Is your church an aging congregation? If so, consider your senior adults an asset, not a liability. Seniors have been through hard times and are gifted in persevering. They are capable of dreaming again. Spend the capital to love them,…
A liberal understands conservatism better through Primal World Beliefs
One breakthrough in my understanding of people decades ago came from studying personality types. This helped me accept that people are different and being different isn’t wrong, it’s natural. I quit trying so hard to change people. The reality is…
Two new podcast episodes tell the stories of changing pastoral ministry
Fifty years ago, O.S. Hawkins and George Mason were not estranged in their affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention. Both men attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and went on to become well-known pastors in large Baptist churches. But a fork placed…
The lunatics are now in charge
Not all ideas are equally valid, and not all beliefs are equally true. There is reality and there is fantasy. A heavy dose of “both sides are valid” denial of reality has set up the United States of America for…
The Ten Commandments and the fallacy of certainty
“So, inerrancy was in essence adapted and used by enslavers?” “Yes.” I was sitting in Stephen Ray’s office working on my Ph.D. at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. I had asked if I could take a directed study on Reformed theology…
William Jennings Bryan’s ‘other’ speech
Aside from the Scopes trial, three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan is best known for delivering his “Cross of Gold” speech at the 1896 Democratic Convention. Some say it was the greatest speech in American political history. In 1896, the nation…
A culture living on Christian leftovers
What happens when a culture loses the concept of anything transcendent above? Truth, goodness and beauty become ends in themselves; they don’t lead anywhere, and they never make you look up. Truth, goodness, and beauty become hevel. Sure, they might…
Healing our divisions
The crisis in our public discourse is hard to deny. A staggering 93% of Americans feel incivility is a problem and more than two-thirds feel it is a major problem. Moreover, incivility is not just a matter of how we…
The grief of a caregiver
For many years, my journey in the “care of souls” has led me to walk alongside those who are grieving. This path has taken me from a ministry setting to managing a mental health department in a maximum security prison,…
Evangelical nepo babies
Recently, the passing of prominent evangelical pastor John MacArthur prompted me to reflect on issues concerning American evangelicalism, a movement I’ve been involved in for most of my life. Having attended many of the most prominent evangelical churches and universities…
My summer quest to learn more about Christian nationalism
As a Baptist and Faith and Freedom Fellow with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Tennessee, I have observed how Christian nationalism is reshaping American churches, often blurring the lines between faith and political power. This poses a significant risk to our values…
6 ways to gain credibility in our gospel witness
The gospel message itself always has been a big ask for much of the world to accept: an unmarried virgin’s conception, Jesus’ myriad supra-science miracles, the atoning death, the bodily resurrection. It is for this very reason the Apostle Paul…