Books
Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership, 2d ed., Rowman & Littlefield (Alban), 2016. (1st ed. 2009).
Ministry and Money: A Guide for Clergy and their Friends, Rowman & Littlefield (Alban), 2002.
Articles
Perspectives refers to Perspectives for Congregational Leaders, which I edit and publish for the Congregational Consulting Group. If you are interested in an article that does not have a hyperlink, or whose link is broken, please let me know and I’ll be happy to provide you with a copy if one is available.
2024
“Writing Leakproof Policies,” Perspectives, October 21.
“Why Congregations Sometimes Change,” Perspectives, June 17. Republished in Leading Ideas (Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Seminary), October 15, 2024.
“Two Questions That Will Help Your Board Stop Micromanaging,” Perspectives, September 16.
“What about the Nones?” Perspectives, March 4.
“Tips and Principles for Congregational Consultants,” Perspectives, January 22.
2023
“Learning to Get Big Projects Done,” Perspectives, October 23.
“Governance, Now That You’re Smaller,” Perspectives, September 11.
“Know-how and Decide-what,” Perspectives, May 22.
“Reorganizing, Now That You’re Smaller,” Perspectives, March 20.
“The End of the Race to be Lax,” Perspectives, February 6.
2022
“Craft and Creativity in Ministry,” Perspectives, November 21.
“Covid Policy for the Long Run,” Perspectives, September 26.
“The Board’s Job in Times of Rapid Change,” May 31.
“Two Kinds of Customers,” Perspectives, March 14.
“Learning to Underreact,” Perspectives, February 7.
2021
“Learning from the CDC’s Mistakes,” Perspectives, October 18.
“Staffing When You Can’t Afford to Staff,” Perspectives, June 14. Republished by Alban Weekly on June 28, 2021, and by Leading Ideas (Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Seminary) on July 13, 2021.
“Two Kinds of Planning,” Perspectives, April 26.
“What Should I Do About the Elders?” March 1.
“Lap Number Two,” Perspectives, January 19.
2020
“How Boards Plan,” Perspectives, September 21.
“How to Be Transparent About Money,” Perspectives, June 15. Republished in Alban Weekly, October 19, 2020.
“Agenda Items for Your Board this Summer,” Perspectives, May 4.
“Saying No to Gifts,” Perspectives, March 9.
“How to Measure Ministry,” Perspectives, January 27.
2019
“Economic Inequality at Church,” Perspectives, November 18.
“The Stewardship of Risk,” Perspectives, October 7.
“All I Really Needed to Know I Learned at Work,” Perspectives, September 3.
“Relocating the Clergy Ego,” Perspectives, July 1.
“What is the Mission of ‘Missions’?” Perspectives, May 20.
“Some Fences are too Hard to Straddle,” Perspectives, April 8.
“3 Ways to Make Board Meetings Less Excruciating,” Perspectives, January 14.
2018
“Project, Spinoff, or Partnership?” Perspectives, November 5.
“Top Five Ways Ministers Get in Trouble,” Perspectives, October 8.
“How to Write a Vision Statement,” Perspectives, August 20.
“Five Lies We Like to Tell About Church Growth,” Perspectives, June 11. Republished by the Wesley Seminary Lewis Center for Church Leadership on August 1, and by Alban Weekly on September 4.
“Why SMART Goals are Sometimes Dumb,” Perspectives, May 7.
“How to Delegate So Things Get Done,” Perspectives, March 19.
“Should the Leader Advocate for Change?” Perspectives, January 22.
2017
“Talking About Work at Church,” Perspectives, November 13.
“Clergy Transition and the Power of the Past,” Perspectives, July 17. Excerpt from Governance and Ministry, 2d ed., chapter 11.
“What Really Matters When It Comes to Raising Money,”Perspectives, April 3.
“What Kind of Planning Should We Do?” Perspectives, February 20.
“Will Organized Religion Find Its Political Voice?” Perspectives, February 6.
2016
“Teams Made Simple,” Perspectives, December 5.
“The Mystique of Confidentiality,” Perspectives, November 7.
“What Buck Stops Where? Delegation and Church Leadership” Presbyterian Outlook, August 30. Republished in Alban Weekly, September 26.
“Spiritual Benefits of a Capital Plan,” Church Executive, August 8.
“Preserving Sacred Places,” Perspectives, June 27.
“What Should a Governing Board Be Good At?” Perspectives, May 16.
“Meeting and Voting Online,” Perspectives, April 18. Reprinted in Church Network Insight, Summer 2016, 22–23.
