B-8 PEOPLE-FILES
- Jamal Bryant - Lee Ann Bryce - Kurt Bubna - Tom Buck - Mark Buckley - Paul J Bucknell - Mariann Budd - Josh Buice - Philip D Bunn - Michael F Burbidge -Brian Burch - Brandon Burden - Ryan Burge - Larry Burgess - Aaron Burke - Raymond Burke
==jamal bryant======
Jamal Harrison Bryant (born May 21, 1971) is an American minister, author and former political candidate. He is the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. In 2002, Pastor Jamal Bryant founded the Empowerment Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland and served for 18 years. In December 2018, he became pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia.
Pastor Jamal Bryant gets new flak for old message claiming Jesus was wrong 85% of His life
Leader of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, Jamal Bryant, is getting some new flak for an old message in which he claims Jesus was “wrong” for 85% of His life despite being called, anointed, and chosen. “Jesus accepted His call to ministry at 30. He had been in carpentry since he was 13. He ran the family business since he was 17. At the risk of being heretical tonight, might I suggest to you, that 85% of Jesus's life, He was out of order,” Bryant told congregants at The Chosen Vessel Cathedral in Fort Worth, Texas, at the installation service of Bishop Marvin Sapp as the church’s senior pastor on Nov. 17, 2019, according to a recording of the sermon posted on YouTube. (Leonardo Blair/Christian Post 9/8/23) Read More>>>>>
Leader of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, Jamal Bryant, is getting some new flak for an old message in which he claims Jesus was “wrong” for 85% of His life despite being called, anointed, and chosen. “Jesus accepted His call to ministry at 30. He had been in carpentry since he was 13. He ran the family business since he was 17. At the risk of being heretical tonight, might I suggest to you, that 85% of Jesus's life, He was out of order,” Bryant told congregants at The Chosen Vessel Cathedral in Fort Worth, Texas, at the installation service of Bishop Marvin Sapp as the church’s senior pastor on Nov. 17, 2019, according to a recording of the sermon posted on YouTube. (Leonardo Blair/Christian Post 9/8/23) Read More>>>>>
Pastor Jamal Bryant suggests new ‘gospel for grownups’ who are 'used to getting some' sex
Megachurch Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, has called for the Church to “repackage” itself to include a discussion of a new “gospel for grownups” that doesn’t tell single Christians that are “used to getting some” that they need to be celibate. Speaking in a recent interview with actor and media personality Rashan Ali on her “Cool Soror Podcast,” Bryant argued that if conservative Christians don’t evolve in how they engage the culture on issues such as abortion, sexuality and recreational drugs, like marijuana, megachurches might soon become a thing of the past.
(Christian Post 12/20/22) Read More>>>>>
Megachurch Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, has called for the Church to “repackage” itself to include a discussion of a new “gospel for grownups” that doesn’t tell single Christians that are “used to getting some” that they need to be celibate. Speaking in a recent interview with actor and media personality Rashan Ali on her “Cool Soror Podcast,” Bryant argued that if conservative Christians don’t evolve in how they engage the culture on issues such as abortion, sexuality and recreational drugs, like marijuana, megachurches might soon become a thing of the past.
(Christian Post 12/20/22) Read More>>>>>
Dec 9, 2022: Relevant: Megachurch Pastor Wants to Grow Weed on Church Property
Atlanta megachurch pastor Jamal Bryant wants to reach the masses, and he’s got an unorthodox strategy to do it.
“New Birth is the largest land-owning Black church in America,” Bryant said. “My position to my deacons is ‘why aren’t we not raising cannabis?”
During a recent appearance on The Cool Soror Podcast with Rashan Ali, the pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia made a bold statement: he was looking for male congregants that “smell like weed.”
Atlanta megachurch pastor Jamal Bryant wants to reach the masses, and he’s got an unorthodox strategy to do it.
“New Birth is the largest land-owning Black church in America,” Bryant said. “My position to my deacons is ‘why aren’t we not raising cannabis?”
During a recent appearance on The Cool Soror Podcast with Rashan Ali, the pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia made a bold statement: he was looking for male congregants that “smell like weed.”
