When I launched So What Faith back in 2009, I was excited to be able to expand the reach of my writing beyond my congregation. I had no aspirations of blogging here for many years to come. Now, 17 years into this venture, I pause to reflect on the most recent year. Most Prolific Amazingly, I authored more posts here on So What Faith this year than any year in the last decade. This is my 100th post of 2025, which is 13 more than the prior high set last year and 25 more than the next Read More …
10 Congregational Ministry Experiences That Shaped My 2025 (#2285)
I have always loved the local church. I earned an undergraduate degree in ministry then went to seminary before starting to serve in this ministry setting. And, I served faithfully across churches, denominations, and states. Vocationally this was my world through 2015. Toward the end of 2015, I stepped away from local church ministry. Now I serve as CEO of White Rock Center of Hope - an ecumenical ministry supported by dozens of congregations across the East Dallas community. For the majority Read More …
Hearing Mary’s Song (#2284)
Passage for Reflection: Luke 1:46-55 I cannot seem to escape Christmas carols this year. Wherever I go – whether shopping, trying to escape shoppers, or gathering with others for worship – the music follows me. Sacred and secular this music makes the story feel safe, predictable, and uplifting. But Mary’s Song in Luke 1:46–55 doesn’t fit nicely on a “Happy Holidays” playlist. Instead of sleigh bells or gentle manger scenes, Mary sings of a God who overturns the usual order: lifting the Read More …
Religious Affiliation in America: If the U.S. Were Just 100 People (#2283)
It is widely known and frequently reported that the United States of America is becoming less and less Christian when considering the number of Americans who self-identify as Christian. For example, earlier this month I posted Christianity Declines by 25% in America, exploring the decline over the last 50 years. Current Breakdown Just how many Americans are affiliated with each religion? To answer this question, Becka A. Alper and Aleksandra Sandstrom frame the answer in a way that Read More …
16th Annual Top 10 Books of the Year (#2282)
Welcome to the 16th annual So What Faith’s Top 10 Books of the Year. This year I read 84 books published in 2024. The top ten are listed below in alphabetical order by author’s last name: Top Ten Top Two The two books on this year’s top ten that had the greatest impact on me are Prior Lists There are so many great books published in recent years. Two of this year's top authors appeared on prior lists: Incredibly this marks Diana Butler Bass' fifth Read More …
My Visit to Church of the Open Arms (#2281)
This morning I was a first time visitor at Church of the Open Arms in Oklahoma City. About Open Arms Church of the Open Arms is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and started in 1997 on the campus of Mayflower Congregational UCC. Interestingly, my first ever worship in experience in the state of Oklahoma was at Mayflower. The congregation purchased and moved into their current building in 2001. Open Arms called their current pastor, Rev. Kayla Bonewell, to serve as their Read More …
Christianity Declines by 25% in America (#2280)
Over roughly the course of my lifetime the percentage of Americans identifying as Christian has declined by 25%. According to data from the General Social Survey, So What? All conversations about decline in particular traditions or denominations or more granular discussion about particular churches or congregations should begin with a general awareness of this cultural shift. To learn more about how declining membership in Mainline Protestant denominations as well as in Read More …
Decline Upon Decline: Metropolitan Community Churches (#2279)
The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is the largest Protestant denomination birthed in and primarily serving the LGBTQ+ community. G. Samantha Rosenthal's recent Sojourner's article has been shared across many of my social media feeds often with significant commentary. Her piece notes the denomination's historical development since its founding in 1968, including My search for longer term traditional metrics about denominational decline led me to the Association Read More …
5 Star Books Published in 2025 (#2278)
Welcome to the seventh annual edition of So What Faith’s 5 Star Books of the Year! This list is comprised of books rated 5 or 5+ on a scale of 1 to 5. To be eligible the book must have been published in 2025 and I must have read and rated it this year. This year, just 14.4% of all books rated received a rating of 5 or 5+ to earn this honor (in prior years the percentage has ranged from 15% to 17%). Past Years Be sure to check out prior lists Best of the Best Stay Read More …
Is Religion Gaining Influence in American Life? (#2277)
According to a Pew Research Center report, religion is gaining influence in American life. More specifically, there was a tremendous increase in the percentage of survey respondents who believed religion was gaining influence in American life in 2025 when compared to 2024 and also when compared to recent years. Over the most recent one year period, the percentage of respondents who believed religion is gaining influence in American life rose from 18% to 31%. The 31% number is the highest Read More …