“What Does it Mean to Be Non-profit?” Perspectives, February 29.
2015
“Boundaries and Partnership” (excerpt from Governance and Ministry, 2d edition), Perspectives, January 18.
“What’s Your Brand?” Perspectives, December 14.
“How Boards Raise Money,” Perspectives, November 9.
“Handling the Hum of New Ideas,” Perspectives, October 5.
“Goal-Focused Evaluation,” Perspectives, August 24.
“Who Owns a Congregation?” Perspectives, May 25. Reprinted in Insight (magazine of The Church Network, formerly NACBA), Summer 2015.
“What to Say When Your Side Loses,” Perspectives, April 13.
“What Size is Our Congregation?” Perspectives, March 30.
“How to Spend Your Board’s Time,” Perspectives, March 2.
“The Post-Construction Blues,” Perspectives, January 17.
“Where’s Alban?” Perspectives, January 10.
2014
“Family or Institution?” Perspectives, December 12.
“Consulting in the Alban Tradition Continues,” Alban at Duke Divinity School, November 12.
“The Short List,” Perspectives, November 1.
“Governance and Ministry: Why Worry?” Perspectives, September 15.
“Succeeding in a Paid Position,” Perspectives, August 18.
“What Makes for a Strong Partnership?” Perspectives, July 28.
“How to Give Away Your Power,” Perspectives, June 13.
“The Rabbis.” Perspectives, May 1. Reprinted in Kay Montgomery, Bless the Imperfect: Meditations for Congregational Leaders (Skinner House Press, 2014.)
“What’s Good about That?” Perspectives, April 14. Republished by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, June 18.
2013
“Left Behind.” Congregations, issue 3.
“Two Ways to Vote.” Congregations, issue 2.
“Great Committees.” Congregations, issue 1.
“Snapshot of Church Finances.” Tool for assessing the financial status of a congregation.
2012
“The Power to Make Promises.” Congregations, issue 4.
“Fundraising Beliefs.” Congregations, issue 3 (republished as Alban Weekly
“Whither Interim Ministry?” Congregations, spring (republished as Alban Weekly, July 2, 2012).
“Is Conflict a Good Thing?” Congregations, winter (republished as Alban Weekly, May 28, 2012).
“Stewardship: Suffering a ‘Sea-Change.’” Researched by DH and written by the Congregational Resource Guide staff. Online version has been taken down.
2011
“When the Mission Changes,” Clergy Journal, Nov-Dec (republished as Alban Weekly, December 12, 2011).
“Getting People to Give More,” Clergy Journal, Sept-Oct (republished as “Finding Your Fundraising Voice,” Alban Weekly, October 17, 2011).
“Life after Governance Change,” Congregations, issue 2, summer. Republished in shortened form as “Finding New Ways to Make Decisions,” Clergy Journal, July-August.
“Special Privileges and Church Vitality,” Clergy Journal, May-June republished as Alban Weekly, May 30.
“Authority or Leadership,” Clergy Journal, January-February (republished as Alban Weekly, January 31).
2010
Principles for Sound Staff Evaluation,” Leading Ideas (Lewis Center for Church Leadership), November 10.
“Scarcity and God’s Abundance,” Clergy Journal, Sept/Oct (republished as Alban Weekly, October 11.
“Should a Church Staff Member Report to a Committee?” Leading Ideas (Lewis Center for Church Leadership), July 21.
“Funding Growth and Outreach.” Clergy Journal, July-August (republished as “Funding for Today and Tomorrow,” Alban Weekly, July 7, 2010).
“Don’t Underestimate the System Delays.” Clergy Journal, May-June.
“Who Owns your Congregation?” (excerpt of Governance and Ministry) UU World, spring.
“When to Adopt New Technology.” Clergy Journal, Jan-Feb. Republished by Alban Weekly, January 26.
“Putting Money Where your Mission Is.” Congregations, winter. Republished by Alban Weekly, January 21.
pre-2010
2009. “Stewardship and Simple Thinking.” Clergy Journal, Sept.-Oct.
2009. “The Leadership Retreat: Prayer, Practicalities, or Both?” Congregations, fall.
2009. “Why Pay the Preacher?” Clergy Journal, Nov-Dec.
2009. “From Mainline to Sideline.” Clergy Journal, July-Aug. Republished by Alban Weekly, September.
2009. “Planning and the Budget.” Clergy Journal. May-June.
2009. Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership. An Alban Institute book.
