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THE COMPLEXITY, NECESSITY, AND CHALLENGE OF PROPER CREDENTIALING By Randy Nabors One of the challenges for the Presbyterian Church in America is the process we have for ordaining our ministers.  If you want to be a pastor in this denomination there are certain “hoops” one has to jump through.  I am in favor of being…

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM We went to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum yesterday.  An institution and monument of statewide lament.  My family, on my father’s side, is from Mississippi. It is 400 years since black people were brought here to America as slaves.  One of the things the museum helps you to realize is that…

REFLECTIONS ON TYPICAL PCA CHURCH AND PASTOR DECISIONS CONCERNING A CONGREGATIONAL MINISTRY OF MERCY. (I am making a distinction here between typical congregations as opposed to those within the New City Network.) 1. Most church planters and pastors see mercy ministry as optional, and not a necessity as a church ministry. 2. Many church planters…

Questions to ask a young white church planter who wants to do a cross-cultural church plant; some of these apply to People of Color as well. WHY? 1. Why are you doing this, or attempting to do it? What has motivated you to do what can be a very difficult work? FRIENDS? 2. Do you…

FOLLOWING THE DOTS… I don’t know if President Trump is able to follow the dots from hateful to hatred. If he doesn’t want hate in the country he should stop being so hateful.  I am afraid demons have been unleashed in our country.  These are demons of deception, lying, and delusion.  Demons of hatred, violence,…

I BELIEVE THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED. I optimistically believe that our “immigration problem” is one that could be solved by some clear thinking analysis and creative policy making.  The realist in me is convinced it can’t be solved as long as partisan ideologies and demagoguery control not only the debate, but the votes,…

I am both intrigued and disappointed when I hear of pastors who signal that they are not really interested in a biblical emphasis for their congregation, as they reject certain applicants due to their being tainted by some affiliation with a direction that they think is a distraction from their cultural bias. Of course some…

FATHER’S DAY By Randy Nabors   I think a lot about being a father, the joy of having children, my failures to fulfill that role well, the importance for my sons to be good dads, and the importance for all children to have in their life a protecting, loving, and nurturing dad.  There are many…

THE BEST THING I CAN DO! What’s the most important thing that I can do with my life, according to my calling that will make an impact against racism, work toward reconciliation, and the Kingdom of God? My answer to that question is to plant churches, really good and relevant cross-cultural churches within communities of…

GIVING DUE REGARD By Randy Nabors Recently I was given the opportunity to speak at a major Evangelical organization about diversity, cross-cultural ministry and reconciliation.   For this particular occasion I organized my thoughts into these 7 points. 1: REGARD NO ONE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH.  We begin with a passage from 2 Corinthians 5, verses…

     One of the problems of finding qualified church planters, (and that phrase needs explanation) is that one needs certain basic things before one can, or should, plant a church.  A “qualified church planter” is something that his sending agency determines.  That agency asks the question, “can this person, in our estimation, have a…

  Personal Disclosure Some personal disclosure as I write on this subject.  One of my sons is part of the federal work force that is working without pay.  So, for me this is personal.  My son tries very hard to be apolitical and he doesn’t like to engage in political discussions.  He is a loyal…

  STAYING UNDER THE UMBRELLA “Can two walk together unless they be agreed?” Amos 3.3      If you have ever tried walking in the rain under an umbrella with another person then you know that it takes a bit of care and intentionality to actually share it.  One has to work at keeping both…

  “I want to be famous,” he told me.  Now this was in a prayer session, and he obviously saw it as a struggle, but nevertheless it was a vivid and naked confession and I think it is right on target for many young men in ministry.      How many times have I sung…

Lex Talionis versus Lex Orandi.   Say what?   These are Latin phrases standing for the Law of Retaliation versus the Law of Prayer.   I had never really thought about them in regard to racial reconciliation until I was listening to a lecture about Cyprian, a Bishop from North Africa, who had to deal with whether…

   I feel caught between a rock and a hard place in the conflict between sympathy for the victims of sexual assault or abuse and the rule of law.   Many of my friends cast this current conflict at the hearing for the Supreme Court in the light of power versus victims.  Many people are simply…

Someone has asked my opinion on local churches cooperating or interacting with other organizations, and possibly other ministries.  What principles should we keep in mind, what practical issues might develop, and what are some of the perplexing perils in fulfilling our mission?  I will try to integrate some of the “perplexing perils” (PP) as I…

I like Deacons.   I honor the office of Deacon.  I love the men and women who serve in the ministry of mercy throughout our churches.  May the Lord bless them and give them a reward for what they do.     Pastors and Elders need to value the ministry of Deacons, and they need to be…

FAILING There are ways we can fail in our pursuit of cross-cultural ministry.  I refer to this as “malpractice.”   I am not speaking simply of not achieving our goals but of going about ministry in ways that actually hurt people, hurt the reputation of the church, and possibly bring slander to the name of Christ.…

    It is hard not to say something about this latest activity by our President, and I speak of the comments President Trump made in Finland about Russia.   I recently heard a lecture by Professor Peter C. Mancall of the University of Southern California (Audible –The Teaching Company) in a lecture on the American Revolution. …