Rogue Reverend
I am a 40-something Baptist minister (don’t hold it against me!) spending my time thinking about God, the problems that plague our world (poverty, HIV/AIDS, global warming, healthcare, substance use, and all that good stuff), sex, and money. And I’m trying to figure out how relevant the Church is in the discussion. And if the Church is or isn’t relevant, how will the world ever change?
I believe that the greatest component of love is acceptance. I’m pretty good at offering that. And I, ultimately, believe that acceptance can change the world.
These are the things I love:
- Being a pastor. I am a strong social justice preacher. I believe in one Gospel: that we are deeply accepted and acceptable to God, and God loves every bit of us, even the parts we think are unacceptable. I pastor a small congregation, the Richmond Mennonite Fellowship, a peace and justice congregation. I
- Training. I adapt all kinds of training for churches, organizations, small businesses and individuals. How to be a Companion in Loss, a great experiential exercise for deacons, potential ministers, volunteers. Boundaries and How to Have Them, which is wonderful for anyone struggling with believing that NO is a complete sentence. Changing for Good, adapting Prochaska and DiClemente’s book for anyone who works or lives with bad habits.
- Spiritual Care. Need someone to talk to, who is totally accepting, and is shocked by nothing? I’m your gal.
- Writing. I have just completed writing I <3 Sex Workers: A Christian Response to Individuals in the Sex Trade, which is due out in late Spring/early Summer, 2012, from Chalice Press. I wrote their Advent Devotional for 2011, Partners in Prayer.