Leading from the Second Chair Prepared Me for the First. Here’s What It Didn’t Prepare Me For.
I spent six and a half years as an executive pastor before I became a lead pastor. I sat in every meeting that mattered, I knew the budget better than anyone, I led the staff day-to-day. I helped shape the vision, build the systems, and solve the problems. The second...
Emergency Succession Planning for Churches: What Happens If Your Pastor Is Gone Tomorrow?
Most churches are one bad day away from chaos. I'm not trying to be dramatic, but I’ve seen it play out. You probably have too. It's an unfortunate, all-too-common reality. A pastor resigns suddenly. A moral failure surfaces. A health crisis hits out of nowhere. And...
The Five Best Books I Read in 2025
Reading has a way of shaping you, whether you realize it or not. It stretches how you think, gives you language for ideas you’ve been carrying around, and is a quick and easy escape in the middle of a busy season. For me, reading is part growth, part curiosity, and...
God and Charlie Kirk: Reflections on How Christians Should Respond to Tragedy
It has been almost a month since Charlie Kirk was assassinated. In some ways it feels like much longer, but in many ways for many people the shock of his brutal, public murder is as raw as ever. Emotions continue to run high. Some are devastated. Others are angry....
Ein Gedi: Streams in the Wilderness, Refuge for the Weary
Experiencing the Land of the Bible - Tour Stop #10 Experiencing the Land of the Bible is a series of posts about places in the Holy Land that I visited on my trip in 2023. If you travel to Israel with me, many (if not all) of these are places we'll visit as well....
Topics
ABOUT JIMMY
Jimmy McLoud is the Lead Pastor of First Christian Church in Canton, Ohio. His passion – and the vision of First Christian – is to share the good news that Jesus is for all people by helping them find hope, purpose, and a place to belong. He serves on the Board of Directors for The Solomon Foundation and as a Ministry Consultant for The Unstuck Group. Jimmy and his wife, Ashley, live in North Canton with their four kids: Braylon, Carter, Ellie, and Grace.