I am tired. And I need the church to hear me when I say that. I am tired in a way that a good night’s sleep will not fix. Tired of waking up wondering what this administration will say or…
My hopelessly bipolar relationship with institutional religion
Although I’m retired from vocational ministry, I still have church dreams several times a week. Some are positive. Some are negative. The fact that I still frequently dream about church — and that the dreams include a mix of both…
Lonely people who need the church
Please don’t tell me if The Martian makes it home or the Gone Girl is gone for good. For reasons I can’t explain I read novels 10 to 15 years after they are on the bestseller list. I just read…
What I learned July 5 at church
Last Sunday, July 5, the small Hispanic church I attend was still decked out for the Fourth of July. When I say “decked out,” I mean red, white and blue everywhere, even the flowers. The American flag was on the…
‘Show the love of God,’ immigrant pastor urges
“Immigrants are not numbers, not statistics,” Pablo Juarez told Baptist scholars, historians and ministry educators gathered at Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Stone Mountain, Ga. “They are human beings that are running for their life, begging for some people to…
McDonald’s and the church
I finally gave in. In fact, three times now. I successfully navigated the self-serve kiosk at McDonald’s. With a touch of reluctance, I admit the experience was satisfying. I approached the kiosk, touched the screen, scanned my points code, placed…
Women need less religious shame, more leadership
A recent study suggests Gen Z women are losing their religion. Honestly, we’re not surprised. While women make up 60% of U.S. congregations, we have historically been relegated to the pews. This discrimination pushed us out. But some churches are…
I didn’t leave the church
In my last column for Baptist News Global, I wrote a sentence I want to come back to: “I am a trans man who grew up in the church and loved it until it threw me away.” Some readers may…
What they’ve taught me
I was scrolling Facebook when I saw the post. Someone I had mentored. Someone who had reached out, who had sat in the specific loneliness of being queer and trans and faith-formed and told by that faith they were the…
‘Yes’ to God, but ‘no’ to church – what religious change looks like for many Latin Americans
In a region known for its tumultuous change, one idea remained remarkably consistent for centuries: Latin America is Catholic.
Forgiving the church
Church is a school of forgiveness where we learn to forgive and be forgiven. The Lord’s Prayer invites us to this form of spiritual healing every time we pray it: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass…
How LGBTQ Christians Are Reshaping Faith And The Church
It all started with a lunch conversation — a break from a meeting of The Reformation Project, a Christian group that promotes LGBTQ+ inclusion.