We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord. We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord. And we pray that our unity will one day be restored. And they’ll know we are…
How to celebrate Pentecost without balloons, plastic doves or salsa
A few years ago, on Pentecost Sunday, I noticed red and orange balloons streaming upward from the church altar. The service bulletin explained these were meant to symbolize the infamous tongues of fire at the first Pentecost. After the service…
The generational pain and hope of the Southern Baptist witch trials
I was born in 1993 in the same month that, just a state away, Al Mohler was being elected to replace Roy Honeycutt as president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Both my parents attended and graduated from Southern in the…
Why demographic shifts haven’t yet swamped the Republican Party
Over the weekend, I had an email conversation with Tom Edsall of the New York Times. I’m thankful for Edsall as a reporter who asks big, thorny questions and gives ample space in his column for complicated answers from scholars and experts….
Tina Turner kept the divine flame burning
At the age of 42, I walked down the streets of New York City for the first time. In my initial observation, I conceded and admitted the hype was real. The city that never sleeps is the measuring stick of…
Remembering Bob Seymour: Being wise as serpents and harmless as doves
One of the best friendships I made when I moved to North Carolina was with Bob Seymour, founding pastor of Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church in Chapel Hill. We shared the same birthday and often celebrated together at one…
Here’s why Ron DeSantis has gone to war with Disney
On the surface, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attack on the Walt Disney Co. makes no sense. Why would a Republican governor go after one of the largest businesses and economic drivers in the state? Aren’t Republicans pro-business? Likewise, why would…
Yes, Tim Scott is a Black man, but he’s still promoting Christian nationalism
Republican Sen. Tim Scott entered the presidential race this week, hoping to loosen Donald Trump’s grip on the party with “an optimistic, positive message anchored in conservatism” while appealing to voters who are willing to welcome common sense and common…
Why ‘affirming’ churches need to speak up
Many years ago, when my church went through the United Church of Christ’s Open and Affirming process to declare ourselves welcoming and affirming of LGBTQ people, someone in the congregation asked why we needed to make a public declaration. Of…
Five things Southern Baptists should do now to address clergy sex abuse
Seventeen years ago, the two of us wrote to Southern Baptist Convention officials, urging creation of a denominational database of pastors criminally convicted or credibly accused of sexual abuse. “Moral obligation demands it,” we said. That moral obligation still stands…
Why we must be cautious about understanding what’s going on at Southwestern Seminary
Other news outlets are likely to publish accounts today about dissension among trustees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and allegations of impropriety related to real estate deals. We’re not publishing such a story today for two simple reasons: We don’t…
On graduation and the priesthood of all believers
Each year on the first Sunday of May, University Baptist Church of Charlottesville, Va., honors our graduates and reads a litany of blessing as we commission them “to tend to the world and help set it right once again.” As…