When Leaders Fall…
To be clear, this post isn’t a reaction to some new scandal and I’m not making any veiled references to some unsavoury incident soon to shock and dismay the Christian community. It is true that there have been so many moral failures that we should be disturbed – but even if you immediately attach a name to what I am about to write, I am not thinking about any one person – just a disturbing trend that impacts us all, no matter which flavour of the Christian faith you adhere to. Come to think of it, it’s not simply Christians who are impacted, for when we talk...
Read MoreCounter-culturally non-anxious
To be clear this counter-cultural series is not an exercise in “them and us” with “them” being awful and “us” being amazing. But it is an attempt to dig into the Jesus difference that often becomes apparent in the lives of those who take up the invitation to be a disciple of Jesus the Christ. The last post explored being counter-culturally grateful, this one looks at being non-anxious, or perhaps more accurately, managing the anxiety we have in the light of our faith in Jesus. In short, following Jesus can make a difference to the way we face and work with...
Read MoreDeeper-Wider: To be and to do…
You might know that I am very involved with the Carey Group and wearing my AVENIR hat, helped devise their vision document Carey 2026. It’s framed around the theme “Deeper Foundations – Widening Reach” or more simply, “Deeper-Wider” – a wonderful refrain for a missional movement like Carey. In an age when many are content with shallow slogans and triumphalist grandstanding, Carey has committed itself to becoming a reflective movement, unafraid to dig ever deeper into the Christian faith on which it is founded. At the same time it has signed up to...
Read MoreFrom Platforms to Altars: Rediscovering Servant Leadership
You know as well as I do that the list of fallen Christian leaders is growing at an alarming rate. Many have been high fliers, leaders who were widely lauded and greatly respected until – well until it all came out. It has been more than a little depressing. I heard one pastor call it “deeply disillusioning” – that’s a fair summary. Something is amiss. A recent podcast I listened to warned leaders that it is possible to grow your platform more quickly than your character, and that leadership compromise is almost inevitable when your fame is larger than your...
Read MoreA bit of an update…
Many of the people who read this blog do so because our paths have crossed – and this is a good way to keep in touch. So let me update you on some of the things that have been happening in my life. If it is old news for you, sorry, but others are reading it for the first time. At the end of 2020 Vose Seminary merged with Morling College to form one of the largest theological colleges in the Southern Hemisphere. This was a very sensible move, as both Vose and Morling are Baptist Theological Colleges and the merger has enabled the two colleges to offer a united online program, share staff,...
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