Parent eruptions at local school board meetings over the past couple of years are based in real and dramatic differences of opinion about what should be taught in America’s public schools, according to new data from Pew Research. For example,…
A school administrator reflects on rebuilding relationships between schools and homes
What do the following human interactions have in common? A simple disagreement between two individuals, an intellectual property lawsuit, road rage, marital strife, military conflict. In some context, each is typically an outgrowth of misunderstanding. Some may argue that the…
Texas Baptist Congressman attacks public school advocacy group on Twitter
A Southern Baptist Congressman from Texas has taken to Twitter to attack a group of Texas pastors advocating for public education. Chip Roy, who represents Texas’ 21st Congressional district, is a member of Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin. Hyde…
Why conservative content dominates online searches for Bible study helps
Imagine you’re an adult Bible study teacher in a local church, a layperson without access to personal theological library. Imagine it’s a Saturday afternoon and you’re working on a lesson and need help, so you turn to the largest library…
Everything that’s wrong with the world explained in one brief column
We do love simplicity. We love the idea that complex issues can be distilled into easy sound bites, that nuanced conversations can be summarized as “he said/she said” and that internet memes and bumper stickers offer plenty of space to…
The timeless power of standing in someone’s winter, helping them see spring to come
I want to tell you about someone whose life’s work made a difference. Not everyone gets to see immediate results from their hard labor. In some ways, I suppose very few do. Pastors surely don’t very often. Other than a…
Is the Beth Moore Effect a feminist awakening?
Beth Moore’s recent defection from the Southern Baptist Convention has been a long time coming. Moore built her career modeling Southern Baptist, submissive womanhood, but her public witness has challenged the gender roles that she, until very recently, defended. Moore’s…
The new secretary of education should listen to our teachers
Much of a pastor’s ministry happens in “behind-the-scenes” moments of pastoral care, and much of that care involves deep listening. Listening carefully and intently is a learned skill for many extroverted pastors like myself. But, especially in this moment of…
Children’s minister has taken a long journey close to home
As the crow flies, Kasey Eller hasn’t wandered too far from her roots in Little Rock, Ark. “I actually teach at the same middle school I went to, so I haven’t gone very far,” she explained. But Eller, 39, has…