Ministry in 2026 bears little resemblance to ministry in previous generations. Every day brings new challenges alongside new opportunities for connection, service, and faithful witness. The pace of change is relentless leaving many congregations and church leaders feeling pressures unlike anything they have previously experienced.
Recently, Justin Cox, an ordained minister with standing in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and American Baptist Churches USA, reflected on this reality in his piece, Nothing’s Fine: The Truth Your Pastor Won’t Tell You.
Cox argues that congregations need greater honesty. Rather than pretending everything is fine when it clearly is not, churches are better served when pastors offer candid and truthful assessments of congregational realities. He also suggests that this honesty must be mutual. Church members, too, need to be honest with their pastors and with one another about the struggles, uncertainties, and challenges they are facing.
So What?
Effective leaders shape culture. Healthy congregational cultures invite people to journey together.
Congregations cannot move faithfully toward a hopeful future without honestly facing their present reality.
If your congregation has been pretending everything is fine when it clearly is not, perhaps your leadership begins with telling the truth. Naming what others already know can create space for honesty, renewed trust, and the possibility of a different future together.