I first met the Rev. Dr. Bill Tillman 25 years ago, shortly after transferring to Hardin-Simmons University to complete my Master of Divinity at Logsdon Seminary.
Photo Credit: Center for Congregational Ethics
From Meeting to Mentorship: My Earliest Encounters with Dr. Tillman
I was fortunate to arrive while he was serving as the T. B. Maston Professor of Christian Ethics. Taking nearly every graduate course he offered, I found him to be both a gifted teacher and a generous mentor.
Dr. Tillman’s insight, integrity, and encouragement deeply shaped my formation as a minister and helped me imagine using my gifts for ministry in and beyond the role of serving as a parish pastor. He challenged me to learn how to be a lifelong learner and to begin practicing lifelong learning as a seminarian.
Additionally, he encouraged me to write thoughtfully and publicly for audiences beyond the seminary and any church I might serve. Under his guidance, I published my first article in a seminary publication. That experience sparked a passion that continues to this day: writing about my exploration of the intersection of ethics, faith, and everyday discipleship.
Launching A Blog: The Story of So What Faith
My most ambitious writing project is this blog. Since launching So What Faith nearly a decade after graduating from seminary, I have written more than 2,250 posts exploring matters of faith that truly matter. The content is timely and relevant, presented in a way that prompts reflection rather than simply providing answers.
Most posts focus on American religious belief, belonging, and behavior. While the majority stand alone, some are part of ongoing series. Ten of the most popular include:
- Top 10 Books of the Year – an annual series with 15 posts highlighting the 10 best books I read that year (that were published that year)
- Top Books of the Month – a monthly series with 120+ posts highlighting the 8-10 best books I read that month
- Mainline Decline – an occasional series with 50+ posts exploring the numeric decline in the Mainline, especially in the United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church (USA)
- Giving Up the Church I Always Knew – a six post series from 2021 considering how the post-pandemic church needs to shift significantly
- Best of the Best: Top Posts – an annual series ending in 2023 showcasing the top all-time posts on this blog
- My Journey To Ordination – a 15 post series in 2023 providing updates on my path toward ordination in the United Church of Christ
- Search for a Church – an 18 post series from 2015-2017 that follows my 70-week journey to find a new church home
- Search for a Church 2.0 – an 11 post series from 2018-2019 that follows my 57-week journey to find a new church home
- Churches in Oklahoma City – an ongoing series of nine posts from 2024-2025 sharing my visits to Mainline Churches in and around Oklahoma City
- The Future Church – an 11 post series in 2012 imagining the future church (This is an updated version of a series that was first published in 2009-2010).
Lectionary to Life: A New Writing Assignment
Just over a decade after starting this blog, I received an invitation from Dr. Tillman, in his role as Coordinator of the Center for Congregational Ethics, to contribute occasionally to the Lectionary to Life series.
I quickly learned this wasn’t a devotional project but an exercise in practical theology, which is often referred to as applied theology. Each reflection connected the day’s lectionary readings with real-life faith practices, exploring how ethics, formation, and community intersect. Guided by Dr. Tillman’s grab, tab, lab, jab framework, I sought to engage readers, ground ideas in Scripture, and offer clear calls to action.
A few days after each of my columns was published by the Center, they appeared here on So What Faith:
- 2025: Avoid Counterfeits, Wake Up!, and Start with God
- 2024: Guided by Love, God’s Wisdom, and Another New Year’s Resolution?
- 2023: Abiding Contentment and Holy Ground Ahead
- 2022: The Thirsty, By Faith, Praise the Lord, and Be Yourself
- 2021: Keep it Simple, It’s Time to Live Again, and Never Lose Hope
- 2020: Practice Christian Kissing and Staying Put
Reflecting on these opportunities, I’m grateful to continue learning from and with Dr. Tillman.
Goodbye HSU
Sadly, I will not be reconnecting with Dr. Tillman at Logsdon. Both of us have moved on from Abilene. Additionally, the closure of Logsdon Seminary – and the circumstances surrounding it – led me to part ways with the university. (For more about that decision, see Saying Goodbye to Hardin-Simmons University.)
So What?
Dr. Tillman didn’t just teach me about servant leadership; he has faithfully modeled it for decades. His wisdom, encouragement, and high standards shaped the way I approach ministry, ethics, and writing. Because of him, I learned to ask questions, wrestle with complexity, and write in a way that invites others to think and reflect.
Thank you, Dr. Tillman, for believing in me, investing in me, and continuing to support me. I am profoundly grateful.