Thank You and Goodbye
Last week, Gateway Seminary honored us with a Celebration of Service event. It was a humbling moment for us, commemorating twenty years of meaningful service with the Gateway family. The kind words, personal tributes, and unexpected gifts created precious memories to cherish as we move into our next demanding ministry role. Thank you to everyone […]
Moving Into the Future
Gateway Seminary has selected Dr. Adam Groza as our eighth president. He will take office next month and lead us into the future. His selection now coincides, still to my surprise, with me leaving Gateway to become the president of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. One of my regrets is not being […]
An Anniversary
Ten years ago this week, our seminary experienced the monumental announcement of the sale of its property in the San Francisco Bay Area, its move to Southern California, and plans to change its name to Gateway Seminary. The announcement thrust our seminary into a season of transition, which shaped us personally and professionally. All of […]
Masterful
Hearing Dr. Brian Kennedy, declaring truth with a Bible in his hand, is an exquisite pleasure. He consistently and seriously communicates biblical truth, with a street-wise demeaner and practical sense that connects with listeners from every background. For me, his pastoral preaching has been life-giving and spiritually sustaining. Dr. Kennedy is the senior pastor of […]
Rhonda Kelley
Our friend and colleague, Dr. Rhonda Kelley, passed away recently after battling cancer for the past few years. Rhonda was the wife of Dr. Chuck Kelley, former President of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She was an iconic leader, impacting millions of women through her work editing The Women’s Study Bible and other published material […]
Walking by Faith
13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 At least a couple of aspects in my walk of faith stand out for me from this text. First, and maybe foremost, Paul was not writing about general matters of a person’s character […]
Hope for the New Year
The longer you lead, the more susceptible you may be to discouragement, cynicism, and bitterness. Losing in the ministry battle hurts. It’s hard when evil prevails. No matter how hard we preach, teach, and counsel – some people still make horrible choices that destroy relationships, families, and churches. No matter how much we strategize, sinful […]
Confusing Momentum with Vision
During my presentation to our Board of Trustees which initiated our current presidential transition, I opined many older leaders often confuse vision with momentum. What does this mean and why is it an organizational problem? Effective ministry leaders cast compelling vision for their church or organization and their constituents are enthused by that vision. The […]
The Pendulum Effect
Discussing some of my leadership shortcomings with a colleague reminded me of a common mistake often made during leadership transition. While trying to compensate or recover from the weaknesses of an outgoing leader, people overreact and choose a new leader who swings the organization too far in the other direction. This is called the pendulum […]
The World Discovers Tithing
Many American Christians are rich. You may not feel rich or think of yourself as well-off given recent economic challenges, but you are. When you consider the global economy, not how you stack up with the people in your community – it changes your perspective. A recent news article on philanthropy, coupled with a new calculator […]