Confessions of a Retired Pastor
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From The Pulpit to the Boardroom
Sitting on corporate boards regularly placed me among people who did not need me the way my church members needed me.
May 13
•
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
9
2
2
The Power of a Living Legacy
Do not underestimate what God can do with what you already have.
May 11
•
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
13
1
4
Is Speaking Up Always the Right Answer?
The silence that has protected too many bad actors must give way to something—not mob justice, but honest, communal discernment.
May 6
•
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
9
4
1
April 2026
A Black Church only for Black People?
In the act of worship itself, the experience of liberation becomes a constituent of the community’s very being.
Apr 17
•
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
40
8
7
Worship or Performance? Living in the Tension
Somewhere between performance and tradition, between innovation and inheritance, there is a space where worship remains authentic.
Apr 15
•
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
18
3
2
Good Intentions Meet Poor Execution: Our Journey Toward Financial Wellness
The skills required to build something are not always the same skills required to grow and sustain it.
Apr 11
5
2
The Facility Our Church Never Built
Leadership is not only about what you build; It is also about what you wish you had built.
Apr 7
•
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
40
7
1
The Way We Honored My Mother Made Me Think
Why is it easier for us to come together to celebrate a life after it has ended than it is to come together to build wealth while we are still living?
Apr 1
•
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
39
8
3
March 2026
When Bereavement Hits Home
Dignity and compassion should never depend on status
Mar 27
•
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
61
28
1
When a Bigger Church Called—and I Stayed Where I Was
Not every opportunity that makes sense is meant to be accepted.
Mar 25
•
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
19
5
A Confession: The Moment I Knew it Was Time to Retire
There is a difference between having a plan and knowing when to execute it.
Mar 20
•
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
14
3
A Confession: I Thought I Was Overqualified for My Church
Transformation is not something you impose. It is something you build.
Mar 18
•
DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.
16
2
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