By Michael Parnell One of the things you find at Comic-Con is being in line or on a bus with a total stranger. As I mentioned in an earlier column, people here are generally very kind to each other. But…
A proper starting place
With three parts out of several written and published, I have enjoyed reading David Gushee’s careful examination of the issue of homosexuality and the church. The care and sensitivity he is bringing to the issue combined with an obvious desire…
Gay Christians exist: The LGBT issue, part 4
By David Gushee Follow David: @dpgushee While some traditionalist voices still dispute it, more are willing to acknowledge that the LGBT community contains a sizable population of professing Christians. However one defines a Christian — by baptism, by stated personal commitment…
Martyrdom is for real martyrs
By Bill Wilson I overheard a conversation on a plane recently that re-taught me an important truth about congregational ministry. It was on a Monday morning at the end of a flight out of Atlanta to another city. Regular travelers…
A proper starting place
By Jonathan Waits With three parts out of several written and published, David Gushee’s careful examination of the issue of homosexuality and the church has been enjoyable reading. The care and sensitivity he is bringing to the issue combined with…
Comic-Con International day three: ‘Be excellent to each other’
By Michael Parnell What happens when you gather over 120,000 people in one place? What kind of problems occur in putting that many people together? One is the logistics of moving that many people from one place to another, which…
The case for the 45 credit seminary degree
The Atlantic ran a disturbing article on the state of middle class clergy carrying a seminary degree: high debt, low wages, vanishing churches, and part-time pastor positions. The piece profiles Justin Barringer, a recent seminary grad who like many before him…
We are not alone
By Amy Butler You know, I’ve always thought that one of the principle practices of a good pastor is connecting people. But I’ve now come to believe that one of the principle practices of being a good human being is…
The changing shape of denominational tribes
By John Chandler Seven years ago, I was asked about the future of local Baptist associations. My response was to say that while I felt the future of Baptists associating was still very strong, the future of local Baptist associations…
Comic-Con International day two: ‘God is disappointed in you’
By Michael Parnell With a title like that, I had to be a part of this panel. Panels are the biggest part of Comic-Con. They allow companies to promote things like movies and television shows. The panel with this title…
When government spies on religion
On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. In the immediate aftermath of that landmark ruling, Christian conservatives took to social media and television to declare victory and many did so with…
A Gospel story, a preacher and two governors
By Chuck Queen In the story of the feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew 14:13-21, the writer basically follows Mark’s account, though Matthew omits Mark’s description of the crowd as sheep without a shepherd. I suspect he does so because…