I grew up amid the Great Worship Wars of the late 20th century, when the bravest pastors opened the chancel area to guitars and drum sets. Before long, projector screens and colored stage lights rushed in where angels feared to tread. Early adopters declared organ music, hymnals, and robed choirs to be the enemy. Resisters…
Creating Space for Anti-Racist Work
Two PTS alumni lead an anti-racism collective in Pittsburgh Even through a computer screen, the Rev. Mike Holohan ’10 and the Rev. Gavin Walton ’16 exude hospitality and friendliness. It’s easy to see why both are pastors, capable of delicately balancing speaking with listening, and the pastoral with the prophetic. Together, Gavin and Mike lead…
Hurt By the Church
“Sheep have teeth, and they use them.” Dr. Craig Barnes, former professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, once told me this as I was sitting at a table at Pittsburgh Seminary bemoaning a parishioner’s behavior in an administrative meeting. Throughout my time as a pastor I have heard story after story of persons who have left…