As we review our work at the conclusion of 2024, one of our rhythms is to look at which posts at christianleadermag.com had the most views. This list provides insight into the events, stories and people that grabbed readers’ attention in 2024.
This year, six of our Top 10 articles are columns from the print magazine, up from four in 2023, indicating that readers are increasingly connecting with these often personal reflections and stories. Three C-Link articles and one feature department article complete our Top 10 list. Our most-read article highlights the Community of Mennonite Brethren Churches in Congo, indicating a global interest and reach among our readers.
We are continually grateful for the contributions of our writers, who help make our magazine excellent. Thanks to this team effort, we received a fifth-place award in the Evangelical Press Association Best in Class contest in 2024.
In case you missed it, you can listen to us on LEAD Pods Episode 118. We pull back the curtain on all things Christian Leader.
Thank you for joining us in 2024. We look forward to continuing to sharing news and telling stories to connect our USMB community in 2025 and beyond.
10. The end of the story
Our July/August issue featured the theme of the second coming of Christ. Editor Connie Faber introduced the topic in her editorial. “We may not agree on the millennium, the rapture and how to read Revelation, but we agree on the most important truth: God wins,” she writes.
9. Divine intervention
In this testimony, DeVona Roble shares about an automobile accident in which her vehicle plunged into a creek. “I believe my rescue required divine intervention as my injuries would have prevented me from getting out of the car on my own,” Roble says.
8. Let it shine
In this feature department article from the magazine, pastor Mark Isaac considers salt and light: “Jesus chose (these two substances) to reveal the power and effectiveness of the transformation he makes in the lives of those who receive him.”
7. Who are we listening to?
The average human hears 20,000 to 30,000 words per day. Columnist Caitlin Friesen asks: Who are we listening to? “There is a diversity of voices in a myriad of genres that we are listening to within our USMB family,” she writes.
6. Embracing Tabor College in our vision for the future
In this essay published in C-Link, David Janzen, president of Tabor College, invites churches to embrace the college’s ministry and vision: “I am convinced that an authentic Christian college is the best place for most young people’s first year away from home.”
5. GAMEO takes multilingual focus
C-Link, the CL biweekly e-news digest, reports on inter-Mennonite agencies and projects, including this article about the annual meeting of the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online management board. The agenda focused on the site’s multilingual offers and leadership transitions.
4. Celebrating small churches
“Small churches can be healthy, and healthy churches can be small,” writes pastor Alex Janzen in our fourth most-read story of 2024. Janzen tells of a restructured leadership approach and of a Small Church Sunday outreach event.
3. What should I wear?
Columnist Caitlin Friesen asked people across cultural, geographical and generational demographics how they respond to the question, “What should I wear to church?” Some people think this is an irrelevant topic, and others are very passionate about it.
2. USMB Leadership Board prepares for Gathering 2024
The USMB Leadership Board gathered in South Texas in late March. Action focused on preparing for Gathering 2024 National Convention business. The meeting recap was our second-most read story of the year.
1. Community of Mennonite Brethren Churches in Congo
Our most-read story highlights a member of the global Mennonite Brethren community. The Community of MB Churches in Congo celebrated its centennial in 2024, and the Jan/Feb Around the World column featured this MB conference.
This article has been posted by Christian Leader staff. The Christian Leader is the magazine of U.S. Mennonite Brethren.
