Ten years ago marks the first time a Vineyard USA pastor publicly advocated for gay, lesbian, and transgender inclusion at a national event. This is a behind-the-scenes account of my presentation at the Society of Vineyard Scholars (SVS) on April 19, 2013. Why tell a story I’ve never told before…

It’s easy to see how Vladimir Putin is getting bad information about the war in Ukraine, but the same dynamics keep evangelical pastors from appreciating the religiously-mediated suffering of LGBTQ people. Evangelical denominations these days are run by the megachurch pastors — nothing happens without their blessing. Smaller congregations follow…

“Glen, wake up. You’re loved.” — It was June, 1972 and my father lay comatose in the Intensive Care Unit of Sinai hospital in Detroit, several days after ingesting a massive overdose of barbiturates. His kidneys had shut down and he was unresponsive to pain. Richard (Dick) Bieber was two years younger than my dad, pastoring…

Seven years ago a few other evangelical pastors and I broke from tradition to create refuge for LGBTQ+ people in our churches. What happened? It was like a prison escape that helped the guards to reinforce security weak spots. My drama took place in Vineyard USA. Why Bring it Up? I have personal reasons…

When Joe Manchin worry-tweeted that “Build Back Better” could turn us into an “the entitlement society,” he was employing an evangelical trope — one that many of his white, conservative, West Virginians well understand. In white evangelicalism, everyone knows that those who depend on government handouts are likely to slip…

Simone Biles had a moment of inspiration this week. “Today it’s like, you know what, no,” she said, explaining her decision to withdraw from Olympic competition. Must have felt like a death — to the hope of Olympic gold, to the reward for untold hours of practice, of nursing various…

I was among a small cadre of evangelical pastors who refused to enforce hard-edged policies against LGBTQ members. Without exception we lost our jobs and all evangelical connections. Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered — we share strikingly similar tales that end with our unsightly remains quickly swept under the rug. A Case Study: Don Schiewer and the Evangelical Covenant Church Don…

I wish I could tell you their real names, or their kids name, and all the details of their stories because that’s where the magic happens. We gather for dinner once a month (now via Zoom) to enjoy each other’s company, and to speak of our joys and sorrows. We…

In church-world, lots of congregations with an aging demographic — especially ones in lower income areas — are regarded as “dying.” It’s a matter of simple arithmetic: not enough younger people replacing the older members. …