Marginalized Spirituality
Leadership Scholars

Marginalized Spirituality

By Jacob Kendall Is there such a thing as “marginalized spirituality”? Lately on LinkedIn I’ve been seeing a lot of posts with a graphic that’s commonly titled the “Wheel of Power / Privilege.” One of the original versions is below, borrowed from here: https://ccrweb.ca/en/anti-oppression. The closer to the center you are, the more privilege you … Continue reading

Praying in Color
Leadership Scholars

Praying in Color

By Renee Edington This past summer during a chaplaincy internship, I was talking with other interns about prayer. I found myself in an odd place of not knowing how to pray, what to pray and why to pray. I was bound up by what I see now as technical aspects of prayer. I needed a … Continue reading

Equip
Leadership Scholars

Equip

By Crystal Ham Equip. This is such an elegant sounding word that carries the weight of responsibility, diligence and care. As I write this blog post, I am reminded of the ways that I’ve been equipped throughout my life, and of all the many people who poured into my life. When I think about the word … Continue reading

Christmas, Animals and the Nativity Scene
creation care / environment

Christmas, Animals and the Nativity Scene

By Katherine Smith My dad liked to collect baseball caps; he had a whole wall filled with them, all lined up so he could easily see the names on the front. My uncle collected bottle openers and my mom brought home anything with a picture of John Wayne on it. People collect all kinds of … Continue reading

Pots and Pans
Leadership Scholars

Pots and Pans

By Jessica McDougald On my first day of class during the fall semester, like we usually do on our first day, we went around and introduced ourselves. Everyone said their name, where they lived, what church they go to and something they did this summer. When it was time for my professor’s introduction, he mentioned … Continue reading

Why We Must Advocate for Those Wrongfully Imprisoned
Leadership Scholars

Why We Must Advocate for Those Wrongfully Imprisoned

By Joshua Stewart During the Advent season, we await the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior. It is a season centered around hope, peace, joy, and love. For me, it is a joyful time to celebrate with friends and family. In this season, I find peace. I find peace in a Savior … Continue reading

Stephen Miller: The Art of Getting it Wrong
Podcast

Stephen Miller: The Art of Getting it Wrong

Have you ever noticed these days that someone else is to blame? No, seriously. When was the last time you heard a public figure take responsibility for their actions, sincerely apologize, and then totally change their behavior?  Our cultural influence tends to want to justify or reason away the mistakes people make. This is especially … Continue reading

Considerations for congregations when moving from a full-time to a part-time pastor
Pastoral Care

Considerations for congregations when moving from a full-time to a part-time pastor

By Laura Stephens-Reed It is no secret that many churches, once pushing the fire marshal’s maximum occupancy to its limits, are now in numerical decline. I have my pick of statistics that I could cite, but here’s a particularly poignant visual from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research: The pews are no more than 38 … Continue reading

Kutana Kenya
Leadership Scholars

Kutana Kenya

By Kamilah Jones There are many ancient stories and beautiful cultural perspectives on how Earth was created and our origins and development as human beings.  From a Christian perspective, it is generally accepted that God is the creator.  Christianity emphasizes the sacredness of creation and a harmonious connectedness between the Earth and human existence.  Genesis … Continue reading

Justo and Catherine González Resource Center, CBF host reception for new Columbia Seminary president
Espanol / General CBF / La Familia

Justo and Catherine González Resource Center, CBF host reception for new Columbia Seminary president

By CBF Communications The Justo and Catherine González Resource Center, in partnership with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Latino Ministries, and FAMILIA network, hosted a reception of pastors, academics and leaders from various denominations and churches on August 18 to welcome the Rev. Dr. Victor and Suzette Aloyo to Decatur. The gathering was to introduce Dr. … Continue reading