2009. “Conflicts of Interest: How to Avoid, Identify, and Troubleshoot Them.” Congregations, summer. Republished by Alban Weekly as “Controlling Conflicts of Interest,” July 14.
2009. “The End of Abundance?” Giving: Growing Joyful Stewards in Your Congregation, a publication of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center, Indianapolis.
2009. “The Art of Governance,” Alban Weekly, April 20.
2009. “Making Do with Less.” Clergy Journal. March. Republished as “Getting By when Churches Have to Make Do with Less,” in Church Central, July 6.
2009. “Ministry in Hard Times.” Clergy Journal, January-February.
2008. “Building for Worship.” Clergy Journal, December.
2008. “That’s the Way the Money Goes!” Clergy Journal, October.
2008. “The Trouble with Tithing,” Clergy Journal, September.
2008. “From the Pulpit to the Public Square.” Clergy Journal, August.
2008. “When Personal Loyalties and Ministry Responsibilities Collide: Understanding Conflicts of Interest is Imperative to Successful Board Governance.” Church Executive, July. Republished in Alban Weekly as “Controlling Conflicts of Interest,” July 14, 2009.
2008. “Planning Fallacies.” Clergy Journal, June. Republished in Alban Weekly as “Fallacies of Planning,” August 28.
2008. “Ask Alban: Searching without Dividing.” Congregations, spring.
2008. “Book Review: Speaking to Silence by Janet S. Peterman.” Congregations, spring.
2008. “Peace and Money.” Clergy Journal, April.
2008. “Who Owns a Congregation?” Clergy Journal, March. Republished in Alban Weekly, April 3.
2008. “Shaping Up for Ministry.” Clergy Journal, February.
2007. “Investing in Access to Worship.” Clergy Journal, November/December. Republished on the website of the National Organization on Disability Religion and Disability Program.
2007. “The Casino Quandary.” Clergy Journal, October.
2007. “Controlling Conflicts of Interest.” Clergy Journal, September. Republished by Congregations as “Ask Alban: Controlling Conflicts of Interest,” July 14, 2009.
2007. “Planning to Grow.” Clergy Journal, August. Republished by Alban Weekly, January 23, 2008.
2007. “All I Really Needed to Know I Learned at Work.” Clergy Journal, May.
2007. “Action on Poverty.” Clergy Journal, April.
2007. “Yellow Tickets and the Way We Tick.” Clergy Journal, March.
2007. “A Discerner’s Guide to Congregational Governance.” Congregations: The Alban Journal, spring.
2007. “Ask Alban: Re-inventing Boards that Bore: Overcoming Micromanagement.” Congregations, spring.
2007. “The Stewardship of Risk.” Clergy Journal, February.
2006. “Committees and Control of Money.” Clergy Journal, December.
2006. “Reclaiming your Spiritual Power: 10 Ways to Lift Yourself Up When a Spiritual Leader Lets You Down,” belief.net, November.
2006. “Why We Do What We Do.” Clergy Journal, October.
2006. “What is the Mission of ‘Missions’?” Clergy Journal, September. Republished in Perspectives, May 20, 2019 (see above).
2006. “Relocating the Clergy Ego.” Clergy Journal, August.
2006. “The American 21st Century Transatlantic Relationship with Europe and Eurasia,” Stolberg at the International Affairs Conference on Star Island. The Sandpiper 45, July.
2006. Pretending to Be Equal,” Clergy Journal, May-June. republished by Alban Weekly, August 30, 2007
2006. “Green Eyeshades and Rose-Colored Glasses.” Clergy Journal, April. Republished by Alban Weekly, May 20, 2009.
2006. “The Post-Construction Blues.” Clergy Journal, March. Republished by Alban Weekly, July 24. See updated version, 2015 above.
2006. “The Tragedy of the Commons.” Clergy Journal, February.
2006. “Ask Alban: Choosing Your Next Clergy Leader.” Congregations, spring, 44.
2005. Review of “The Elephant in the Boardroom: Review of Speaking the Unspoken about Pastoral Transitions, by Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree.” Congregations, spring.
2005. “Planning for Social Ministry.” Alban Weekly, July 18.
2005. “Borrowing from Business.” On the website, the title was corrected to “Learning from Nonprofits: How Church Boards Can Benefit from Nonprofit Practices.” Congregations, 28-34.
2005. “Ask Alban: Is it Wise to Hire Members?” Congregations, summer, 44.
2004. “Faith and Money,” a chapter in www.congregationalresources.org: A Guide to Resources for Building Congregational Vitality, edited by Richard Bass, Alban Institute. Annotated bibliography covering sociology, theology, and practical dimensions of this important topic.
