Advice to Young Pastors

"You'll do beautiful work."

A young pastor recently asked me for advice on preaching in what feels like an uncertain time in the United Methodist Church. Reminder: Jesus promises that hell will not prevail against his church. Christ made so such pledges about the specific United Methodist member of his risen body.

Having been asked, I can think of no better advice than the counsel given by Karl Barth during the theologian’s only visit to America at the end of his career. As noted by his longtime assistant, Eberhard Busch, during his Warfield Lectures at Princeton a student asked Barth: