Glenn Packiam on Overcoming Division in Your Church, the Invitation in Vocational Uncertainty & the Resilient Pastor
Subscribe on: spotify | apple | google
Glenn Packiam was last on the podcast in mid 2020 with Jason, so we were excited to have him back on and to hear about his latest book, The Resilient Pastor. Partnering with Barna, Glenn dives into research on the state of pastors and churches and what it will take to lead your church in a rapidly changing world.
Before they jumped into content from the book, they also took some time to step back into Glenn’s story, how he got into ministry initially and what that journey has looked like for the last few decades. He shares about his experience of working at New Life in Colorado, a well-known, large church that experienced a public moral failing of its senior leader. Shortly after, tragedy struck again as an active shooter entered their church and took the lives of four people, along with his own. This was a devastating time for the church as a whole and especially their staff. Many of them, as they sought counseling and support after the shooting, also realized that they had unprocessed grief from the senior pastor incident as well, but have never taken the time to reflect on it. Glenn encourages us as pastors to recognize the way our interior lives can begin to be filled with hurt and undealt with emotions if we aren’t careful and that coming out of the pandemic, it will be critical to be caring for our emotions.
Jason and Glenn also dive into topics on sabbatical, vocational uncertainty, job transitions, and how Eugene Peterson deeply impacted Glenn’s view of pastoring. Topics from The Resilient Pastor, like church division and pastoral credibility, come up as well as they explore how we can pastor well in the midst of our current cultural season.
We hope this conversation strengthens your love for the Church and encourages you in the good work you are doing!
Glenn Packiam
Glenn Packiam (Doctor of Theology and Ministry, Durham University) is associate senior pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, and lead pastor of one of its eight congregations, New Life Downtown. A Senior Fellow at Barna Group, a visiting fellow at St. John’s College at Durham University, and an adjunct professor at Denver Seminary, Glenn is the author of several books, including The Resilient Pastor, Blessed Broken Given, and Worship and the World to Come.
He is also an ordained priest with the Anglican Church of North America, speaks regularly at conferences, and has appeared on numerous podcasts and radio shows. Glenn and his wife, Holly, live in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with their four children.