Today we are faced with a civilizational disaster, Dreher asserted. It is a comfortable collapse, but a collapse nonetheless. Now a new Benedictine rule is needed to teach Christians how to order their lives. We need practice for resilient and faithful Christian communities. No longer can we identify Christianity with the American Empire. We must... Continue Reading

Senior pastor David Ball found an affordable piece of property, about 1.5 acres, on the small town’s main drag. He thought the location would be ideal for attracting worshipers around the community.  But the land was zoned for “residential, single family” use, and it was split down the middle by a city-owned sewer station. Organizations... Continue Reading

The move to allow same-sex marriage in the church should not come as a surprise to observers. In July, the church decided it was time to pursue equal rights for homosexual pastors. The church had been contemplating the change since 2007, when it opened its doors to openly homosexual members and refused to exercise church discipline... Continue Reading

Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, said his proposal (HB 43) is an “extra layer of protection” intended to assure that clergy do not have to perform same-sex marriages if they violate their religious beliefs or moral convictions.   Church and state collided Wednesday in a Capitol hearing room crowded with dozens of clergy members as a... Continue Reading

“We have lived for too long like that shamed and bleeding woman. She’s had to endure finger-waggers blaming her for her own illness. Anger and anxiety over membership loss in this church has frequently prompted finger-waggers to use that image of unstoppable hemorrhage – and it’s been going on for almost exactly 12 years, since... Continue Reading

Although the Synod affirmed five points of doctrine as opposed to the five points of remonstrance, it never intended that anyone would limit Reformed theology or Calvinism to these five points. That would be like taking one court case and regarding it as definitive of the entire American justice system.   Fascinating Fact #1: The five... Continue Reading

“First, there is little agreement on how to evaluate the current situation in the Anglican Communion. Second, given the lack of details in the announcements regarding what the Archbishop of Canterbury actually has in mind, many commentators are assuming the worst.”   With some leaders of the Anglican Communion accusing others of not being “Christian,”... Continue Reading

Most Protestant denominations have a website that includes a function to help users find a local church.  But denominations provide accurate links to the websites of only 32% of all local churches, even though three out of four churches have their own website.  Much of the information on denominational websites about member churches is simply... Continue Reading

Our church family has been at the center of the storm, with approximately a hundred homes having sustained damage of some kind, and half of these sustaining such serious damage that they may end up losing their homes entirely. There are families who have lost everything, leaving their homes in the darkness of a Sunday morning, in... Continue Reading

Churches largely catered to the needs of church members in the 1980s. We thus created a culture of membership that is me-driven. Many church members do not want to make the sacrifices necessary to reach our communities and culture today. They are demanding their own needs and preferences to be the priority of their churches.  ... Continue Reading