In a Key Moment in American History Here is How the EFCA Should Roll Out the COVID-19 Vaccine in a Safe, Effective Way for the Denomination

The United States of America is at a key moment in American history now that a COVID-19 vaccine is being rolled out. While the rules for the vaccine will differ state by state, this blog has a proposal for how the EFCA should encourage people to take the vaccine. From Kevin Kompelien down to the local EFCA church pastor here is a possible campaign to get people on the same page and take the COVID-19 vaccine. In the process the EFCA can be a force multiplier for the denomination, American evangelicalism and the culture in which it operates in communities across the country.

A Look At the Patriot Church Network and an Examination of Its Problems

Recently a new church network launched in the United States. Its a variation of evangelical theology but it emphasizes Christian nationalism. This post looks at the Patriot Church network and looks at the consequences of having a network where you can worship Donald Trump as your personal Lord and Savior and make the Gospel great again in the process.

Reflecting on Christian Nationalism in Evangelical Christianity and Being Caught Flat Footed in its 2016 Resurgence

This post is a reflection on Christian nationalism from 1999 until 2018. How it evolved over the years before surging in 2016 and catching me flat footed. Christian nationalism is deeply divisive and causes unnecessary conflict.  After coming back to the church it became one of the issues to drive me away from it. Why did Christian nationalism flare up to such an extreme version in 2016? This post attempts to answer that question toward the end.

Paul Buckley Writes About Growing the Gospel in New England. Is it the Most Secular Area in the United States as he Claims?

At The Gospel Coalition recently Paul Buckley who leads The Gospel Coalition for New England wrote an article about growing the Gospel in the most secular place in the United States – Boston and New England. But is New England the most secular part of the United States? This blog believes that many Neo-Calvinists are prone to exaggeration which allows them to live in a bubble of alternative facts. 

Examining New City Network Plants in Europe: Église Chemin Nouveau in France and Redeemer City Church of Rekjavik, Iceland

The New City Network is working on two church plants in Europe. One called Église Chemin Nouveau launched in France in 2019 and Redeemer City Church of Rekjavik, Iceland is launching in late 2020. This blog is deeply concerned with the issue of sexual abuse inside a foreign church plant or other missionary effort. 

In Rebuking Jesus Its Clear the National Prayer Breakfast Needs to Come to an End

The National Prayer Breakfast was held in Washington, D.C. on February 6, 2020. Arthur Brooks gave a strong talk pleading for contempt and polarization to end. President Trump meanwhile followed Brooks talk and used it to settle scores and attack his perceived “enemies.” While pastors and staff laughed it became quite clear that the National Prayer Breakfast was never about prayer or bringing people to recognize the Lord. Instead, it is about the naked pursuit of power and trying to influence the executive and legislative branch. This blog is calling for the National Prayer Breakfast to be canceled and for Christians to do a lot of hard thinking about what they perpetuated and enabled. They don’t have the moral authority to lecture me about faith when they silently laugh and allow God to be mocked. 

Recalling My Formative Years Inside Evangelicalism in Wisconsin. Plus Deeply Embarrassing and Troubling Newspaper Articles About Dairy State Evangelical Christians Worshiping Donald Trump Over Jesus

Recently Evangelical Christians in Wisconsin have received some troubling press in the Boston Globe and the London Guardian. The publicity which is embarrassing discusses how white evangelicals in Wisconsin are worshiping Donald Trump over Jesus. I once called Wisconsin home and today stand horrified by what has developed. In addition the behavior of white evangelicals that I once knew from people like Steve Papez of Milwaukee Metro Crusade or Russell Schmaltz from Elmbrook further highlight these issues or of how some evangelicals are turning a blind eye. As I continue to push back from this stream of evangelicalism I have to grapple as to how the formative years of my life – my 20’s- were wasted in planting a Crusade chapter at Marquette University as well as being involved in churches like Wooded Hills and others. This blog entry is in part a post-mortem as to why I am pushing back from evangelicalism.

As White Evangelicals Believe They are Being Persecuted in the United States, a Story About Evangelical Christians and a House Church in Chengdu, China Reveals What Persecution Really Is

Many white Evangelical Christians in the United States believe they are being persecuted. Its the belief of this blog that evangelicals are not facing persecution in the United States. To continue to make this point I want to draw attention to a story in the Los Angeles Times that followed a Christian church in China facing persecution. Ask yourself as you read this Times article has Franklin Graham or Robert Jeffress or any other evangelicals in the United States come under anything similar?

An Experience in Times Square in New York City on How Not to Reach the Lost

Recently I was in New York City’s Times Square. While there I witnessed a group of Evangelical Christians waving signs and telling people to repent as they passed out tracts. Some had yelled at people. I was taken back by their behavior, but you see this every so often. Why do some evangelicals act so weird? And the question that sits on my mind is who is lost? Is it the person who is spiritually nothing? Or is the Evangelical Christian who acts like this?

Reaching the Lost in Brazil Through Stoning, Executions and Pentecostal Jesus Gangs

Brazil is moving from a Catholic country to an Evangelical Christian theocracy. As Catholicism and other religions become minorities some fringe Evangelical Christians are engaging in violence in efforts to convert them. Pentecostal Evangelical gangs have engaged in a murder campaign and pointing guns at Catholics and other minority religions and telling them they have a week to shut down their church. While mainstream Evangelicals allegedly not involved, in my time in evangelicalism Brazil was always a focus. But today’s post comes about after a disturbing article in the Washington Post points out the issues with fringe Evangelical Christian gangs. If Brazil is going to become like Afghanistan, this writer is going to be concerned about Evangelical Christian missionary efforts especially with the law of unintended consequences.