J. Grant Swank Jr.
Grant Swank, Jr., is pastor of the New Hope Church of the Nazarene in Windham, Maine.
Articles by J. Grant Swank Jr.
My bucket is running empty: Cumulative stress in ministry
July 2018
We share a very dubious distinction: both our youngest brothers were policemen—and both committed suicide. The circumstances were different, but the fact remains the same: they both ended their own lives. The trauma associated with these…
Longing for God: A Prayer and Bible Journal
April 2018
Longing for God articulates our deepest need and desire—to have a vibrant personal relationship with the living God—and provides practical tools to create those life-changing encounters. This 352-page book leads readers…
Total commitment to your marriage
April 2016
We have always understood, and rightly applied, Ellen White’s words to the church: “A revival and a reformation must take place, under the ministration of the Holy Spirit.”1…
The Sabbath: A Delight?
February 2015
Is Sabbath a delight when you are in the ministry? To be honest, the Sabbath can be the busiest day of
Reformation in Life, Marriage, and Ministry
August 2013
Ellen White defines reformation as a “reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices.” 1 While we usually apply this to mean the spiritual reformation that must take place in us as individuals before the…
Securing Christian marriage and family: Helpful resources for pastors
March 2013
Ministry to couples and families composes a significant part of pastoral work. Most pastors spend a great deal of time dealing with interpersonal…
Maximizing marital and parental satisfaction in pastoral couples
March 2013
The call to pastoral ministry can be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences
One essential activity
March 2013
Jesus taught that many who are lost cannot be classed as necessarily wicked; rather, they are foolish and careless (see Matt. 7:24–27). One
area with potential for neglect and carelessness is the regular, systematic study of the Word…
Wife's Place in Conference and Church
February 1949
A minister and his family were leaving the city of his first charge, and the minister was engaged in bidding an old lady parishioner good-by. "Well," she said sorrowfully, "you'll soon be packing your things,…
The Place of the Minister's Wife in the Church and Community (Part 1)
July 1963
Arriving in a New Church
It has been said that much of what has been spoken or written about the minister's wife is either idealistic or unrealistic. It usually portrays a woman who is the perfect combination of all that…
The Place of the Minister's Wife in the Church and Community (Concluded)
August 1963
Strengthening the Church Program
As we become acquainted with our church and its people we may see ways in which the church program may be strengthened. And we will also be ready to fill our own place in the program.…
God's Well-groomed Ambassadors
January 1964
The matter of personal appearance is of paramount importance to the private secretary. Peekaboo blouses, skintight sweaters, or fluffy afternoon gowns do not befit her position. She should dress with her boss's…
An Interesting Interview in the Middle East
March 1962
RUBY WILLIAMS, a Bible instructor associated with Beirut, Lebanon, Evangelistic Center, was conducting a cooking school in connection with the meetings there when I met her and asked for an interview. Here are some or the ensuing questions…
SHEPHERDESS: Read, Mark, Clip!
September 1952
[EDITORIAL NOTE.—Your editors have requested Mrs. Bertha Fearing to prepare this article for THE MINISTRY. It follows up the article by her husband, Andrew Fearing, which appeared on page 12 of the June issue. Our ministers' wives will…
Ministry in the second half
January 1988
I just mailed a birth day card to a fellow who was my associate in one pastorate. He will turn 81 in a few days, but he still ministers full-time to a congregation in New York. His wife, 10 years younger, pastors…
Christians and the homosexual
November 1996
They're rude, lewd, and obscene!" a Christian friend said to me about the gay protesters marching down the city streets.
A parishioner handed me a videotape of gays staging scenes publicly in order to get…
Preventing clergy burnout
November 1998
Thirty-seven practical suggestions for easing life in ministry.
To prevent clergy burnout, try the following:
1. Breakfast out with your spouse once each week. Put it on the family calendar and make…
Try the simple life!
July 1997
Several years ago our family decided to adopt a more simple lifestyle. We had been under the crush of hurried, complicated family schedules and concluded that they were working against our spiritual growth. Purposefully we set in motion the…
The art of the fine line
January 1997
While listening to a fellow preacher the other evening, I noted that just before his mes sage he said to his parishioners, "Now, I don't plan on going more than an hour tonight."
I concluded that if his sermon was truly gripping,…
Excitement about expository preaching
May 2000
I am increasingly excited about preaching expository messages. This has not always been so. For a quarter of a century, I have preached mainly topical sermons. Nevertheless, I am now discovering the adventure of regular…
Preaching with certainty here and now
November 2001
Now is the age for prophetic preaching. People who come to hear the Word are looking for conviction from their spiritual leaders. They are so weighed down with one burden or another that they cannot tolerate some…
Get over it!
May 2003
You've been beaten up and left for dead. Who did it? The very churchly dancers you had thought you could trust. They hugged you. They prayed over you. They sent you memos and left messages on your phone machine. They…