I am a huge fan of the local church. After 30 years of serving congregations, I have seen firsthand the good that local churches can do. Over the last 30 years, I've served 11 congregations affiliated with 5 denominations: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), and United Church of Christ (UCC) in the Dallas – Arlington – Fort Worth metropolitan area of North Read More …
Jesus is Queer (#2338)
Every week I post a dozen or so quotes from recently published books I'm reading on Threads and Bluesky (something I did on Twitter for 15 years before departing soon after it transitioned to X - see Goodbye Twitter, X, or Whatever You’ve Become). With only around 2,500 and 1,500 followers respectively, my reach is modest. The closest I have come to going viral on these newer platforms was Jesus is Queer A few days ago I posted a thread that has gained more traction than Read More …
My Visit to Trinity Lutheran Church (#2337)
This past Sunday morning, I was a first time guest at Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Oklahoma City. About Trinity Lutheran According to the congregation's about page, Trinity is a community of faith, hope, and love in the heart of Oklahoma City. Just last month their current pastor, Rev. Miranda Searcy, was ordained in the ELCA and installed in this congregation. Trinity offers one worship service at 10:30am each Sunday. Welcome I arrived on the church campus about 12 Read More …
Great New Books for September 2026 (#2336)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are Welcome Back Two of this month’s authors have previously been featured on So What Faith in connection with other books they have written: Read More …
Who Am I? (#2335)
Passage for reflection: Psalm 8 I have the privilege of meeting a lot of people. I’ve noticed that in most social settings, people rarely introduce themselves using only their name. More often, they offer some clue about who they are, usually by offering insight into what they do. “Hi, I’m Mark, and I’m an aerospace engineer.” Or, “Hi, I’m Melissa, and I reimagine higher education.” We often understand our identity through our work, our relationships, our accomplishments, or the Read More …
Five Pictures, Five Months, One Ministry (#2334)
Five months into an interim pastorate, I’ve discovered that sometimes a photograph can capture what words cannot. Since beginning my service as Interim Senior Minister at Fort Worth’s oldest congregation, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), I’ve been paying attention to the moments that seem to tell something larger about this remarkable community of faith. Established in 1855 and located in the heart of downtown, First Christian’s “new” campus has been home to the congregation Read More …
A Robe Retrospective (#2333)
A few years ago, I shared some of my many clergy stoles in A Story of Stoles. A few recent conversations prompted me to continue that reflection with another part of clergy garb: robes. The Original I no longer have the robes I wore soon after graduating from seminary. And enough time has passed that I don't have high-quality photographs of myself wearing them. They were simple black robes, worn during my first two calls to congregations affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Read More …
Great New Books for August 2026 (#2332)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are 5 Star Trio Prior to this list, I had rated only six books as 5.0 or higher so far in 2026. That makes this month's trio especially noteworthy. Although these books examine very different subjects, each offers timely wisdom for navigating today's world with greater courage, compassion, and purpose. William Blaine-Wallace's Mending the Space Between: 7 Habits of Contemplative Justice is the strongest new faith-based leadership Read More …
My Religion Is Dying: 62 Posts on Mainline Protestant Decline (#2331)
For as long as I can remember, people in my religious tradition have been talking about decline. When I was a child, Mainline Protestantism was still a major force in American religious life. Today, many of its congregations have a much smaller membership comprised of people who are significantly older than the general population. Now, nearly everyone is wondering what the future holds. This is personal. I have spent my entire life inside this tradition. I grew up, was confirmed, and received Read More …
The Coming Wave of Church Closures in the United Church of Christ (#2330)
When discussing the numerical decline of a denomination, the conversation usually focuses on membership loss from its historic peak. While that is an important measure, it tells only part of the story. An equally important question is this: How large is the average congregation today, and how many churches have become so small that their long-term viability is in doubt? Membership Continues to Decline The average UCC congregation is now roughly half the size it was in 1970. Using Read More …