Toxic leaders.  The topic frequently pops up in both secular and religious news.  Undeniably, toxic leaders even flourish within fundamental churches and organizations.  Kenneth Gangel’s book, Surviving Toxic Leaders, answers two main questions: what does toxicity look like and how should people under toxic leaders respond effectively. The author was uniquely qualified to contribute to this discussion.  His obituary (2009) states, “Dr. Gangel was one of the most influential Christian educators of the 20th century; a leader of leaders; and a champion of the Christian family. Kenn authored or edited 57 books and lectured in more than 40 educational institutions worldwide.”  His educational credentials also include three master’s level seminary degrees and an earned PhD in educational administration.  His resume marches through administrative posts in many institutions including Dallas Theological Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  All this to say that the author of this book is familiar with leadership issues within Christianity and within his own heart.  He knows what he is talking about.

Surviving Toxic Leaders is somewhat of a Christian angle on Jean Lipman-Blumen’s explosive book, The Allure of Toxic Leaders: Why We Follow Destructive Bosses and Corrupt Politicians—and How We Can Survive Them (2005).  Gangel refers frequently to this book throughout the pages, and perhaps his book is best understood by those who have read Lipman-Blumen’s work.  Not having read Lipman-Blumen’s work myself, however, I still found Gangel’s book helpful.  At 91 pages it is an easy weekend read although I found the style a bit choppy.  The number of real life stories and outside quotes certify both the widespread poison of toxic leadership and our need for real answers.

The bulk of the book discusses nine characteristics of toxicity.  His inclusion of dishonesty, inordinate ambition, cruelty, bullying, and autocratic behaviour as toxic behaviours were no surprise.  These are flaws that anyone would consider toxic to an organisation.  However, Gangel also holds leaders accountable for less aggressive or manipulative leadership failings: incompetence, laziness, ignorance, and the pitfalls of fame.  While cruel words and bullying tactics leave wounds for all to see, a reckless, know-it-all Christian leader seeps toxicity throughout the organisation by his failure to be a humble and teachable team player.  The book employs not only true examples but also biblical stories to flesh out the concepts that Kenn is trying to describe.  He makes it clear that even though a leader may not be intentionally toxic, the effect on those he leads is just as devastating as if he had premeditated every cruel tactic.

The last two chapters turn to the second question: how should people under toxic leadership respond?  Should they just put up with a less than desirable situation?  Should they directly challenge abuses and force a change?  Should they quietly influence change without tackling the beast head-on?  Should they just walk away?  In line with Galatians 6:1, Gangel’s first suggestion urges each person to examine himself for toxicity as “the easiest route to change.”  Once a person recognises toxicity in himself, the battle is already half done.  I suppose that is why he devotes the majority of chapters to identifying toxicity.  He wants those who live under toxic leadership to examine themselves.  He offers three humbling points for people who want to self-detox.

1.  Publicly admit any behavior which has caused your people hurt or discouragement.

2.  Ask for forgiveness and trust, and make someone you trust a monitor of your public behavior.

3.  Be patient.  Change within yourself and within the church takes time.

If you have ever worked under a toxic leader, however, you know that the self-detox scenario is a rather optimistic expectation if you can even get your toxic leader to acknowledge the book.  In the last chapter, Gangel outlines both a suggestion for getting rid of a toxic leader as well as helpful tips for those who believe they should weather the storm with patience.  In tossing out a leader, he recommends a kind of “resistance movement” made up of courageous people who believe “that leadership and true democracy is open to all” and are willing to risk their future in the organisation in the hope of change.  In other words, try this idea only if you have a well-thought out Plan B if things go awry.  “The trick requires promoting constructive conflict and preventing dysfunctional conflict.”  On the other hand, Gangel suggests that an equally courageous route is to stay put until you “clearly understand that God has finished with you in that place.”  While encouraging  his readers that God may be using that difficult situation for their own growth in Christlikeness, Gangel also presents a couple of cautions to those who consider this option.  For example, cooperating with a toxic leader does not mean that a person must sacrifice his creativity or become involved in unethical behaviour.  Disappointingly but not surprisingly, there are no easy answers when handling toxic leaders.

