By Jason Coker Are you tired of hearing about the Pew Research Center’s demographic study outlining the decline of Christianity in America? It was earth-shattering news for the few people who read it, but energized others who were tired of traditional…
Never forget
By Jason Coker Never forget. As this month comes to a close, I remember the events of 9/11 with pain and sorrow. Eight men in our little town died in that national tragedy. I worked with a young 14-year-old boy…
Political correctness, again
By Jason Coker I’ll never forget something Bob Dole said about Bill Clinton back in the ’90s when they were running against each other for the presidency. It was a classic example of political right versus political left. Bob Dole,…
Looking at the stars for the answers
By Jason Coker This past week I was one of many people at the Baptist World Alliance held in beautiful Durban, South Africa. There were many reasons the trip was meaningful, but personally, being there with other Baptists from over…
The biggest losers
By Jason Coker Several years ago when I was working at a church in Dallas, I was wondering if Texas was part of the South or not. I am from the Mississippi Delta, so it was a real question. I…
Betty’s Place
By Jason Coker Being the good little Baptist that I am, I was going to the annual meeting of the Baptist Fellowship of the Northeast a couple of weeks ago in Ballston Spa, N.Y., when I had a revelation —…
Keeping the faith in interfaith
By Jason Coker After the world crumbled to the ground in Nepal, the swami from our local Hindu temple sent the rest of the clergy in town an email — a very simple, yet profound email. He asked all of…
Bapticostals and Episcojewbus: Hybridity, unity and faith
By Jason Coker Identity is a tricky thing! Religious identity in particular can be a hard one to figure out. I grew up in the Mississippi Delta, which actually has quite a bit of racial, ethnic and religious diversity, but…
Be afraid, be very afraid
By Jason Coker A couple of weeks ago my whole family went to a “buy-in-bulk” store on a Saturday (never do this)! We live in a cold weather climate, so all the snow that has been collected in the parking…