Budget shrinking. Pastors quitting. Buildings aging. Membership declining. Frustration mounting. Pessimism rising.  These are defining characteristics of many churches in the modern era. 

Many congregations felt like they were running out of time to make a positive change before the pandemic. However, now that time has been sped up by a globally-altering experience. 

That pressure and stress level is unhealthy for the church, let alone the vocational staff often wrongly tasked with turning it all around. 

Time just doesn’t seem to be on the side of the church, its members, and the pastoral staff. The busyness of our culture and our churches, the pressure that comes with time, has replaced sacred time with secular time.  

“Being too fatigued to be the church is a challenge. Its most popular solution is change. Perhaps change is needed, but the pursuit of change, the need to recast an identity, runs the ever-present risk of producing depression,” said Dr. Andrew Root on the CBF Podcast. 

We sat down with the acclaimed author of “The Relational Pastor” to discuss his new book series, “The Congregation, Pastor, and Faith Formation in a Secular Age.” Join us as we work through many of the most difficult challenges facing churches and pastors today. 

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CBF’s podcast shares stories from across the Fellowship and innovative practices of those working to renew God’s world. The vision is to share ideas, stories, and innovations from ministers, authors, and practitioners.

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Sponsorship 

This podcast episode is brought to you by The Center for Congregational Health, Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, and McAfee School of Theology Doctor of Ministry program. 

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Andy Hale is the creator and host of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Podcast. Hale is the senior pastor of University Baptist Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, following eight years as the founding pastor of Mosaic Church of Clayton and five years as CBF’s church start specialist. Follow on Twitter @haleandy