Many books on spiritual abuse are written to those who want inner healing from abusive leaders.   Kenn Gangel provides the Christian community with a less self-focused **model for recognising and dealing with toxic leaders.  I found this angle particularly helpful as it removed many of the more painful aspects associated with spiritual abuse so that I could more objectively think about toxic leadership as a problem to be recognised and dealt with rather than a disease to recover from.  It also helped me analyze my own leadership style and work towards detoxing my own problem areas.  Interestingly, the book is dedicated to Gangel’s son-in-law, “who has served more than enough time under the abuse of toxic leaders.”

I think that some who read this post could say that of themselves too.

** That’s not to say that I don’t believe that books that explore an abused person’s need for recovery are not helpful and necessary.  Dealing with hurt and damage caused by spiritual abuse is absolutely essential, but Gangel’s book is not designed to deal with those issues.  If you are looking for reading for a soul damaged by abuse, I recommend Soul Repair by VanVonderen, Ryan and Ryan.

Complementarianism (n.) The belief that men and women have complementary roles and responsibilities in marriage and the church.  Leadership roles are prescribed for men; support roles are prescribed for women.

Egalitarianism (n.)  The belief that men and women are called to roles and responsibilities in  marriage and in the church based on their giftedness, regardless of gender.

Chauvinism (n.)  The belief that men and women are of intrinsically different worth, usually that men are superior to women.

Okay, I admit it– obviously chauvinism is not a legit third position.  While it should be clear to all that chauvinism is in direct opposition to biblical truth, we see it practiced (if not labeled) in many independent Baptist churches today.  That’s why I include it as a third stream of thought even though it is really only a distortion of complementarianism.  This post by blogger Wendy Alsup, who calls herself a complementarian, addresses some common pitfalls with the complementarian position.  Concluding with an exhortation to  handle the Word precisely, she draws us into a valid debate in the gender role discussion.  Read it for yourself here.

What do you think are the dangers of the complementarian position?

2) I get to “hang out” with and learn from men and women who lived exceptional lives.

3) I get to experience places and cultures and events through the written page that I will never experience personally.

4) I learn about history, not from mere factual statements about geopolitical events, but by immersing myself in the lives of real people living in those settings.

5) I gain a broader perspective on current world events and theological difficulties.

6) I learn a thousand life lessons from the daily minutia of others.

7) I get to walk beside others as they suffer and watch how they respond to it.

8) I see that even great people have weakness and sin and need a Saviour.

9) I learn about how God has been working in others’ lives in the many centuries before I was born into this world.

10) I am reminded that nothing is new. For thousands of years, people have faced the same struggles, joys, sorrows, and disappointments that I face.

11) I see profound expressions of the glory of God in the condensed accounts of men and women who walked with God.

Grace to you.

The best thoughts do not always win. Ideas that are communicate effectively come out on top.  I often ask myself, ‘Why are the best television advertisements for beer?  Can’t the gospel be promoted with equal professionalism?’   Without diminishing the work of the Holy Spirit, we should ask ourselves, ‘Is our poor delivery obscuring the message of Jesus?’.   God has entrusted us with the mission of gospel truth, so we must set the marketing standard.   Whether it be delivering a sermon, blogging, teaching kids songs, or in 1-on-1 conversation, our presentation is of ‘spiritual importance’.   In that sense, we are all preachers.  We all have a responsibility to become better communicators.

