Writer
Ten years of weekly sermons. That’s a lot of writing.
During my decade of preaching, I preached at least 500 sermons and reflections. I crafted weekly liturgy. I developed my authorial voice and honed my writing craft.
And although most of my writing during that decade was channeled into sermons and prayers, I still managed to snatch a few moments to write about whatever was consuming my attention. Along the way, I was privileged to contribute to three books and publish a variety of articles.
Then, after leading a church through merger, I moved to the United Kingdom for two years.
This sabbatical from the pulpit gave me the mental space to reclaim my writing vocation.
How was God calling me in this new season?
I started a new story.
I’m still preaching good news. I’m still telling stories. It just looks different these days.
I co-founded The Good Friday Collaborative to share my experience of pastoring in uncertain times. The Good Friday Collaborative seeks to change the story about church closure — leaning into the good news of death and resurrection.
I’m motivated by questions from my congregation when we left our building, name, and traditions to merge with another church:
“What can I read to help me make sense of this? How can I stop feeling like we failed? Is there a devotional for being overwhelmed by church changes?”
I’m writing a book to address this crisis of faith. Uncertain futures stir up more than just fears about a congregation’s survival. At stake is our understanding of God, church, and resurrection.
This devotional book will encourage congregations in numerical decline. We will shift the story from failure to faithfulness.
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Keep scrolling for my other writing!
Selected Articles
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Betrayal in Holy Week
I wrote this after being assaulted a few days before Easter. This essay remains close to my heart.
Published in Fidelia, March 2017.
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How to avoid falling off the “stained-glass cliff” when leading a dying church
Published in Faith & Leadership, January 2024.
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Born From Above: Rebirth Through Church Merger
This is part of a larger writing series for The Good Friday Collaborative.
Published in The Methodist Recorder, March 2023.
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Cup of Equality
After leaving a traditional pastorate, I reflected on clergy privilege
Published in Fidelia, September 2022.
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In Every Place
Land acknowledgments in churches can disrupt the myths of settler colonialism.
Published in Fidelia, October 2022.
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Coming Out as Bisexual Pastors
How do bisexual clergy come out — to ourselves and to our congregations?
Published in Fidelia, September 2022.
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Is Genealogy Racist?
This short article introduced a sixty-page resource I compiled on Genealogy and Anti-Racism.
Published in BitterSweet, April 2019.
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Cambridgeshire celebrates link with Church of South India
I wrote this as County Ecumenical Officer in Cambridge, England.
Published by Churches Together in England, October 2023.
Book Contributor
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Holy Contradictions: What’s Next for the People Called Methodist?
My chapter, “Love’s Competing Demands,” brings together my experience pastoring a congregation that later became a Global Methodist Church and then pastoring a reconciling (LGBTQ+ affirming) congregation.
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We Pray With Her: Encouragement for All Women Who Lead
My devotion on Luke 21:14-15 drew on my experience testifying in a sexual assault trial to show the power of speaking truth to power. The #MeToo movement is an apocalypse, an unveiling, of what has long been hidden.
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Speaking Truth: Women Raising Their Voices in Prayer
“A Prayer for Letting Go of White Fragility” reflected my experience as a white person growing in anti-racism.
My devotion on Isaiah 58:5-6 encouraged the spiritual practice of discarding emotional baggage.