The novelist John Irving once wrote, “An epilogue, in the disguise of wrapping up the past, is really a way of warning us about the future.” I found myself reflecting upon this as I considered everything that has impacted my relationship with God and others over the past calendar year. There are critics who I am positive would rush to comment that God is unchanging. Without immediately addressing that digression, I will simply maintain that there will never be a... Read more
MISSED PART 1? CLICK HERE TO START FROM THE BEGINNING. When popular pastor Rev. Selden Dee Kelley suggested that the church should engage in dialogue with the LGBTQ+ community, leaders in his denomination set out to revoke his ministerial credentials and have him fired by placing him on trial. As the turmoil surrounding his controversial prosecution and its aftermath continues to intensify, both church members and clergy have grown increasingly polarized. Disagreements over LGBTQ+ affirmation, essential doctrine, and limitations of... Read more
A highly-respected pastor suggested that the church should encourage conversation rather than conflict when considering LGBTQ+ affirmation. In response, his denomination demanded he resign immediately, surrender his credentials, and then charged him with teaching doctrine out of harmony with the church and conduct unbecoming a minister. His prosecution and trial are ground zero not just for LGBTQ+ inclusion, but what should or shouldn’t be considered essential doctrine, and how church judicial policies can be corrupted to silence dissent and expel... Read more
The following is Part 2 of an ongoing series exploring gender roles in the Church. In my previous article, I shared how roughly three out of every four American churches have beliefs and policies that restrict women from taking on certain leadership roles reserved for men. Oppressive complementarianism remains so prevalent only one in every seven U.S. clergy members is a woman, and in nine out of ten Evangelical households men are the ultimate authority. I also detailed how relying... Read more
The following is Part 1 of an ongoing series exploring gender roles in the Church. A recent study by Church Clarity showed that in the United States, 76% of the 100 largest churches believe in ideas like complementarianism, a doctrine that assumes women are less equipped to serve in leadership roles than men. That also means that in these churches, women are not allowed to preach. Ideas such as these are widespread in the church at large. A landmark 2018... Read more
The Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew reveals not only Jesus’ teachings, but how he modeled discipleship. By simply observing how he interacted with those closest to him, we can gain powerful insights into how we can share our lives to transform the world around us one relationship at a time. It’s Not Complicated I remember going through the Sermon on the Mount from the perspective of discipleship with the last congregation I pastored. It was a... Read more
In the United States, so many on Thanksgiving will gather together with loved ones and others they can marginally tolerate to eat too much food offered in combinations we would likely not intentionally select any other time of year. There are regional nuances for sure; in certain areas in the south, black-eyed peas are required and sweet potatoes without marshmallows look naked, meanwhile in parts of New England it is a scandal if the vegetables lack maple glaze. Then again,... Read more
No one ever intentionally joins a cult. Most of us seek community by joining fitness classes, book clubs, organizations such as the local PTA or a political party, or even institutions like churches. Although Jim Jones may have been the infamous Peoples Temple cult leader who orchestrated hundreds of his follower’s deaths in Jonestown, Guyana, he was also the pastor of the Peoples Temple Christian Church. Not only was Jones a well-respected ordained minister of a major Christian Evangelical denomination,... Read more
When someone quotes a scripture to support a particular point of view or argument without considering the broader context or the original intended meaning of the text, it’s called proof-texting. We’ve all seen it. Some of you probably even do it. But cherry-picking verses to support preconceived notions or personal biases is not only dishonest, it’s dangerous. This Will Make Some of You Angry There are those who selectively highlight specific passages while ignoring others, manipulating scriptures to suit their... Read more
Celebrity tattoo artist, entrepreneur, and reality TV star Kat Von D recently opened up about her faith in Jesus, sparking criticism from certain Fundamentalists who scrutinize her past and question the authenticity of her witness. Her response has been, in a word, Christlike. We should not dismiss these incidents as just another gossipy celebrity scandal. The treatment Kat Von D has received starkly illuminates how the attitudes of a small but vocal minority could successfully misrepresent all Christ-followers, and her... Read more
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