There has been significant response to Alexander Lang’s post, “Departure: Why I Left the Church.” I know of two pieces published in Baptist News Global – Cody Sanders’ “I Left the Pastorate While Still Loving It” and Tyler Tankersley’s “Why…
On the separation of church and university
In 2011, I was invited to join the Chowan University community as assistant professor of religion. Naturally, I was thrilled to have a job amidst a stifling job market. Furthermore, I realized how fortunate this job offer was as the…
Why I have a growing appreciation for preaching
I have been engaged in the preaching task since I was 20 years old. That means I have been at it for 31 years. Preaching is my lifestyle. There is always a biblical text and a developing sermon in my…
I am part of the resistance
I am a part of the resistance. While I sense I am not all alone, I also sense my number is small, especially so in my own ecclesial family of moderate to progressive Baptists. Many of the current responses to…
The air of gathered worship: A 12-Sunday challenge
My mother tongue is not church. However, I have been intimately engaged in the church since my mid-20s. Thus, I am now not only fluent in church, but can speak a couple of different dialects. Perhaps my 20-year deficiency is…
Letter to the Editor: Responses to the livestream worship debate
Letter to the Editor: February 17, 2022 Dear Editor: I am grateful to the many people who responded to my opinion piece, “A Cautious Case Against Livestreaming Worship.” The readership for this less than 800-word piece far exceeds any of…
A cautious case against livestreaming worship
I want to share with you a handful of reasons I am not on the worship livestream bandwagon. Many congregations now livestream, or record and post later, their entire worship services from beginning to end. Our church is out-of-step with…