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We should seek their well-being—but also prepare for strong disagreement on what that entails. Transgender questions today carry an urgency unimaginable even five years ago. Most churches and Christians find themselves exposed due to their lack of theological and pastoral preparation. What does the Bible have to say about living life in a gender-nonconforming way?Continue reading “Embracing Our Transgender Neighbors on God’s Terms”

We’ll never reach them with biblical truth without first understanding their experiences. Back in February, a juvenile court judge in Hamilton County, Ohio, pronounced a stunning ruling in the history of American family law. Judge Sylvia Sieve Hendon awarded the grandparents of a transgender 17-year-old boy (i.e., an individual who was born female but understandsContinue reading “What Transgender People Need from Conservative Christians”

Despite age gaps, Pew Research uncovers a few places where the next generation is actually more devout than their parents and grandparents. Despite concerns about secularization, the world’s population may not be losing its religion quite so fast. Like in the US, young adults around the globe are generally less devout than their elders, especiallyContinue reading “What Young Adults in 100 Countries Think of Religion”

Despite age gaps, Pew Research uncovers a few places where the next generation is actually more devout than their parents and grandparents. Despite concerns about secularization, the world’s population may not be losing its religion quite so fast. Like in the US, young adults around the globe are generally less devout than their elders, especiallyContinue reading “What Young Adults in 100 Countries Think of Religion”

Revitalization is possible because we serve a God who specializes in resurrections. In yesterday’s post, I talked about Reframing on Grace and Realigning on Mission as steps to revitalize a church in a gospel-centered way. The word revitalize comes from a Latin word that we probably know: vitalis. We think of vital organs as thoseContinue reading “The Five R’s of Church Revitalization, Part 2”

There’s more to the singer’s faith than sunshine and blessings. The word icon, despite its clear religious roots, is generally used in a secular sense these days. A true icon, in this sense—a cultural figure who transcends genres and boundaries to win general adulation—is becoming a rare sight in our increasingly fragmented culture. Dolly Parton,Continue reading “Dolly Parton: A Seeker and a Poor Sinful Creature”

The popular North Carolina megachurch pastor takes over amid significant membership declines and a public reckoning over abuse cases. J. D. Greear stepped out of the 2016 election for president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in the third round of voting. But today, it only took one ballot for thousands of delegates to electContinue reading “J. D. Greear Elected Youngest Southern Baptist President in Decades”

As we look to the future of women, the past offers a map. As a missiologist, I read the #MeToo movement through the lens of world history. When I scroll through news stories about sexual violence and abuse against women, and as I listen to my students and friends speak about their experiences of harassmentContinue reading “How Female Missionaries and Evangelists Paved the Way for #MeToo”

We must never take our eyes off the need for church revitalization. What does it mean to revitalize a church in a way that that is gospel centered? Let me share the five R’s of revitalization: reframing grace, realigning mission, recasting vision, remembering the journey, and renewing all things. Today, we will look at theContinue reading “The Five R’s of Gospel-Centered Church Revitalization, Part 1”

Both officially and unofficially, leaders of America’s largest Protestant denomination turn their attention to better responses to sexism and abuse. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has a lot to talk about at its two-day annual meeting kicking off today in Dallas. This year, amid the standard business of elections, entity updates, worship sets, and messages,Continue reading “Women Are the Talk of 2018’s Southern Baptist Annual Meeting”