We are not likely ever to see the like of Cecil Sherman again. No one will be able to understand the history of the Southern Baptist Convention in the twentieth century without reference to him. No one who had a meaningful encounter with him will ever forget him. Cecil Sherman may have led the moderate... Continue Reading

Now, the court’s conservative wing – Samuel A. Alito Jr., Anthony M. Kennedy, John G. Roberts Jr., Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, all appointed in the last 25 years by Republican presidents – is entirely Catholic When Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens steps down this summer, he will leave the court – long dominated... Continue Reading

To read Bradley’s application of these principles to the Presbyterian Church in America, go here: http://bit.ly/au08jw If your denomination is 25-years-old or older, it is has likely peaked and plateaued in terms of numbers and influence—unless you are from a Pentecostal or Charismatic tradition. The pace of social change is faster in our era than... Continue Reading

I’m not against evangelicalism as a village green or hallway. In fact, I think it’s a wonderful meeting place. However, when it acts like a church, much less replaces the church, I get nervous. Movements are funny things. Especially in the Internet Age, they can be like a summer monsoon in the Arizona desert, gathering... Continue Reading

There was an imagined scent of Scopes about the matter and so, despite the fact you can be sure no one on Diane Sawyer’s producing staff previously had any clue who Bruce Waltke is, it merited attention from ABC World News. “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” That’s the memorable opening line in... Continue Reading

Self-preserving institutions are not able to keep up with cultural movements, risk new ideas, nor implement new innovations to reach lost people in a changing culture because it’s busy trying to figure out who does not belong in the organization. In 2004 there were 261,675 communicant members in the PCA and by 2008 there were... Continue Reading

In Matthew 4:4, Jesus says, in reference to the Old Testament, that “every word . . . comes from the mouth of God.” That does not allow much wiggle room for many in tailoring their views to meet societal demands. Can a nondiscrimination policy be discriminatory? That question, bordering on legal Zen, will be before... Continue Reading

The truth is that a lot of people who do this kind of thing aren’t as worried about the environment or saving gas as they are about having that “I’m cool in a hybrid” feeling. Dear Dave, Is it worth the trouble to sell my old car now and buy a hybrid or another car... Continue Reading

The following conversation took place on a lovely spring day outside of the offices of a certain church board. These comments were later posted on various Facebook pages. Hard to believe?? Just wait. Following the April release by the AdminComm, this earlier find seems more factual than some imagined. Lisa: “Wow! I’ve been here 18... Continue Reading

Maybe we need to become true federalists, and simply have a government that is very limited at the top, and far more responsive and active at the bottom and just eschew denominational visions and a top-down leadership model An Open Letter to the CMC: Dear brothers in Christ, I have worked through the videos and... Continue Reading