Church Membership and the Tough Cases: Reflections on Divorce and Remarriage
W. Jackson Watts In a prior article I discussed the centrality of church membership to our evaluations of where we are as churches at this point in the COVID-19 pandemic. The truth is that church membership touches all aspects of church life and Christian experience. I have an…
Why Membership Matters More Than Ever
W. Jackson Watts I’m often reluctant to speak of things “mattering more than ever.” These kinds of statements tend to ignore historical precedents and other factors that make our own times less unique than we imagine. Take pandemics as an example. Plague and pestilence were present in many…
How to Reach Generation Z: A New Study (Part Two)
Matthew Pinson In my last post I discussed the recent study conducted by Springtide Research, “The State of Religion and Young People 2020.” This study was featured in a conversation between Mark Bauerlein and sociologist Dr. Josh Packard on the First Things podcast entitled “The Loneliest Generation.” The…
15 Factors Contributing to the Pastoral Shortage Problem
by W. Jackson Watts This past March I published an article entitled “Reexamining the Pastoral Shortage Problem.” If social media and WordPress metrics are any indication, it struck a nerve. I view this as an affirmation that most readers agree that there is a shortage in available pastors,…