Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com An Open Letter to Russell Moore and J.D. Greear Dr. Moore and Dr. Greear, Thank you for your leadership in the Southern Baptist Convention. While not always in agreement with you, I have valued your integrity and courage in leading the SBC during these challenging times. Over the last week, correspondence from Dr. Moore to the Executive Committee and from Dr. Moore to Dr. Greear have been released to the public. These letters document disturbing... Read more

Photo by Artem Podrez on Pexels.com What inspires you? What idea gives you the power to take courageous actions that positively affect the future? I think all of us need inspiration. In difficult times inspiration is nearly as valuable as air. Inspiration makes us face our challenges with vigor. It gives us the sense that we can overcome whatever obstacles are in our path. It gives us cheerful resolve in the face of uncertainty. Inspiration is what keeps us going.... Read more

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com Owing to their political leanings, the largest religious group in the United States, Evangelical Christians, have come under fire in recent years. In the latest volley, Dr. Curtis Freeman,[1] Director of the Baptist House of Studies at Duke University Divinity School, tweeted, “…Evangelical Christianity is the greatest threat to human existence today. It must be laid waste.” After he was challenged on his tweet, he deleted it, saying it was hyperbolic. Then, however, he reiterated... Read more

Photo by Andrew Neel on Pexels.com The Church in the United States is in trouble. Seriously. While many local congregations are doing very well, when one looks at the numbers for the entire nation they are troubling. According to a recent Gallup poll, from 1940-2000 the number of Americans claiming church membership remained fairly stable staying between 73-70%. There were some outliers, but 70% was typical in those decades. Since 2000, however, the number has plummeted to 47%. That is... Read more

Photo by Dziana Hasanbekava on Pexels.com She had just earned the job of her dreams. Alexi McCammond was hired to be the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue. Then her past caught up with her. McCammond had posted some incendiary comments on Twitter about Asians back in 2011. On learning of her past tweets, 20 members of the staff of Teen Vogue expressed their outrage over her posts to the CEO and Chief Content Officer. The situation became very tense, to say... Read more

Photo by Dziana Hasanbekava on Pexels.com She had just earned the job of her dreams. Alexi McCammond was hired to be the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue. Then her past caught up with her. McCammond had posted some incendiary comments on Twitter about Asians back in 2011. On learning of her past tweets, 20 members of the staff of Teen Vogue expressed their outrage over her posts to the CEO and Chief Content Officer. The situation became very tense, to say... Read more

Photo by u0421u0435u0440u0433u0435u0439 u0413u043bu0430u0434u043au0438u0439 on Pexels.com I can be tough on my fellow clergy members, I admit it. Many times when I hear a sermon, I think something like, “That was not the right way to say that,” or “did the minister consider this the implications of this text fully,” or “I think he has misinterpreted the text in this case.” It is an unfortunate character flaw but true. One does not have to be a theologian or Biblical scholar,... Read more

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com A Simple Proposal In the wake of the sexual abuse scandal involving Baptist ministers and churches, a logical conundrum emerges: how can Baptist clergy be monitored by a source outside of a local congregation without violating church autonomy? For those who are not familiar with the idiosyncrasies of Baptist life, every Baptist congregation is an autonomous entity. To put is more strongly, each church is completely autonomous. No person or entity outside of the... Read more

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com A Simple Proposal In the wake of the sexual abuse scandal involving Baptist ministers and churches, a logical conundrum emerges: how can Baptist clergy be monitored by a source outside of a local congregation without violating church autonomy? For those who are not familiar with the idiosyncrasies of Baptist life, every Baptist congregation is an autonomous entity. To put is more strongly, each church is completely autonomous. No person or entity outside of the... Read more

Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com Recently, a progressive church in Nashville, Grace Pointe Church, made news by publicizing their views about the Bible. The church proclaimed, “As progressive Christians we’re open to the tensions and inconsistencies in the Bible. We know that in can’t live up to impossible, modern standards. We strive to more clearly articulate what Scripture is and isn’t. The Bible isn’t The Word of God, self-interpreting, a science book, an answer/rule book, inerrant or infallible. The... Read more