Presentation Given at December 1, 2021 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: What deeper crises in the Church have the events of 2020 surfaced, especially in terms of poverty, economic inequalities, health, and loss, and how do these impact the church’s ministry approach? It’s been said, when Whites […]
Deeper Crises in the Church That Surfaced Post-2020 Read More »
Response to Larry L. Anderson, Jr.’s Presentation at December 1, 2021 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: What deeper crises in the Church have the events of 2020 surfaced, especially in terms of poverty, economic inequalities, health, and loss, and how do these impact the church’s ministry approach?
Response: Deeper Crises in the Church That Surfaced Post-2020 Read More »
Presentation Given at December 1, 2021 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: How did the murder of George Floyd impact churches and ministries in the greater Philadelphia area? The fury of generations rained down on the United States of America in the wake of the public torture and
The Impact of George Floyd’s Murder on the Church Read More »
Response to Kimberlee A. Johnson’s Presentation at December 1, 2021 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project The murder of George Floyd was a catalytic event within modern American history. When it comes to the progress of civil rights within the American social landscape, the murder of Floyd coupled with the
Response: The Impact of George Floyd’s Murder on the Church Read More »
Focus Group Report Given at December 1, 2021 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Background The purpose of this focus group conversation was to understand the racial ramifications of COVID-19. There were several considerations that we, as facilitators, took to create a representational group. We thought about people’s church contexts
Racial Ramifications of 2020 Read More »
Focus Group Report Given at December 1, 2021 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Our focus group took place on Friday November 19, 2021 from 6PM-7PM via Zoom. There were a total of seven participants invited and RSVP’d for the group. However, on the day of, only three showed. Two
How 2020 Affected Women in the Church Read More »
Presentation Given at March 2, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: What does localized incarnational ministry, contextualized worship and congregation, communal spiritual formation, etc. look like? In December 2019, an outbreak in Wuhan in central China was the source of a novel virus that could not be
Localized Incarnational Ministry After 2020 Read More »
Response to Carlos Worthy’s Presentation at March 2, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: What does localized incarnational ministry, contextualized worship and congregation, communal spiritual formation, etc. look like? My first comment is that the question itself is a bit too large and comprehensive on which a
Response: Localized Incarnational Ministry After 2020 Read More »
Focus Group Report Given at March 2, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Background The purpose of this focus group conversation was to understand the ramifications of COVID-19 on youth ministry in the Philadelphia area. For the focus group, we brought together people who represented diverse racial/ethnic/cultural backgrounds, denominations,
Youth Ministry after COVID-19 Read More »
Focus Group Report Given at March 2, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project We had ten participants confirmed for this focus group; however, one person canceled two days before and three participants canceled the same day. We regret this as three of the participants who canceled were under the
Hispanic Churches After 2020 Read More »
Focus Group Report Given at March 2, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project The focus group on “How Life Changed for Pastors After 2020” was hosted by Dr. Chad T. Hinson. The participants, Dr. Chandra Williams, senior pastor of the United Baptist Church, D. Victor Vincent and Pastor Samuel
How Lives Changed for Pastors After 2020 Read More »
Presentation Given at May 4, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: What are the theological resources that we have drawn on and have found renewed relevance in during the crises of 2020 and will need to inform future theological reflection? Introduction I currently serve as Academic Dean
Renewed Relevance of Theological Resources Read More »
Response to R. Todd Mangum’s Presentation at May 4, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: What are the theological resources that we have drawn on and have found renewed relevance in during the crises of 2020 and will need to inform future theological reflection? In his thought-provoking
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Presentation Given at May 4, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: What are the mental health needs of urban communities, and how do Christian congregations shift to address them? Mental health is a hot topic. Can you feel the heaviness? The weight of the pandemic on our
Mental Health Needs of Urban Communities Read More »
Response to Desiree Guyton’s Presentation at May 4, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: What are the mental health needs of urban communities, and how do Christian congregations shift to address them? Although some precedent literature highlights that there are mental health benefits for people living in
Response: Mental Health Needs of Urban Communities Read More »
Presentation Given at May 4, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: How has the urban culture, in which the younger generations are growing up, developed and shifted, and what impact does this have on intercultural discipleship and leadership development? Imagination During a Time of Uncertainty Are we
Development and Shifting of Urban Culture Read More »
Presentation Given at May 4, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: What new shape of ministry leadership and innovations in ministry are required in the post-pandemic world, and what is required of theological education institutions to address these needs? Introduction The amount and frequency of change our
New Shape of Ministry Leadership and Innovations in Ministry Read More »
Response to J.R. Briggs’s Presentation at May 4, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project Presentation Question: What new shape of ministry leadership and innovations in ministry are required in the post-pandemic world, and what is required of theological education institutions to address these needs? The church and, in turn,