==lee ann bryce======
Protesters rally against ICE after fatal shooting of Colorado Springs native in Minneapolis
Rev. Lee Ann Bryce, lead minister at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Colorado Springs, said the fatal shooting of a woman who “showed up to bear witness and, in a moment of moral urgency, used her vehicle to block enforcement activity” is not about one tragic death. “It is about the kind of country we are becoming, and the kind of people we are willing to be,” she said at the rally. “Blocking with a vehicle is not a capital offense. Civil resistance is not a death sentence. And when nonviolent intervention is met with lethal force, something has gone deeply wrong. Demanding accountability is not anti-law. Insisting on human dignity is not radical. What is radical is the idea that some lives can be erased without consequence,” she added.
(Gazette; 1.8.26) READMORE>>>>>
Rev. Lee Ann Bryce, lead minister at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Colorado Springs, said the fatal shooting of a woman who “showed up to bear witness and, in a moment of moral urgency, used her vehicle to block enforcement activity” is not about one tragic death. “It is about the kind of country we are becoming, and the kind of people we are willing to be,” she said at the rally. “Blocking with a vehicle is not a capital offense. Civil resistance is not a death sentence. And when nonviolent intervention is met with lethal force, something has gone deeply wrong. Demanding accountability is not anti-law. Insisting on human dignity is not radical. What is radical is the idea that some lives can be erased without consequence,” she added.
(Gazette; 1.8.26) READMORE>>>>>
==kurt bubna======
Kurt W. Bubna is an award-winning published author of eight books, a nationally recognized blogger, a leadership and relationship consultant, an author coach, an event speaker, an experienced international leadership coach, and an award-winning photographer. In addition, Kurt has ten years of experience in the banking industry and over thirty years in nonprofit management. Bubna also has four children, six stepchildren, and ten grandchildren. He lives in central Oregon and loves to read, hike, paddleboard, and travel.
Kurt’s first book, Epic Grace: Chronicles of a Recovering Idiot with Tyndale Momentum was released in September 2013. He has also published seven other books all found on Amazon. He is a columnist with Patheos and has also published many articles in a variety of magazines and blogs.
Kurt’s first book, Epic Grace: Chronicles of a Recovering Idiot with Tyndale Momentum was released in September 2013. He has also published seven other books all found on Amazon. He is a columnist with Patheos and has also published many articles in a variety of magazines and blogs.
How Should We Respond When a Leader Falls?
The news is disheartening when another hero, leader, and pastor fails and is removed from ministry.
Sadly, I’ve lost count of how many times this has happened over the past 40 or so years since I entered ministry.
Before I go on, let me be painfully clear, I too have failed. Countless times. Again and again. I have public sins and secret sins. There are things I’ve owned and overcome and things I’m still working on. Of course, sin matters. Certainly, I should never just throw my hands up and say, “Oh well. Stuff happens.”
(Kurt Bubna; Outreach Magazine 8/16/24) READ MORE>>>>>
The news is disheartening when another hero, leader, and pastor fails and is removed from ministry.
Sadly, I’ve lost count of how many times this has happened over the past 40 or so years since I entered ministry.
Before I go on, let me be painfully clear, I too have failed. Countless times. Again and again. I have public sins and secret sins. There are things I’ve owned and overcome and things I’m still working on. Of course, sin matters. Certainly, I should never just throw my hands up and say, “Oh well. Stuff happens.”
(Kurt Bubna; Outreach Magazine 8/16/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==tom buck======
April 7, 2021: Religion News Service: Beth Moore apologizes for her role in elevating ‘complementarian’ theology that limits women leaders
The Rev. Tom Buck of First Baptist Church in Lindale, Texas, an outspoken critic of SBC leaders, tweeted that a “plain reading” of a passage from the New Testament Book of 1 Timothy bars women from teaching or preaching the Bible to men in the church.
He was referring to a passage from the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy in which he said: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.”
The Rev. Tom Buck of First Baptist Church in Lindale, Texas, an outspoken critic of SBC leaders, tweeted that a “plain reading” of a passage from the New Testament Book of 1 Timothy bars women from teaching or preaching the Bible to men in the church.
He was referring to a passage from the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy in which he said: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.”