Fifteen years ago, I was introduced to the 10 Rules of the Effective Speaker

1. The effective speaker is a person whose character, knowledge, and judgement command respect.
2. The effective speaker has a message to deliver, a definite purpose in giving that message, and is consumed with the necessity of getting that message across and accomplishing that purpose.
3. The effective speaker realises that the primary purpose of speech is the communication of ideas and feelings in order to get a desired response.
4. The effective speaker analyzes and adjusts to every speaking situation.
5. The effective speaker chooses topics which are significant and appropriate.
6. The effective speaker reads and listens with discrimination. (Neither blindly accepting the ideas of others, nor stubbornly refusing to consider opinions opposed to his own.)
7. The effective speaker secures facts and opinions through sound research and careful thought so that his speech, both on and off the platform, may be worthy of the listener’s time.
8. The effective speaker selects and organizes materials so that they form a unified and coherent whole.
9. The effective speaker uses language that is clear, direct, appropriate, and vivid.
10. The effective speaker makes his delivery vital and keeps it free from distracting elements.

Each of us should consider our communication skills and styles.  As we become more aware of our communication strengths and weaknesses, we can then embrace ways to improve.   Taking a ‘Think on Your Feet’ class, joining a local ‘toastmasters’ group, or seeking out a communication mentor are just a few options.  At the end of the day, someone effectively communicated the gospel to us, so we could come to salvation.  As we seek to improve our delivery effectiveness, let’s consider the following three questions.

• Who are some of the most effective communicators that you have heard?
• What are some of the best communication techniques that you have witnessed?
• Which strategies will you employ to improve your communication?

Blessings

- Jeremy Crooks

As I sat down, my thoughts were scattered, my emotions rattled, and my heart anything but warm. If you wanted to compare my spiritual condition to a fire pit at that moment, the fire would have long burned out leaving the cooled remains and only a few warm coals deep beneath the layers of charcoal.

Then a leader began to speak.

His words seemed to glow with warm spiritual realities. They prodded the coals and breathed life-giving oxygen across them until they began to shimmer and spark. Soon I found myself basking in the warmth of a flickering blaze.

As I finally left the gathering, I thanked God for how he had drawn my heart to burning remembrance of him and warm worship.

While acknowledging that God’s Spirit works through his word to do his work in our hearts, we would be wise to also recognise the role of the leader—the fire starter!—in our lives.

You see, leaders don’t wait for someone else to start the fire. Leaders come with a carefully cultivated fire in their souls and take responsibility for setting the whole place on fire.

May God raise up many fire starters among us.

Jason Harris interviews Albert Garlando for InFocus

JH: I know you’re a busy man, so I appreciate you taking the time to share with us. First, just let us know a little about yourself. Where you pastor, your family, background, etc.

AG: I am married to Rachel (18th anniversary last November) and have one daughter, Lily who turns 5 at the end of January and will be starting Kindergarten in 2011.
I am a lead pastor in an independent church in Kogarah NSW called Grace Chinese Christian Church (GCCC). I lead one of the English language congregations.

I was born and raised in Ingham, North Queensland as a nominal Roman Catholic. I came to Christ whilst in high school in March 1985 (and was baptised a bit later) through the ministries of the Ingham Independent Baptist Church, pastored then by Wally Jaworski. While in year 12, after hearing a series of messages by Dr. Bob Jones, Jr., I applied to Sydney Bible Baptist College to pursue training in vocational Christian ministry.

I served in various Sydney based Independent Baptist churches in the capacity of an Assistant or Associate Pastor (sometimes with the title, sometimes not). In 1997/8 we had an opportunity to travel to East Africa and do itinerant gospel work (teaching, training, church planting, starting clinics and schools, etc.) in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. I’ve returned since to speak at training seminars and conferences for local pastors.

For most of my ministry I’ve worked bi-vocationally. That is, I worked a full-time normal job in addition to my ministry role. This isn’t uncommon amongst Australian churches, especially independent ones, but many still consider it a bit strange and don’t count it as “real” ministry. Following a redundancy from one of my “normal” jobs I started seeking full-time paid ministry roles. After a short time, GCCC called me and here I am.

