Bud Brown

The Bible’s 2 easy steps to honoring pastors

Does your pastor receive the honor and respect he deserves? Most don’t. Do you know how to honor and respect your pastor? Or could you use a little help? The Bible helps us out by giving some simple, clear directions in this regard. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (ESV) says this: 12 We ask you, brothers, to respect

4 Things the Bible Doesn’t Say About Pastors

I’ve noticed that there are some myths about pastors floating about in the evangelical pond these days. Have you noticed them, or is it just me? Maybe I’ve noticed them because I finally have time to look around. Or maybe it’s just because I’ve always been a rebel. I’ve always been an “Oh yeah? Show

4 Things Jesus Never Said About Church

I’m going to jump in the deep water here. I’m going to swim against the riptide. Why am I dumb enough to jump into deep water and swim against riptides? Because Jesus never said anything about a lot of the stuff we think is important in a church. A lot of “practical ecclesiology” is stuff

What happens when pastors value preaching too much?

Is it possible to overemphasize the importance of preaching the Word to the detriment of the church’s numerical growth? Is it possible to overemphasize local outreach so much that the church actually decreases in size as a result? Apparently so. These are the shocking findings (at least on the surface) recently published. Authors David Dunaetz

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Surprise! 2 pastoral values that predict church decline

There are two surprising values held by pastors who preside over church decline. Two of the most cherished evangelical values have negative correlations to church growth. One of these values is at the very heart of evangelicalism itself. Pastors who score this value exceptionally high – higher than their evangelical colleagues – are far more likely to lead declining

Train Turnaround Pastors: 1 Surefire SBC Strategy

The SBC has a problem. They’re lacking turnaround pastors who can lead churches in the right direction. A recent article, “Southern Baptist Pastors Hope to Revitalize Hundreds of Churches in Decline“, lays it out. About 800 to 1,000 Southern Baptist congregations cease to exist annually, largely due to a stagnant vision among the leadership and

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Did they teach you this stuff in seminary?

I didn’t learn any of this stuff in seminary. Maybe they taught it one day in a pastoral theology class. If so, I missed it. I have a seminary education. I’m glad of it. But in the almost 30 years since I graduated, I’ve learned the important stuff they didn’t teach in seminary. Spiritual Maturity

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1 question reveals how turnaround pastors lead

Turnaround pastors are distinguished by how they deal with one question. Not by their answers. By how they deal with the question. “Is the church for believers or unbelievers?” Every pastor has to field this one. Turnaround pastors reject the question as posed. They know it’s a trap so they reframe it, putting the issue

3 Reasons it’s stupid to prefer older pastors

What do you tell a discouraged seminary graduate who runs into the dreaded “10 years minimum experience” requirement? I recently spoke to graduating seminarians about the daunting task of finding vocational ministry employment in today’s church culture. During one of the Q&A sessions this question came up. I offered some specific guidance on how to approach