I'm excited to share that I've been selected to be a Preaching Justice Fellow for the 2024-2025 academic year. About the Fellowship The Center for Faith and Justice, a vibrant nationwide community of spiritual formation and theological education focused on intersection of faith and justice, in partnership with San Francisco Theological Seminary, and with support from Lilly Endowment has created a year-long cohort-based experience to empower clergy to amplify justice Read More …
Leadership
Returning to Parish Ministry as Interim Pastor at Advent Lutheran (#2130)
In 2015 I announced that I was leaving parish ministry. Now, almost a decade later, I'm pleased to share that I'm returning. On June 30, I'll begin a new role as Interim Pastor at Advent Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Arlington, Texas. Ministry Background For those who may be reading this post as an introduction to me and/or to So What Faith (a blog I started back in 2009), some background information is helpful. After earning an undergraduate degree in ministry and spending a few years Read More …
Back-To-Back-To-Back (#2116)
Yesterday I preached for the third time this year. It was also the first of three consecutive Sundays that I'll preach at West Fork Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Grand Prairie, Texas. And, this string of back-to-back-to-back Sundays in the pulpit will mark the first time I've preached three or more weeks in a row since 2018. (For more on how I've shifted from preaching on a weekly basis to sporadically, check out Preaching in the 2000s.) So What? While I've preached three (or more - Read More …
Preaching in the 2000s (#2114)
I preached my first sermon nearly 30 years ago in May 1994. This "mini-sermon" was delivered as part of youth led service at First Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Texas. Getting Started I did not preach again until the year 2000. By then, I'd completed an undergraduate degree in ministry and was two-thirds of the way through seminary where I was working toward a Master of Divinity degree. This time, I spoke at First Presbyterian Church in Duncanville, Texas. I had the opportunity to Read More …
Ecclesial Innovator: Best Job Ever or Unfortunate Job Title? (#2091)
A month ago Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University posted a job that has received more attention than any I've encountered this year. The job title is novel. My own research yielded 0 exact matches to the job of Ecclesial Innovator and even lacked any near matches. Broader Lived Context In my attempts to process this possibility, I was reminded of a few other occasions when I was called upon to expand my thinking about ministry opportunities, including the times Read More …
My Ordination (and Installation) #2087
Yesterday, I was ordained to ministry in the United Church of Christ and installed as the CEO of White Rock Center of Hope through a four way covenant. My Journey Toward Ordination I received a call to vocational ministry as a teenager and have sought to live that out ever since. That quest started with earning an undergraduate degree in ministry and then a seminary degree (M. Div.). And, it has continued in the 22 years since finishing those foundational theological studies. I've Read More …
It’s Happening & You’re Invited: Ordination Update #14 (#2084)
I'm pleased to share that I'll be ordained to ministry in the United Church of Christ at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 5, 2023! If you are in or near the Dallas area, you are invited to attend the service, which will be held at Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ. Please help spread the word. About the Process If you are familiar with my story at all you likely know that I started in ministry in a very traditional manner by completing academic preparation (an undergraduate Read More …
My Ministry in the United Church of Christ – Ordination Update #12 (#2070)
In this series on my journey to ordination in the United Church of Christ, I’ve shared some of my experiences as a Member in Discernment. In the last update, I shared that I submitted the final item requested from my by the North Texas Association Committee on Ministry: an ordination paper. The paper consists of three sections: My Theology (an exploration of what I believe)My Understanding of the History and Polity of the United Church of ChristMy Ministry in the United Church of Christ Read More …
Starting Year 3 at White Rock Center of Hope (#2062)
Two years ago today I started my current role: Executive Director of White Rock Center of Hope (WRCH) in East Dallas, Texas. On the occasion of starting year three, I'm looking back at the first two years and then looking ahead. Duration in Context This is just the second time in my life I've stayed in the same full-time role for longer than two full years. The first was when I served First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Naples, Florida in the 2000s. I have, however, managed to Read More …
Your Dream Ministry Job is Available (#2032)
Have you always wanted work in a church? Have you always worked in a church, but never quite found your way to the ideal position? Today, I learned of a church that is engaged in the search for a new staff person to fill an unusual role: "Director of 'Your Dream Job' in Ministry." Your Dream Ministry Job Yes, dream jobs really do exist. And, in the case of this creatively marketed position, the job seeker has the opportunity to help write their own job description. Job seekers Read More …