JH: I’ve followed your blog, God is My Constant, for several years now and appreciate how you use it. Can you give us an idea of how you got started blogging and why you choose to blog?

AG: When we got back from Kenya the use of personal websites by the likes of Yahoo and a few ISP’s was popular. Back then they were mostly used to post pictures of pets and hobbies. A few churches had seized the opportunity to set up rudimentary websites with basic info. I started doing this for Grace Baptist Church in Seven Hills. I readily used Phil Johnson’s Bookmarks as a resource and eagerly followed his early Pyromaniac blog.

I had a go at setting up my own blog with an apologetic emphasis and even had the name “apologies” (in fact the default url of my WordPress blog still has it). Now, when I write, I am primarily thinking about my own congregation. I want to encourage them to think through issues, events, and art from a gospel perspective. I don’t often comment on the big controversial doctrinal issues that the evangelical pundits are fighting over unless I get asked about it at church or it has the potential to influence my people.

A benefit of a blog is that I can supplement my preaching and teaching and expand on some details. When I write (at the moment 2-3 times per week), I can also provide snippets and introductions to other authors, blogs, and books. My goal is to stir people up and provoke them to think a little more deeply. For instance, I can write something about gambling around Melbourne Cup time that equips people to be more thoughtful and intentional about how they live and breathe the gospel at their work place. Rather than trying to “fit that in” to my sermon the Sunday before, I can better shepherd and feed my people God’s counsel. It also frees up my preaching to be more focused on expositing the text rather than only reacting to issues.

JH: What kind of time commitment does your blogging habit (makes it sound a bit like a bad addiction!) require?

AG: How long is a piece of string?

Depending on the type of article or entry, I may spend about one hour “blogging.” I allocate time in my schedule, usually Wednesdays, for writing. This includes blogging, sermon preparation, and other teaching and writing I am involved with. I try, as much as possible, to integrate my blogging with my reading and studying. That way I’m not distracted and the blog becomes just another perspective or medium to discuss things I’m already involved with. I will usually prepare a few articles or posts and then schedule them to be posted throughout the following week. If I see, hear, or read something somewhere else that prompts a spontaneous post then I can quickly include that also, but most of my articles are pre-scheduled.

JH: Is blogging for everyone? For instance, I think some pastors feel like they don’t have the technological know-how to blog. Is blogging just for the younger, tech-savvy pastor?

AG: I think my answer is, it’s not for everyone… to the same extent. Some are put off by the “techy” bells and whistles that some churches and pastors use. As a result the pastor thinks blogging is not for him or his flock.

Whether it’s a sermon outline, bible study questionnaire, devotional paragraph, or a full doctrinal position statement, every pastor is capable of writing. They may just need some help transferring their content to a blog medium.

John MacArthur is a good example. He doesn’t own or use a personal computer (see here, footnote 3) yet he is a prolific writer and author. Phil Johnson and a team of others transpose his work into various formats including blog-type articles. You don’t need to be John MacArthur, but there’s a good chance someone in your congregation knows their way around a website. When I started a website for Grace Baptist, I used my Senior Pastor’s sermon notes (that he provided) as material. Maybe there is someone in their church that can serve in this way as well!

JH: Over the years, have you ever had someone visit the church or find out about the church from the blog? Has it ever provided you with evangelistic opportunities?

AG: I have seen a handful come visit in the last couple years. Not sure how many have stayed on. I have had one guy that had drifted away, come back to church as a direct result of some interaction with the blog.

There have been a few gospel opportunities that have come as well. I have had many substantial conversations with non-Christian friends over things that I have written, quoted, and commented on (they usually respond to a Facebook or Twitter link to the blog). One thread in particular had a few people chiming in. It was reminiscent of the old bulletin board and forum days.

JH: Every medium has it’s benefits and dangers. What are the biggest dangers of blogging for pastors? What tips can you give for dealing with these dangers?

