Andy Rowell, at CT, examines the recent (and not so recent) announcements of Jim Belcher, N.T. Wright, Francis Chan, Pete Rollins and Brian McLaren … each of whom resigned from pastoring to become full-time authors, speakers, or (in the case of Wright) a professor.

What’s going on? Is the local church becoming the “farm team” for full-time conference and book ministry? Normal pastoral transition, pastoral stress, the personality of church planters, and American culture all probably play a role in these type of transitions.