As Bart Barber, a tall Texas pastor in a suit and tie, walked outside the convention hall in Anaheim, Southern Baptists stopped to congratulate their new president. They shook his hand, patted his back, and took pictures. When Barber put his name in the ring for SBC president, there was similar enthusiasm from friends who texted asking if he was excited to go for the position.

But his feelings are heavier than that. He knows the baggage that comes from leadership—his predecessor Ed Litton was ...

Calling is a funny thing.

When Michael Martin accepted the pastor position at Stillmeadow Community Fellowship, he expected he’d preach, pray, counsel, marry, bury, baptize, and otherwise shepherd the flock at the Evangelical Free Church in Baltimore.

He didn’t plan on becoming an urban forest keeper.

“It took a minute,” he said, laughing at the evolution of his ministry.

Gary Koning knows how that goes. What started as a pretty typical stream clean-up effort has completely altered ...