AG: The biggest issue, certainly that I have witnessed is to not be gracious with either readers or writers. Certainly the medium runs the risk of being a little too impersonal—but then the same could have been argued about books, pamphlets, articles, monographs used effectively by pastors, teachers, writers, speakers, etc. throughout all history. A book written in 1700 is no more or no less “personal” than a blog post. However both readers and writers seem to be a little less tolerant and forgiving in the “blogosphere.”

As a pastor, beware the temptation to “vent” on your blog without being accountable for what you have written. I have been guilty of this in the past and subsequently have withdrawn or deleted blog posts. Blogging tends to be short, concise, and more abbreviated than a drawn out conversation or lecture so bear that in mind when writing. Break up your posts into parts if needed and be more self-critical of what you write when you do. Don’t compromise your ministry and integrity through a silly blogging indiscretion.

As a reader, be gracious to other writers, remembering that just as you misspeak when preaching and mistype when blogging, others do also. If something sounds a little off, or abrupt, or inaccurate, learn to politely inquire before you launch your “heretic-seeking missives” in the comments field.

JH: Let me wrap it up with one more question. What have you found most rewarding about blogging as a pastor?

AG: In my homiletics class at bible college, the teacher stressed one very important principle that many a young preacher (and old ones—myself included!) need to hear repeated often: “The mind can procure only what the seat can endure.” Or perhaps the more well known admonition: “KISS” (Keep It Simple Stupid). In other words, don’t do what I am doing here—waffle on!

Blogging is helping me be more disciplined in my teaching and communication. The brevity of the medium forces me to be more precise and concise in conveying my thoughts. The rewards I’ve experienced during “blogging” have given me an opportunity to think more deeply about scripture, the nature and character of God and ministry, and then in turn try to write about that succinctly. That’s an area of personal growth that I am still developing.

JH: I appreciate your thoughts. Thanks for sharing with us.

I want to further support this purpose by focusing today on the question “Should pastors blog?” I’ve interviewed two pastors to ask them this question. Today’s interview is with Bob Bixby.

Jason Harris interviews Bob Bixby for InFocus

JH: I know your time is valuable so I really appreciate you agreeing to this interview. Could you start out by giving us a quick overview of who you are and what you do?

BB: My name is Bob Bixby. I am one of three pastors at Morning Star Baptist Church in Rockford, Illinois. Our church has about 230-240 that attend each Sunday and about 100 of those are under the age of 18! I am the founding pastor (we started in 2002 with about 35 core people) and am by virtue of my tenure sort of the “lead pastor” although I am not personally fond of titular distinctions. My role in the church has been changing from being the sole teaching pastor to sharing that role with one of the other pastors. This has allowed me to invest more time in thinking about the future as well as preaching (although “Pastor for Preaching and Vision” as John Piper is called at Bethlehem would be far too grandiose a title for what I actually do.) My visioneering consists of asking ministerial imponderables such as, when I consider the leaders God has brought to our church,  “How can we keep all this giftedness around here without any money?” It also includes a more active interest and involvement with the children and teens, the future of the church.

I have a wonderful wife. We’ve been married for 20 years this coming June and we are not ashamed to say that “most” of those years have been wonderful. I was a Type-A, work-obsessed, driven person for too long and it took a toll on our relationship but it did not diminish my wife’s love for God, the ministry, or for me. Perhaps I’ve over-corrected now. The pendulum has swung to the always-so-glad-to-find-another-excuse-to-stay-home-with-the-fam side, but the marriage is so much more fun!

I serve in an amazing church. Jennie and I are in awe about what God has done here. God has collected a very interesting and eclectic group of people with some outstanding gifts and has planted all of us in a city with a very bad economy and absolutely nothing more exciting than the occasional opening of a gonna-last-only-three-years restaurant. And yet we grow. Truly, I have learned that the obsession with demographics that so many church planters have is over-kill. If God wants a church some place, it’ll happen. Period.

