You and I see it almost daily: A person doesn’t know when to let go of their position of power. A father or mother, high executive or low manager, a lay or professional leader, a bus driver or bus mechanic….
What the SBC can learn from NCAA women’s basketball
In case you’ve missed it, we’re in the midst of March Madness. For only the second year, the women’s NCAA basketball tournament can use that moniker too. It had been the exclusive property of the men’s tournament for all the…
Guys, guns and gods
I am an unabashed 1980s baby. My childhood was blessed with He-Man, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and the then-wrestlers from the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation. I grew up memorizing movie lines and moves by…
A response to ‘The List’
If I’m being honest, I was a little indignant when I first scrolled down to the “Ds” and realized the church where I serve as associate pastor hadn’t made “the list.” But then I kept scrolling. And scrolling. For more…
What Mike Law got right
The talk of the Baptist world for the past week has been the list of female pastors serving at churches purportedly affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Pastor Mike Law of Arlington Baptist Church in Arlington, Va., created this partial…
‘In a pluralistic democracy’: An interview with Jennifer Rubin
For years, Jennifer Rubin, conservative columnist for the Washington Post, and I didn’t see eye to eye on many issues. An ardent champion of the traditional Republican Party, she advocated for candidate Lindsey Graham in 2015 (“If being right is…
I’m one of the female pastors on the SBC’s hit list
I haven’t found the right adjective to describe how it feels to find my church and my picture on the list of Baptist churches circulating as evidence that the Southern Baptist Convention should change its constitution to disfellowship churches with…
School shootings: How can we respond to children, parents, teachers and others affected?
With the recent incidents of school shootings around the country, we may be asking how we can respond. These breaks in our sense of security bring up many feelings, questions and worries. They can make us feel sick as we think…
Why we should amplify women in all roles of church leadership
My first encounter with Baptist Women in Ministry’s Month of Preaching was during my first year of seminary. I was asked to preach in a local congregation — my second sermon ever. It was Transfiguration Sunday, and as part of…
Lent, confession and the ‘no true Scotsman’ fallacy
These 40 days of Lent are designed to be opportunities for sober reflection and acts of confession, both individual and corporate. This period of introspection leads to the high point of Holy Week, the commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus…
What pastors may not say, but really want us to understand
Your pastor wants you to know, but he or she just can’t tell you. Your pastor knows too much transparency can be vocationally dangerous, depending on the level of honesty allowed in your church. At the same time, if you…
Religious leaders must step up to support our trans siblings
Every November, the Princeton University Chapel would host a vigil for Transgender Day of Remembrance, commemorating the lives of trans people worldwide who had been victims of anti-trans violence. As associate dean of the chapel, I welcomed the university and…