I pastored a military church for 11 years and witnessed regular leadership turnover like I had never seen. While the average church may have an annual attrition rate of 10%, this church saw roughly 25% of its members leave each year — mostly by transfer to other military installations. That high turnover prompted us toContinue reading “Who Will Replace You?”
Tag Archives: prayer
Leaders Need Anchors
My first real job growing up — apart from farmwork —was as a dock worker at a marina on Lake Barkley in western Kentucky. The job responsibilities included pumping gas for boats, dipping minnows for fishermen, taking out garbage and preparing fishing and sailboats for rental customers. When it came to preparing the rental boats,Continue reading “Leaders Need Anchors”
Winning Against Pornography
To say that pornography use is a “sin epidemic” in our nation, and in the Christian community, may be an understatement. The Barna Group’s 2024 survey, “Beyond the Porn Phenomenon,” highlights the prevalence of pornography use among practicing Christians. It reveals that the problem of pornography among professing Christians who attend church regularly is probablyContinue reading “Winning Against Pornography”
Kentucky’s Best Option for Foster Care and Adoption
Sunrise Children’s Services, formerly known as Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children, has been serving the same constituency since 1869 — children who need someone to step in the gap and provide food, shelter and love for them. Since that time, Sunrise has cared for thousands of Kentucky’s most vulnerable children and today ministers to approximatelyContinue reading “Kentucky’s Best Option for Foster Care and Adoption”
Consistently Pro-Life
I join many Kentucky Baptists in praising God for faithful men and women who have dedicated much of their lives in the defense of the unborn. Because of God’s blessings on their efforts, we live in a state where medical elective abortion is banned. Because of the hard work and prayers of many, the EMWContinue reading “Consistently Pro-Life”
Caring for Your Pastor
Good pastors are hard to find. Some churches that are without a pastor have spent two years or longer in a search for their next one. Currently there are approximately 280 Kentucky Baptist churches searching for their next senior leader. But what if you already have a good pastor? What are you doing to helpContinue reading “Caring for Your Pastor”
Do You Have Worms?
My wife Connie recently discovered that we have bagworms on one of our evergreen trees. Bagworms can infest trees and shrubs and, if left untreated, can destroy your favorite sources of beauty and shade. We searched online to develop a plan for ridding the tree of these unwanted pests — which included removing theContinue reading “Do You Have Worms?”
Check On Each Other
In a recent conversation with a retiring pastor, I was given a specific request. He said in essence, “Encourage the KBC staff, and they are already doing this, to keep checking on pastors and find out how they are really doing.” The Kentucky Baptist Convention was created by churches for churches to help churches reachContinue reading “Check On Each Other”
Embracing Aging in Leadership
I am living in my favorite season of life so far. Last November I turned 60 years old and found myself pleasantly surprised by that reality. Years ago, I read a book by Bob Buford called Half Time that focused on the second half of one’s life and the call to make the most ofContinue reading “Embracing Aging in Leadership”
Stay Faithful
Every pastor, elder and ministry leader who has been at their post for any reasonable period has felt like giving up. According to research from the Barna Group in 2022 and 2023, 42% of pastors had seriously considered quitting ministry within the past year. The good news is that most do not. Lifeway researchContinue reading “Stay Faithful”
Dr. Todd Gray 