JH: I’ve followed your blog, Pensées, for many years now (both the old one and now the new one) and have found it very helpful. First, can you tell us the background to the name of the blog and tell us how it’s pronounced. (!) But second, can you tell me why you, as a pastor, choose to blog.

BB: There is nothing mysterious about my choice of a blog title. Actually, when I started blogging, I literally knew of only two people that blogged. I was kind of a pioneer from my own perspective. At the time I felt kind of outside of fundamentalism because of a bad experience, was suddenly on the bad side of the good old boys, and had no audience but the 30 or so people that came to our church plant. Somebody told me about blogging and I decided to try it. When I was asked to give the designer a title (I don’t think Blogspot or WordPress even existed back then), I tried to think of something that would represent me. I thought of the word “musings” because that would imply that I could write something without too much accountability for grammar or historical accuracy! I was just musing after all; not writing a dissertation. And my musings would be short (so I surmised). Anyway, that made me think of Blaise Pascal and his famous collections of short thoughts (Pensées) and I thought it was fitting since I had grown up in France. Thus, the title. And the subtitle, Musings of a Contented Misfit, still fits. You pronounce Pensées pAHn-say. Kind of. With a French accent, of course.

Honestly, I wrestle with the blog thing. Perhaps it’s the comments section I should can. I don’t know. As my church grows I get busier with counselling and I simply don’t have the time. I have a friend who pastors a church with over 3,000 people. He says that the hardest time of his ministry was when his church was in the 150-300 range because it’s big enough to demand lots of time, but not big enough to have an adequate staff. On the other hand, blogging is a way to gain influence. There is no doubt that my blog has made friends for me and drawn people to our ministry. (We’ll ignore for now the fact that it has also made some non-friends, “enemy” being too harsh a term for professing brothers!). I actually have another blog that I do with the other pastors and it targets our congregation. It is very useful to disseminate all kinds of information and thoughts to them. As for Pensées, the new site has not fully taken off yet because I have not really sold my soul out to it yet. It’s demanding.

Should pastors blog? I think the answer is yes. But it probably should be more like the site that I share with the other leaders in our church. See, for example http://msbcstuff.com/. We also put up the next Sunday’s liturgy and book reports, etc. Whatever we think is helpful. However, the beautiful thing about a blog that targets a larger audience is that you don’t have to fight for an audience. If you write well enough on any topic, you’ll get discovered. And it’s not arrogant to want an audience. As ministers of the Word we believe we have something to say that needs to be heard. I liken blogging to standing on a street corner and speaking as loudly as you can!

JH: So you’ve highlighted a distinction between the personal blog (Pensées) and the “church blog.” I think that’s a helpful distinction because a lot of pastors tend to associate blogging only with the blog wars they see now and again. So looking at your “church blog” specifically, what percentage of your members would you estimate read your posts there regularly? Also, do you find that it is less time consuming than Pensées?

BB: The church blog is less time consuming because the other pastors contribute to it as well. I do not know exactly what percentage of our congregation reads that blog, but I don’t think I’d be off the mark to say the large majority. Our church is a young congregation and so they are pretty in tune to the whole connection by internet concept. Interestingly, a very small percentage of people in my church read my main blog, the one that outsiders know about. And, frankly, I’m happy with that. I don’t really think it’s necessary that they experience the “blog wars,” etc.

JH: Let me change direction here for a moment and ask you about the macro trends for ongoing learning for pastors. In the past, I think pastors have tended to read books and theological journals as a way to stay sharp on theological trends and larger issues and then subscribed to a few magazines to stay abreast of the latest developments in matters relevant to Christianity. Could you comment on how you think this has changed or might change and what role blogs can/should/will play in ongoing pastoral learning?

