Tag Archives: laity

Clergy & Laity: If he’d ever had a real job, he’d know how unrealistic his preaching is!

This is a tough one. One great advantage of having a fulltime preacher is that they are fulltime. Of course. But this is also a disadvantage because it gives the members the opportunity to rationalize away the preacher’s demands. After … Continue reading

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Clergy & Laity: Thoughts on the Last Post, Part 2 (Accountability)

Should the minister be accountable to the elders for how he uses his time? Accountable for results only? Not accountable at all? Well, let’s start with some principles. Principle 1: People fill gaps in their knowledge in the most pathological … Continue reading

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Clergy & Laity: Thoughts on the Last Post, Part 1 (The Preacher Pattern)

As I expected, the readers’ comments on the last post in this series have been insightful, helpful, and utterly inconsistent with each other. The inconsistency is entirely understandable, as I feel a bit conflicted myself. And I admit to a … Continue reading

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Clergy & Laity: What does the preacher do for a living? How many hours does he really work?

Part 1: The annual review It’s the new preacher’s first annual review. The elders are trying hard to be wise and godly, but it’s a business-sort of meeting that’s about business sorts of things. The minister has performed well in … Continue reading

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