We are people of stories, and our stories, even church stories, need not be closed-ended. To be alive is to live out a story, and for our churches to come alive, we must continue to live out the gospel story, which is a living story. Therefore, the primary need in most congregations is a dynamic and compelling story, inviting people into faithful living.

I believe a narrative theological perspective and the missional approach to ministry provide local congregations an opportunity to rethink, recalibrate, and resume responsible ministry by developing dynamic stories. The narrative...

As our continuing saga unfolds in America, the words of the preacher need to become more focused on addressing the variety of challenges facing the African American family. The black preacher can no longer afford to anesthetize the African American community with the deadly opiates of the prosperity gospel, or be content with providing weekly entertaining distractions from the harsh realities of family life, or worse yet, irrelevant expositions on subjects that only interest the preacher. Our people need to face the truth of our continuing saga, one designed to relegate us to a guaranteed...