by Kevin Bauder | Jun 22, 2018 | In the Nick of Time
[This essay was originally published on April 12, 2013.] In order for a church to function as a community, its members must develop relationships that touch all of life. The development of these relationships requires Christians to share interests outside of the...
by Kevin Bauder | Jun 15, 2018 | In the Nick of Time
When I was thirteen, my father became convinced that the Lord was calling him to pastor. He moved our family across several states to attend Bible college. He took his first pastorate while he was still a student. That put me in a position to hear the week-by-week...
by Kevin Bauder | Jun 8, 2018 | Education, In the Nick of Time, Pastoral Theology
What training do pastors need? It depends entirely upon the ministry that they intend to pursue. Becoming a social justice warrior takes one kind of training. Becoming an ecclesiastical impresario takes another. Learning to work a crowd for high-pressure evangelism...
by Kevin Bauder | Jun 1, 2018 | In the Nick of Time
As General Motors’ top line, Cadillac has become a metaphor for the best and most luxurious of something. A Cadillac is never a necessity: a Chevy could get you from one place to another. The people who purchase Cadillacs are after class, prestige, and comfort....
by Kevin Bauder | May 25, 2018 | In the Nick of Time
The Religious News Service recently published a story stating that future pastors are turning away from the traditional M.Div. and toward the shorter M.A. for their ministry preparation. That story labeled the M.Div. as the “Cadillac” degree for pastoral preparation....
by Kevin Bauder | May 18, 2018 | In the Nick of Time
The Association of Theological Schools, the primary agency that accredits seminaries, recently produced a study showing that the number of M.Div. students is falling, while the number of future pastors taking the shorter M.A. program is rising. The study was picked up...