A recent conversation about leadership and conflict turned toward a question I have learned to expect. Most of my public work is with churches, pastors, governing bodies, and ministry leaders. I write and teach in Christian language. I speak about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, Scripture, Calling, stewardship, and the responsibilities of communal life. How, […]
What Daoist Formation Contributes to My Christian Work Read More »
My work has taken form through subjects that churches often keep in separate rooms. Calling is treated as spiritual language. Governance belongs to boards. Money belongs to finance committees. Leadership formation belongs to pastors and training programs. Stewardship, discernment, authority, institutional responsibility, and congregational change are often discussed as though each were its own field.
You are new enough to the board that you still bring the whole packet printed and clipped together. You have read the reports twice. You marked one sentence in the financial update because it seemed more careful than clear. You circled a phrase in the outreach committee’s proposal because the partnership sounds promising, but the
The Emotional Climate Beneath Church Decisions Read More »
When I was serving in judicatory leadership, I began to notice something about boundary awareness training. The curriculum focused heavily on sexual ethics. That emphasis made sense. It emerged from real harm, real investigations, and the recognition that abuse had to be addressed directly. Yet over time, it became clear that many other ethical boundaries
Why Congregational Polity Struggles with Boundaries Read More »
