I am not usually a fan of a pastor or someone in my position using themselves as a good example. If pastors tell a story from their lives in a sermon, I think it should be a story about how they learned something about their faith because of a failing or a shortcoming, or a story about something funny that happened to them. I also think pastors should never use their children as examples, especially if the child is in worship. The last thing preachers’ kids need is to have more attention drawn to them.
Does coming of age in a particular era decisively shape people’s values, habits and personalities?
Yes, say some analysts. They argue, for example, that the “Greatest Generation” — Americans who grew up during the Great Depression, World War II and the Korean War — is known for being loyal, hardworking and disciplined. Other generations have been influenced by times of economic affluence, stock market crashes and wars.
In 2015, Auburn Seminary launched a signature educational initiative: The Auburn Senior Fellows program, gathering some of the most passionate and talented faith leaders working for justice in the United States today. The inaugural group includes people who live out their faith and work as a pastor, a rabbi, a theologian, an activist, a bishop, a nun, an organizer. It includes people from the breadth of Christianity (Protestant, Catholic, Evangelical), and from the Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh traditions. They are Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers.
