Ken Silva Has Died

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:41 pm By Tony Jones

According to his website, Ken Silva died on Sunday. It states, “He had succumbed to the strain of the pain he had been enduring for the past few years.”

Ken Silva was a longtime internet nemesis of mine, and probably the most singleminded opponent of the emerging church movement on the internet. But it wasn’t just me and emergent at which he took aim. Ken was against everyone — Rick Warren, the Catholic Church, John Piper, John MacArthur, liberals, Brian McLaren, women pastors, gays, etc. Ken was among those who first referred to my friend as Pastrix Nadia Bolz-Weber. He treated all of us with savagery and brutality.

(more…)

This Is the Last Post I’ll Ever Write about Ken Silva

Last updated on: July 1, 2011 at 8:08 am By Tony Jones

June 17, 2011 may have been the best day of Ken Silva’s life. It was also, most probably, the worst day in the history of journalism. For it was on that day that the USA Today quoted Silva in its article on the upcoming Wild Goose Festival.

It seems that the USA Today didn’t call Silva, since it’s difficult to find a phone number for him (I have, and I’ve called him a couple times). Instead, the USA Today simply cribbed a quote from one of Silva’s blogs and took his word for his own credentials.

Silva is the pastor of Connecticut River Baptist Church in Claremont, New Hampshire. It is a church with no website, a hard-to-find phone number (or this phone number), and at last report, eight members. The address of the church, 24 Crescent Street, is a vacant building. (It is actually listed as the home of “Stevens Alumni,” whatever that is. It has also formerly been the home of “Green Acres Fine Food and Wine.”)

(more…)

Another Ken Silva Post

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:11 pm By Tony Jones

Did you know that Ken was a radio DJ? Yeah, that’s pretty cool. He has a good radio voice.

More on Ken Silva

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:11 pm By Tony Jones

I found it refreshing to hear some of Ken’s story: his past as a rock musician — he’s written dozens of original songs — and high school football coach. We also shared some fondness for the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont, where he lives and where I went to college.