Author Archives: Richard Heyduck

This interview with Christian Smith from Books and Culture highlights his recent research on American teens. Of his work, I’ve only read The Secular Revolution: Power, Interests, and Conflict in the Secularization of American Public Life, a very interesting book. … Continue reading →

A United Methodist elder currently pastoring in another denomination reflects on the Beth Stroud case: Further, the message sounded out from the UMC after the Beth mess is this — you can’t be a practicing lesbian and be a United … Continue reading →

As I was putting my youngest daughter to bed tonight we were listening (as is our habit) to an episode of Adventures in Odyssey. In the story Nick, a worker at Whit’s End (a ice cream shop & hang out … Continue reading →

While on our post-Christmas trip this week I had opportunity to speak with the pastor of a church that has a million dollars in the bank and receives $14k a month in oil, gas & coal revenues. They’re surrounded by … Continue reading →

We have three great children. I enjoy being with them and doing things with them. But it also necessary to have some times away from them, just with my wife. Each year at this time (close to out anniversary, and … Continue reading →

You have to read this story to believe it. A Nigerian pastors perhaps the largest church in Europe – in the city of Kiev.

Americans are just a bunch of softies these days. We offend easily and expect everyone else to offend easily. Consider the dispute over Christmas. Christians have celebrated Christmas with gusto for some years. Over the past century Americans have gone … Continue reading →

This survey demonstrates that a highly educated segment of the population who daily close to life and death issues tends to not only believe in God, but have a high incidence of seeing that God in action.

Not surprisingly, some UM leaders thought (they probably still do but I’m sticking to the evidence at hand) doctrine to be irrelevant – as long as growth (and positive publicity?) could be had. Consider this observation in the San Francisco … Continue reading →

Not surprisingly, some UM leaders thought (they probably still do but I’m sticking to the evidence at hand) doctrine to be irrelevant – as long as growth (and positive publicity?) could be had. Consider this observation in the San Francisco … Continue reading →