by Justin Cox | Jul 30, 2024 | Feature-, Opinion
I’m standing in a field watching two bare-assed children play in a mud hole. One of them is mine. The other belongs to friends I haven’t seen in years. We didn’t plan for this impromptu swim session. We packed sunscreen but not swimsuits. We left a...
by Delaney Metcalf | May 28, 2024 | Feature-, Opinion
I was ordained on Pentecost Sunday this year, sharing my testimony with my friends, church, and family. When I recall everything, I remember and feel the hard work and commitment. I remember the initial excitement, uncertainty, and finally, understanding. A finished...
by Randall Balmer | Sep 21, 2023 | Feature-, Opinion
The act was brazen and according to the canons of the Episcopal Church, illegal. On July 29, 1974, eleven women gathered at Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia and were ordained to the priesthood. Or were they? At the General Convention in 1970, women were seated...
by Paul Lewis | Mar 27, 2023 | Feature-, Opinion
The Presbyterian Church USA recently assigned a text for an ordination exam that created an uproar. The text in question was the story, “The Levite’s Concubine,” found in Judges 19. In this story, one that echoes Sodom and Gomorrah, a Levite and his concubine are...
by Mitch Randall | Jan 16, 2020 | Opinion
The United Methodist Church is expected to split into two denominations. Church leaders announced the potential split after years of attempting to find common ground on the issues of LGBTQ ordination and the church’s response to same-sex marriage. The split will...