Response: New Shape of Ministry Leadership and Innovations in Ministry Read More »
Focus Group Report Given at May 4, 2022 Colloquium Part of Educating Urban Ministers in Philadelphia After 2020 project The focus group consisted of current seminary students or recent graduates from seminary. They all attend or attended seminaries in the Philadelphia region. The seminaries represented included Missio Theological Seminary, Palmer Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological
The growing climate crisis hangs like a dark shadow over our collective planetary future. We can hear the rumblings of the storm, and its winds have already begun to pick up and blow things around in our present world. The global scientific community has said that 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels is the maximum global
Merging Our Missional Silos: A Redemptive Opportunity in the Climate Crisis Read More »
The young pastor took the Ted-X stage with confidence. His well-thought-out points and stories crafted and chosen in such a manner as to drive home his main point within seventeen minutes: bounded set thinking is bad, centered set thinking is good. This line of thinking has become popularized, so it seems, among many in the
Mending Fences: Viewing Set Theory Through a “Both/And” Lens Read More »
The Need for Missional Christians in Urban Areas It ended up being one of the worst meals of my life. Mark, a friend who helped me at Main Street Chapel, an inner-city ministry, invited me to a local restaurant. I had no clue of his purpose, but it soon became evident when he let me
Missional Identity Development in Urban Christians Read More »
The Initial Victory In 2009, on a bitterly cold January afternoon, I joined eleven others in a civil disobedience action against a gun shop in Philadelphia. At the time this gun shop was reputed to be the fifth largest seller of illegal guns in the United States through a process called “straw purchasing.” Straw purchasers
The Role of Faith in Addressing Gun Violence: A Change of Perspective Read More »
Introduction The pandemic that hit our world in 2019 changed our lives, our cities, and our countries. Our lives have been broken by the loss of friends and family; and we have been physically distant from the ones we love. Some of us even survived close encounters with death in the form of COVID-19. Our
Creating Thirdspaces in the Time of COVID Read More »
On November 21, 2017, Emily Joy Allison typed out and tweeted her truth. Approximately ten years prior, a man who served as a volunteer and mentor in her high school youth group groomed and abused her. I certainly didn’t know that a romantic relationship between a teenage girl and an adult mentor in a religious
#ChurchToo Through the Lens of Trauma Read More »
Of the sixty-six books in the Bible, thirty-eight are named for men. Only two are named for women—Ruth and Esther. Both stories put male power and female powerlessness on a frightening collision course, and both stories are instructive to the church as we address the current global #MeToo/#ChurchToo pandemic of violence against women and children.
The Gospel Versus Patriarchy: Ruth and Esther Have Something to Say Read More »
Photo: Chesiyuan at the English-language Wikipedia The Painful History I cleared my voice before I greeted my pastor friend on the phone and said, “I’m calling to ask about the issues between first- and second-generation Korean churches.” My friend took a beat and replied, “Isn’t it interesting that you assume that there are issues?” I
Healing from the Bitter Past: A New Way Forward for the Korean American Church Read More »
Leaders are greatly needed for the God-given mission of the church. Jesus gave this charge to his disciples on the occasion of his ascension into heaven: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
Mentoring: Raising Up Leaders for the Harvest Read More »
One of the most prevalent myths surrounding poor communities the world over, when viewed from the outside, is that parents do not care as much about their children as parents do in middle- and upper-class communities. Reporting of crime, especially violent crime, higher levels of reported abuse, general issues of poverty and lower standards of
Reflections on Parenting and Teaching in the City Read More »
(Originally presented at Christian Scholars Conference 2018, Lipscomb University) In the history of humankind on this planet, the idea of change should not be a surprising concept. Regular adaptation has been consistent throughout history. The first agricultural settlements leading to inevitable urbanization, naval navigation, the printing press, the nation-state, the industrial revolution, the internet .
Global Shifts & Practical Implications for Mission Read More »
Philosophy. Oral Rhetoric. Christian Formation. Business. Biology. These are among the many subjects studied by incarcerated college students. Behind barbed wire, concrete walls, and steel doors resides intellectually curious men and women who are enrolled in rigorous academic programs. But the resources for postsecondary education are sparse. And few Christians are assisting in this academic
Prison Education and the Church Read More »
Restorative Justice vs. Retributive Justice: Definitions and Illustrations My daughter – then a 3rd grader – came out of school crying. Her teacher explained to me that she had confessed to writing graffiti on the stalls of the girls’ bathroom: “Happy death day.” Apparently, it was the name of a movie I had never watched. When the 1st
Restorative vs. Retributive Justice and the Implications for Public Life Read More »
Behold, children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. (Proverbs 127:3, NIV) Two 17-year-old youth, arguing. A crime is committed. The outcome? It depends… True Story Two 17-year-old African American youth live in a low-wealth, resilient, urban community frequented by trauma. They play ball together in the gym of a
The U.S. Church and Youth: Incarceration or Restoration? Read More »
A narrow gate is more difficult to pass through than a wide gate. So why take the narrow gate? Christ once charged his disciples with these words: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Taking the Narrow Gate: How Lament Shapes Multicultural Ministry and Discipleship Read More »
Urban discipleship is less program driven than people driven. What are the characteristics of effective urban disciplers, according to the Apostle Pau?