BB: I think blogs are overrated. I hardly read them myself. I have about twenty on my reader and every third day or so will peruse the titles to see if anything catches my eye. I doubt I read more than two whole blog posts a week. I’m old fashioned when it comes to reading and do not feel like I have really absorbed something unless I have physically held a book or journal in my hand. So, I’m a bad person to ask about this subject. However, having said that, I also think that blogs are underrated. They are not going to go away. They’re available and accessible at all times. My blog will lay dormant for a long time, but if I write something provocative I’ll have over 600 reads a day for an extended period of time. That is something you certainly cannot do with the printed page. And, additionally, the readers are presumably interested readers. If they selected your blog post it is because they are interested in the topic. I had lunch with Justin Taylor and several other pastors recently and this very topic came up. The pastors were all from very large churches and they all said that they hugely benefit from Justin’s “Drudge Report”-style collection of articles and information that is going on in the evangelical world because they are too busy to keep up with what is going on. I can sympathize with that. At the same time, I found it fascinating that Justin seemed to shrug off the impact of blogging and its long term role in pastors’ ministries. I do not know why. Perhaps, like me, he doubts the value of getting information overload.

JH: Information overload… that’s a good segue to my next question. As with anything new, there will be benefits as well as dangers. What do you consider to be the biggest dangers for pastors who blog? Perhaps you could also comment on how you seek to address these pitfalls in your own blogging.

BB: I think that there are potential pitfalls for the blogging pastor. If you allow commenters to opine on your blog you always risk getting ensnared in a debate that has spun away from the original track. Some people seem determined to miss the obvious intent of the blogger and they are so effective at it that you wonder if they went to school to learn the skill. Blogging is risky in that you really don’t know who will read your post. I once saw an article that I wrote about my daughter and adoption posted on a radical feminist blog in which everything that I said was ripped out of context and I was being villainised and people were pitying my daughter as if she had been captured by a cult!

A more subtle danger is that a blogger can both overestimate and underestimate his influence. I think both possibilities are risky. Overestimating your influence is obviously dumb, but it could lead to an over-investment of time in something that distracts from one’s main ministry. Underestimating one’s influence is also dangerous because it could lead to a carelessness about what one writes or how he writes it. I have erred in both ways.

My own solution is to treat my blog as a “ministerial hobby.” Generally, hobby and ministry would not go together. A hobby is supposed to be a distraction from the pressures of ministry. But in the case of my blog, I don’t commit my soul to it, don’t worry about investing lots of time to keep it up, and do it when I have time that does not take away from my local church ministry. But, I’m trying to think more ministerially about it and reflect a little bit on the pastoral/ministerial goals I could pursue with the blog.

JH: It’s important to be aware of the pitfalls of blogging, but let me finish up by asking you about the benefits of blogging. What have you found most rewarding about blogging as a pastor?

BB: Blogging has opened up many vistas of relationships, connections, friendships, and influence that I truly do not believe I could have had otherwise. I’m shocked by how many people tell me that they’ve read a blog post and what it meant to them. Though, I’m not nearly as active now as I used to be, I still get mail from people I’ve never met that ask questions or say nice things about what they’ve read. It’s been a real blessing.

I think the biggest blessing for a pastor, however, is that the blog enables him to leave his personal opinions about almost everything away from the pulpit and just exposit the Word. Pastoral opinions matter. They should matter to people. But in the end they’re just opinions. The blog affords an opportunity for the pastor to opine on many real-life issues and frees him from the temptation of trying to sneak it in during his pulpit ministry. Blogging has helped my preaching stay purely expositional and I have hardly ever wandered off into secondary issues to opine or coach our folks on how they ought to think about a particular matter. They get my opinions, but not from the pulpit!

JH: Amen. I really appreciate your perspective on this and look forward to continuing to follow your blog.

When we arrived the overnight temperature dropped close to zero. Coming from warm Cairns we had the shock of our lives. It is the first time I have seen Michael’s lips turn blue.

We are in Perth for a working holiday so to speak.

I have pulpit ministry along with some leadership training workshops. It has been nice to have the family here and I get to juggle day trips, sermon prep and some jogs around the Swan River.