2004. “Snapshot of Church Finances.” Alban Weekly, July. See updated version above at 2013.
2004. “How to Manage Money Morally.” Clergy Journal, February, 7 – 10.
2004. “Ask Alban: The Spiritual Challenge of Clergy Transition.” Congregations, summer.
2003. “How Full Is too Full? Testing the 80-percent Rule.” Alban in Progress, December.
2003. “What We Learned at Work.” Alban in Progress.
2003. “Reframing Financial Success.” Alban In Progress.
2003. “Money and the Spirit: It’s Time to Talk about Money at Church.” UU World 2003:14-17.
2002. “Book Review: The New Context for Ministry: Competing for the Charitable Dollar by Lyle E. Schaller.” Congregations, December, 33 – 34.
2002. “Book Review: The Big Book of Presbyterian Stewardship by Barnett, Gordon, and Hendrix.” Congregations, April, 32-33.
2002. Ministry and Money: A Guide for Clergy and their Friends. Alban Institute.
2002. “Salary Anxiety,” Congregations, October.
2001. “Looking Back: Wartime Origins of the Flaming Chalice.” UU World, June, 72.
2001. Mann, Alice, David Trietsch, and Dan Hotchkiss. “Searching for the Key: Developing a Theory of Synagogue Size.” Congregations 27 no. 1 Jan-Feb. Republished as “Beginnings of a Theory of Synagogue Size,” a chapter in Size Transitions in Congregations, edited by Beth Gaede. Alban Institute, 75 – 83.
2001. “Book Review: Ask and You Shall Receive by Kim Klein.” Congregations, June, 30.
2001. “Ask Alban: Setting Up an Endowment Fund.” Congregations, 36.
2001. “A Soul Decision: The Competing Claims of Faith and Money.” Congregations, December, 19 – 21.
2000. “When Ministers Call 911.” Congregations, June.
2000. “Mann’s Workshop on Synagogue Size Yields New Avenues for Research.” Congregations, December.
1999. “Flaming Chalice Scavenger Hunt,” First Days Record, September.
1999. “Ministry Committees Observed.” First Days Record, May.
1999. “Charles Joy and the Flaming Chalice Symbol.” Journal of Unitarian Universalist History 26.
1999. “Book Review: Four Spiritualities by Peter Richardson.” Congregations, February.
1999. “An Important Issue for UU’s: Becoming Staff.” UUMN Notes: The Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network Quarterly Newsletter, winter.
1998. “Conflicting Roles in Ministry.” Congregations, September.
1998. “Becoming Staff.” Newsletter of the Assn. of UU Administrators, fall.
1998. “Conflict Over Ministry.” Universalist Herald, January.
1998. “Becoming Staff.” First Days Record, September.
1998. “The Cat in the Transom.” Congregations, February.
1998. “Religious Institutions in the Information Age.” UU Voice, June.
1998-2000. First Day’s Record: A Journal of Liberal Religious Response, monthly contributor.
1997. “Book Review: Healthy Congregations by Peter Steinke.” Turnabout Topics, fall.
1995. “Defining Community Ministry,” paper written for the UUA Department of Ministry, August.
1996. Preface to Sarah Voss, Voice to Voice, Heart to Heart: The Story of an Interim Ministry. Skinner House Books, Unitarian Universalist Association.
1995. Ministerial Settlement Handbook. Unitarian Universalist Association Dept. of Ministry.
1995. “The Ministerial Search Process,” in Lawrence X. Peers, ed., The Congregational Handbook: How to Develop and Sustain Your Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 3d ed., Unitarian Universalist Association, 113-114.
1994. “Whom Do We Serve?” paper written for the UUA Department of Ministry.
1994. “Unitarian Universalist Statements of Purpose and Principle: A Brief History.” World Magazine.
1993. “The Flaming Chalice.” Unitarian Universalist Association Pamphlet Commission, 1994, 1998, 2001.
1991. YRUU: A Five-Year Review of UUA Youth Programs. Dan chaired the YRUU Five-Year Review Committee appointed by the UUA Board, and served as its main writer.
1991. “Criticism in Ministry.” A paper published by the UUA Department of Ministry. Reprinted in in Resource Reader on Committee on Ministry, edited by Qiyamah A. Rahman, 2000. Reprinted in the UUA Guide for Ministerial Settlement Representatives, February 2008, and also here.
1990. “The Flaming Chalice.” Quest.
1990. “Say Something Spiritual.” Quest.