Traits Of Effective Urban Disciplers: A Pauline Perspective Read More »
In Jeremiah 32, the prophet Jeremiah enters into a land deal with his cousin Hanamel in one of the worst real estate markets imaginable. Does his prophetic economic activity open up new horizons of possibilities for Christian disciples today in the face of urban blight and seemingly dead economic potential in many urban neighborhoods?
Restoring Shalom in the Citadels of Dead Capital: The Church and Vacant Land Read More »
The prevailing model of urban mission has been one of dependence on Outsiders who seemingly bring needed resources–money, education, connections to outside communities. Has this model brought about more harm than good? Is there a better way forward for ministry in the inner city? And what is the proper role for Outsiders in a such a vision?
The Outsiders and Their Role in Urban Mission Read More »
Contemporary evangelical theology and missionary practice of the urban church are sorely in need of a solid theology of place. The author looks to the biblical narrative for guidance, and finds a pilgrim church called out and sent back to the world on God’s mission as redemptive agents to specific places and concrete contexts.
Pilgrims and Place: Reflections on Geography and Theology Read More »
This article will address (1) how mentors may biblically affirm a disciple’s physical cultural differences within a dominant culture’s message that there is something inherently flawed in his or her design, (2) how theology addresses a body/spirit symbiosis relevant to identity dissonance, and (3) how mentors may move a disciple from identity dissonance to identity satisfaction through a holistic application of Scripture.
Identity Satisfaction in a World of Cultural Dissonance Read More »
Why should contexts of urban poverty so often be perceived as alien territory for the people of God, and hard places for the gospel? Through his experience in Kibera, a slum community in Nairobi, and through his reflection on the eschatological vision of Isaiah, the author discerns the Spirit of God at work in the burgeoning urban areas of poverty where many outsiders see little hope, and outlines a theological vision for the church’s missionary agenda there.
Urban Pessimism and the Gospel of Hope Read More »
Church leaders can become consumed by activities, numbers, and plans. Indeed, such leaders are regularly held up in the professional ministry world as models for the rest to emulate. A church planter in South Philadelphia took a different direction–often against his own wishes–and he shares his journey from activity to inactivity, from busyness to stillness, and from being a Martha to becoming a Mary.
From Martha to Mary: A Church Planter’s Spiritual Journey Read More »
Migration and mission are often woven together as key themes throughout Scripture. As migration continues in an increasingly global society, contemporary cities are emerging as nodes of transnational social networks, and urban missionaries face new opportunities to contextualize evangelism and church planting. This article highlights these emerging opportunities, offers concrete examples of ministries that are aligning themselves with these new realities, and identifies some key principles and practices for transnational evangelism in global cities.
Transcending Borders: Cities as Nodes for Transnational Evangelism Read More »
What would the late Donald A. McGavran, founder of the Church Growth School of Missions, say to today’s crop of church planters burgeoning around the world? The author imagines six kernels of advice McGavran would pass along.
Donald A. McGavran’s Advice to Urban Church Planters Read More »
How does the Western Church proclaim the gospel to a post-Christian world that does not care about its message? The Church must speak with confidence the authority of Christian scripture, despite the temptation for scriptural relativism. As an alternative to the idolatrous individualism perpetuated in the West, the Church must provide a visible testimony of authentic community. And the Church must adopt a missional identity in which every church member is recognized as an agent of gospel mission. The world is changing, but the Church can make a difference with a renewed, gospel-centered heart.
Church After Christendom: A Gospel-Centered Proposal for Post-Christian Mission Read More »
“Theological hospitality”–the practice of welcoming other Christians whose understanding of scripture and theology may seem strange or challenging–is a way for the church to pursue unity among theological diversity. Instead of an “us versus them” mentality, the church should expand its “gene pool” of theology, culture, and ethnicity. While it is not a strategy of theological minimalism or compromise, practicing theological hospitality reflects God’s heart to care for one another and avoids a combative style of orthodoxy.
Modern Western evangelicalism is experiencing a crisis of discipleship and gospel witness because of its perception of spiritual maturity in almost exclusively individualistic terms. The Scriptures, however, conceive of spirituality and growth in corporate terms. The leader’s role, then, is not to disciple a select few, but to create a culture of mutual discipleship, resulting in communities of genuine grace and repentance. Western churches need to recapture this community approach to discipleship to combat the crisis.
Discipleship in Community Read More »
Church-based community organizations often struggle with navigating partnerships in their communities, as they sit at the pluralistic community “table” in order to serve the poor and faithfully proclaim the gospel without compromising their Christian witness. What community issues can Christian organizations agree to work on with others in the community in order to bring honor to God’s kingdom? How exactly will they bear witness to the gospel so as not to be seen merely as one group among many committed to social transformation? This study offers some theological guidelines.
Bringing Shalom to the Community Table: Community Development as an Act of Ministry Read More »
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