The emergence of the pastor Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position in churches today has become widely acceptable in Mega and Meta churches. Recent studies have not explored this issue. David Fisher acknowledges that in the 21st century, being a pastor presents major challenges because it leads to professional and personal identity crisis resulting from secular and ecclesial challenges. Studies have supported the idea that there is the need for church leaders to adopt the secular models of leadership and several noted authors have shown that churches today have become like other organizations that have to market their products. This is a problematic interpretation because leadership in modern churches has gone beyond the biblical and theological definitions of becoming shepherds of their flock and servants of God. In the search for an effective pastoral leadership role, this paper will explore the contemporary definition of pastoral leadership and compare it with what the scriptures say concerning the elders and servants of God assigned the duty of being shepherds of their flock.

Finally a Bible for the Marketplace designed and written by Marketplace Christians from 4 continents of the world that is designed to help people "Applying Timeless Biblical Principles to Today's Marketplace!" The Marketplace Study Bible is based upon the popular King James Version of the Bible. Its loaded with life changing articles on Unlocking your Potential, Business, Leadership, Government as well as the Gospel of the Kingdom. Plus much more

This is a true story of this man full of adventures and unusual encounters that are highly interesting to read.

In the darkness of night, he escaped the Japanese invasion of Nanjing and this was the first move of the following numerous moves. He had suffered a lot and yet having a lot of fun in the rural China until the war with Japan was ended. He returned to the ruins of his old home in Nanjing and lived there for nearly two years of peace time. When communists took over the mainland, he moved to Taiwan where he graduated from college and married. During his time in Taiwan, he ventured into many things that almost took his life. He then decided to go to the U.S.A. For graduate studies. On the ship to U.S.A. the ship was hit by a typhoon. They lost in the high seas for days. He went to a college in Wisconsin where he met many nice people and later decided to stay in the U.S.A. Upon obtaining advanced degree in Wisconsin, he started his Teaching career. He then obtained his doctorate degree and was engaged in many universities to establish Computer Science programs. When he was appointed the eminent professorship. He started to think becoming a businessman. There are lot stories about sweat and tears in building a business. He led the small company to win the USIA contract and continue to win contract with Navy, Pentagon, and Education Department. In one unusual opportunity, he led the company to win the IRS contract, which was $240 million for the life of the contract. He had won all sorts of award. The most important was given by President Bush in the White House.

Amidst all the many church discipleship, stewardship, evangelism and training programs for pastors, leaders and congregations there is one thing missing: the Fundamentals of the Faith. Many Christians know more about their church's budget than they do about the Fundamentals of the Christian Faith as outlined in the Word of God. Why? Because the emphasis of most of these church programs is not on the Bible, but on so-called successful church operation and management methods that have moved far away from the things of God to some corporate culture...

Wise and practical essays on the pastor as shepherd, preacher, worship leader, and professional

Of all that we do in the Christian life, nothing is as important as our prayer lives. Prayer must be communicating with God, yet, not all "prayers" meet that test. We want to pray, need to pray, but sometimes the words just fall flat. I have discovered that simply taking a little walk with Jesus opens the door wide open. Walk and talk, talk and listen. He wants to hear from us, and we need to hear from Him. Walking with Jesus is a very good way to make it work.

Why bother with church? Can't I follow Jesus on my own? Christians young and old struggle to answer these questions, believing Scripture says little about church life. But the Bible is far from silent. The New Testament envisions a vibrant church of devoted brothers and sisters adopted into God's family. The biblical image of the church family has the power to reshape everything our local churches do--the ways pastors lead, how members engage one another, what worship leaders sing, and much more. Now is the time to reclaim a biblical vision of the church as a family and reject the prevailing corporate-church paradigm assumed by church growth gurus. The church that thinks of itself as a family will learn to build meaningful relationships and show the unbelieving world how good church life can be.

This handbook explores the central theme of Christian faith from various disciplinary approaches and different contexts of black experience in the United States. The central unifying theme is freedom; an important concept both in American culture and Christianity. African American theology represents a Christian understanding of God's freedom and the good news of God's call for all humankind to enter life-true human identity and moral responsibility-in genuine and just community. Contributors to the volume argue that African American theology highlights how racism and other intersecting forms of oppression complicate the human predicament; and that their eradication requires an expansion of salvation to include the liberation of persons who lack full participation in society and enjoyment of the good (and goods) made possible by that society. The essays in this handbook employ the tools of biblical criticism, history, cultural and social analysis, religious studies, philosophy, and systematic theology, in order to explore and assess the nature and impact of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, immigration, and cultural and moral pluralism in America-as well as the intersections between African American and African diasporan religious thought and life.

Most forms of religion are best understood in the con- text of their relationship with the surrounding culture. This may be particularly true in the United States. Certainly immigrant Catholicism became Americanized; mainstream Protestantism accommodated itself to the modern world; and Reform Judaism is at home in American society. In Evangelicalism, Richard Kyle explores paradoxical adjustments and transformations in the relationship between conservative Protestant Evangelicalism and contemporary American culture. Evangelicals have resisted many aspects of the modern world, but Kyle focuses on what he considers their romance with popular culture. Kyle sees this as an Americanized Christianity rather than a Christian America, but the two are so intertwined that it is difficult to discern the difference between them. Instead, in what has become a vicious self-serving cycle, Evangelicals have baptized and sanctified secular culture in order to be considered culturally relevant, thus increasing their numbers and success within abundantly populous and populist-driven American society. In doing so, Evangelicalism has become a middle-class movement, one that dominates America's culture, and unabashedly populist. Many Evangelicals view America as God's chosen nation, thus sanctifying American culture, consumerism, and middle-class values. Kyle believes Evangelicals have served themselves well in consciously and deliberately adjusting their faith to popular culture. Yet he also thinks Evangelicals may have compromised themselves and their future in the process, so heavily borrowing from the popular culture that in many respects the Evangelical subculture has become secularism with a light gilding of Christianity. If so, he asks, can Evangelicalism survive its own popularity and reaffirm its religious origins, or will it assimilate and be absorbed into what was once known as the Great American Melting Pot of religions and cultures? Will the Gospel of the American dream ultimately engulf and destroy the Gospel of Evangelical success in America? This thoughtful and thought-provoking volume will interest anyone concerned with the modern-day success of the Evangelical movement in America and the aspirations and fate of its faithful.