been unfaithful in their marriage. These discoveries continue to shock us and serve as a reminder that we are all in a battle against the flesh and the devil. The overwhelming majority of pastors, however, areContinue reading “5 Secrets to Ministry Longevity from a Seasoned Pastor “
Persecution-Proof Disciples
In 2020, as churches were coming out of Covid-related ministry adjustments and thinking about how ministry might look different moving forward, I remember a pastor friend saying that his church was going to need to raise up “persecution-proof disciples.” He was seeing changes on the cultural horizon and discerned the church might not be ready.Continue reading “Persecution-Proof Disciples “
We are Together for the Mission in Kentucky
Measuring the full impact of Kentucky Baptist churches working together to reach Kentucky and the world for Christ is impossible. Only heaven itself will reveal the full measure of our cooperative efforts. We do, however, get occasional glimpses of the fruit of churches working together to advance the gospel. Kentucky Baptists have a greatContinue reading “We are Together for the Mission in Kentucky”
These Men Can Preach!
The CAPS Program (Cumberland Area Pulpit Supply) at Three Forks Association in Hazard, Ky., was born 17 years ago out of a concern from two local pastors to raise up supply preachers for churches in their community. These pastors put together a one-year course that included a monthly meeting, a hot meal, an hour ofContinue reading “These Men Can Preach!”
The Pipeline
There are currently 303 Kentucky Baptist churches searching for their next pastor. These churches are located throughout the commonwealth and represent our unified effort to advance the gospel in Kentucky. Most of those churches are looking for a bivocational pastor and are discovering that are very few, if any, qualified men in their area toContinue reading “The Pipeline”
Dr. Todd Gray 