I have been impressed with the ‘new’ and ‘fresh’ feeling that Perth exudes as a city. It does not seem to have the ‘weariness’ that parts of Sydney or Brisbane have. Perth is easy to navigate around and one wrong turn does not consign you to geographical purgatory.

The food is second to none with fantastic restaurants wherever you turn.

WA has some food chains that I have not seen on the East Coast, like Chicken Treat and Miami Bakehouse. Even the IGA’s are more like gourmet deli’s than just a plain old super market. You can even can get sushi there. Glory!

We are ministering to a largely Asian congregation who have settled in Perth from places such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. We have enjoyed their fellowship and have felt an immediate unity that only the Gospel can bring.

At our mid-week meeting I was talking to a young guy who has been saved only a year. He is in Perth for Uni. He told me of his desire to come to prayer meeting despite his heavy study routine. So he decided to trust the Lord, come to prayer meeting anyway and get up the next morning at 2am to hit the books again.

My brother told me of the blessing this has brought him and how the Lord still enabled him to get good marks. He said he felt like Daniel who asked the king permission to eat vegetables and after 10 days to see if he was as strong and healthy as the others in his court.

I was reminded again that whenever we are willing to take the yoke of sacrificial service the Lord blesses above all that we can ask or think.

On the teaching front, one seminar that I prepared was about moving from spiritual passivity to active ministry.

Here is the outline:-

Recognise that lasting change must happen from within the heart and often takes time;

Lead by example;

Emphasise the ‘servant’ truths of Scripture;

Teach often on ‘stewardship’ of our lives to counter the false ‘ownership’ concept;

Rally the troops around Biblical and aspirational goals with achievable plans;

Learn to delegate to maximise involvement;

Develop the men in your church;

Encourage believers to become church members and set out expectations of them.

If can think of any others I would appreciate your comments. So with those thoughts, have an active week serving our great God!

Robert Apps

Martin Luther (1483 – 1546) was one the most colourful and passionate characters in church history.  As a principle reformer, Luther took complex issues and unravelled them into the common vernacular – allowing theologians and farmers alike to respond with childlike simplicity to the Gospel.  We know and love the narrative.  The lawyer turned Catholic theologian turned reformer.  Modern conservative critics of Luther denounce his political militancy, marriage counselling, and his position on communion.  The purpose of this post is not to exonerate Luther’s flaws or to condone them.  I want to talk about Luther’s context and character traits that could spark similar passion in today’s theological world.

Luther lived in a world comfortable with error. Western Catholicism was pervasive, influential, and militant.  The Avignon Papacy was a distant memory and the catholic church enjoyed the company of kings and queens.  In many cases, the church’s judicial system overrode the national judicial system.  For the average family what this meant was purchasing crude indulgences to facilitate relief for family members trapped in purgatory.

Luther knew the Bible. Luther’s understanding of justification by faith alone grew out of personal Bible study.  During a period of time when his life was under threat, Luther was hidden away from the public while working on a Bible translation in the German (common) language.  Luther was a part of the team that recovered some of the great themes of Scripture with the Sola statements.

Luther feared God more than man. When Luther wrote the 95 Theses he was an insignificant Augustinian monk.  The questions he asked were reformative within the context of the Catholic Church.  Subsequent debates with church leaders in public forums and in print reveal a lion-hearted personality mirroring the young David before the Philistines.

Luther invested himself in others. Luther’s family house was a classroom for his own family and for his extended family that often joined him for meals.  He influenced a whole generation of reformers.  Protestant theology became richer and deeper because of the groundwork that Luther helped to prepare.  Good teachers help students to go further.

We should not be thinking – “I should be more like Luther.”  Rather, we should be thinking about the Sovereign God who gave Luther his abilities and sustained him throughout his life.  Broad thematic principles in Luther’s life can be applied to our own context for God’s glory.  Ask God to increase your passion for Him.  Reading the Bible is great place to start.

~ Jeremy