James McReynolds

The Spirit of Joy Church James McReynolds

If a pastor could dream up and plant the perfect church, what would it be like? Realistically, a minister accepts the church he gets. John Killinger once said, "The trouble with churches are that they fill up with people." All types of people. I dream about a church that is so loving, where my gifts would be valued, and my passions would flourish. My dream congregation would be full of joy. I would never be embarrassed to call it my spiritual home. The church would be so amazing than any non-Christian who visited would never want to leave.

Being an empathic minister and a therapist, I know and understand emotions. Each emotion--fear, anger, anxiety, guilt, and joy according to research--is real and distinct as colors and shades are to an artist.

Emphatic skills are not unusual. Everybody has these skills. We are sensitive and intuitive. We feel what some people never acknowledge. We can't figure out what emotions are. For the past five years, I have traveled to New Haven, Connecticut to share in a twelve-million-dollar study of joy funded by the Templeton Foundation.