White supremacy has been problematic in the United States. As we celebrate AAPI Heritage during May, I am reminded of the hatred, damage and destruction that has been committed against Asian Americans by white American society throughout American history. One…
Forty years
As the vote was announced, we wept and hugged. We wept and prayed. We wept and rejoiced. Outside in a convention center courtyard, we sang praises to God through joyful tears to the beat of Marcia McFee’s conga drum. Mittie…
He may be slick, but Ralph Reed is as wrong as ever
Ralph Reed is as slick as ever. And still as wrong as ever. The one-time wunderkind of the Christian Coalition has gone more underground of late as founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, but he’s still orchestrating and spewing…
‘Orthodox’ does not mean ‘conservative’
Once upon a time, I was a conservative. The last remnants of my conservatism died on Nov. 8, 2016, when Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States of America, forever unmasking for me that whatever “conservatives”…
I kissed John MacArthur goodbye
It is never an enjoyable experience to expose dysfunctional leadership. However, such dysfunctionality in leadership can have dire consequences in the lives of those who follow bad leaders. Derek Lusk and Theodore L. Hayes, in their important book Overcoming Bad…
A eulogy for vacation Bible school
Vacation Bible school, known as VBS by many, has been a staple in the life of American churches for decades. From its beginnings in the late 1800s, the focus has been a ministry to children. VBS has been a source…
A message for seminary graduates: What it means to be chosen
Editor’s note: The following column was adapted from a message delivered to graduates of Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University May 2. So, this is it. We are here to bid you farewell and send you forth….
Moral revolution or guilt-free religion?
In 586 BCE, the armies of Babylon breached the walls of Jerusalem and slaughtered thousands of people. Thousands more were dragged off to exile in far-off Babylon. Solomon’s glorious temple was ground to powder. King Zedekiah fled for his life…
And a biblically illiterate Congressman shall lead them
America’s impasse over the dismal state of affairs in Gaza and Israel might have something to do with biblical illiteracy — even in Congress. Two weeks ago, on April 17, the House Education Committee held a hearing on Columbia University’s response to alleged…