The February 2023 revival at Asbury University aroused anew a hunger for God in the hearts of many Christians. It began when students lingered to pray after a regularly scheduled chapel service. The weeks-long eruption of continuous, student-led prayer and … Continue reading A Praying Church | Book Review
“The average pastor’s job is harder than average,” Lyle Schaller once quipped. That’s especially true of the majority of American pastors who lead their churches alone. They face a variety of unique challenges that make their jobs especially difficult. How … Continue reading Overcoming Solo-Pastor Challenges | Influence Podcast
Christianity is the world’s largest religion. In 1900, approximately 558 million people around the globe identified as Christian. By 2020, that number had grown to approximately 2.5 billion. Despite that numerical growth, Christianity shrank as a percentage of the world’s … Continue reading The State of Global Christianity | Influence Podcast
Today is the 205th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Douglass. Born a slave in 1818 on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Douglass escaped slavery in 1838, fleeing to New York but eventually settling in Massachusetts. Three years later, he began his … Continue reading Frederick Douglass: America’s Prophet | Book Review
Today is Abraham Lincoln’s 214th birthday, in honor of which, according to the custom of my blog, I re-post this post about Lincoln’s religious beliefs, such as they were. Enjoy! ***** In 1920, William E. Barton published The Soul of Abraham … Continue reading The Creed of Abraham Lincoln in His Own Words | 2023 Edition
Global Christianity by Gina A. Zurlo is a statistical guide to the world’s largest religion, organized by continent, tradition or movement, and country. It functions as a précis of World Christian Encyclopedia, 3rd ed. (2019) and World Christian Database (2021), … Continue reading Global Christianity | Book Review
Solo pastors, whether full- or part-time, lead 56% of American churches, according to the 2015 National Congregations Study by Duke University researchers. Leading a church alone presents obvious challenges, as well as unexpected opportunities. Gary L. McIntosh examines both in … Continue reading The Solo Pastor | Book Review
On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Roe v. Wade. The court declared that the Constitution confers a right to abortion through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. That decision governed American … Continue reading The Story of Abortion in America | Book Review
What were New Testament women really like? The conventional opinion is that they were powerless. “Women were subject to men and unable to wield real authority,” writes Susan E. Hylen, summarizing this view. “They did not own property or participate … Continue reading Review of ‘Finding Phoebe’ by Susan E. Helen
The words of the Great Commission are well known: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded … Continue reading Following Jesus in All of Life | Influence Podcast
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