==mark buckley======
Mark Driscoll’s Safe Space: How The Embattled Pastor Built A New Church
Driscoll postured himself with humility, recalled Mark Buckley, founding pastor of Living Streams Church, who attended the Scottsdale Bible Church meeting. “He just wanted to say, ‘Hey, I’m here. You’re going to hear stories about me. I made mistakes in the past. I’ve done things wrong. If I restart here, I’m going to do things differently,’” Buckley said. “He was very humble.” Buckley, who had visited Mars Hill Church before in Seattle and was impressed by Driscoll’s uncanny ability to connect with a cynical and skeptical generation of young people, wanted him to succeed. (Chris Moody/ Religion Unplugged 10/2/23) Read More>>>>>
Driscoll postured himself with humility, recalled Mark Buckley, founding pastor of Living Streams Church, who attended the Scottsdale Bible Church meeting. “He just wanted to say, ‘Hey, I’m here. You’re going to hear stories about me. I made mistakes in the past. I’ve done things wrong. If I restart here, I’m going to do things differently,’” Buckley said. “He was very humble.” Buckley, who had visited Mars Hill Church before in Seattle and was impressed by Driscoll’s uncanny ability to connect with a cynical and skeptical generation of young people, wanted him to succeed. (Chris Moody/ Religion Unplugged 10/2/23) Read More>>>>>
==paul j bucknell======
Paul J Bucknell. After cross-cultural church planting and pastoring for the first two decades of his ministry, the Lord led Paul to establish Biblical Foundations for Freedom in 2000. When serving God's people, Paul began to be sensitized to the need for good biblical and yet practical resources to build up the people of God. Since then he has been actively writing, holding international Christian leadership training seminars and serving in the local church.
 Paul J Bucknell
" In other words, there is no difficulty that we might face that His glowing love flinches, even for a moment. There is no evil—and even the evil that evolves into oppressive darkness—that can smudge, darken, or stamp out God’s love.
This is why the truth of God’s abiding love is such a powerful truth. When we hear a tempting voice suggest, “Would a loving God allow this?” know for sure that you have an answer. This is why the Psalmist in Psalm 118 lists so many aggravated difficulties but still ends up with the same answer and truth he began with, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” --Paul J. Bucknell; Biblical Foundations for Freedom |
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==mariann budde======
Mariann Edgar Budde (born December 10, 1959) is an American prelate of the Episcopal Church. She has served as Bishop of Washington since November 2011. Before being elected Washington's first female diocesan bishop, she served 18 years as rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde after Trumps inauguration last monday: Let me make one final plea, Mr. President, millions have put their trust in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. And the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor at poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens, or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara, and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands, to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger for we will all want strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage. To honor the dignity of every human being. To speak the truth to one another in love. And walk humbly with each other and our God. For the good of all people. Good of all people in this nation. And the world. |
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January 21, 2025: the day after Donald Trump's second inauguration as president, Budde delivered the homily at the interfaith prayer service traditionally held at the Washington National Cathedral after each presidential inauguration.Also in attendance were the new vice president, JD Vance; House speaker Mike Johnson; and Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for defense secretary.In the sermon, Budde addressed Trump, who was sitting in the first pew, urging him to show mercy and compassion to vulnerable people, saying: "Millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now." Budde specifically cited the
LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants, and refugees
fleeing from war in their countries. After the service, Trump disparaged Budde as a "so-called Bishop" and "Radical Left hard line Trump hater" on his social media website Truth Social.Trump called the service "very boring" and demanded an apology from Budde and the Episcopal Church. Trump allies also attacked Budde; evangelical pastor Robert Jeffress condemned the bishop for having "insulted rather than encouraged our great president" while Republican congressman Mike Collins said that Budde (who is a U.S. citizen) "should be added to the deportation list". According to Baptist News Global,
Megan Basham and other far-right religious figures used the incident to press their views against the ordination of women as pastors. In contrast, Budde's remarks were welcomed by civil rights
advocate Bernice King, Pope Francis's biographer
Austen Ivereigh, and other public figures. Budde
declined to respond to Trump's reaction to her message; in interviews, she described her sermon as fairly mild, with the intended message to the new president that "The country has been entrusted to you. And one of the qualities of a leader is mercy."
Budde said that unity requires mercy, humility, and the upholding of human dignity; she warned against America's "culture of contempt" as well as the harms of polarizing narratives.
LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants, and refugees
fleeing from war in their countries. After the service, Trump disparaged Budde as a "so-called Bishop" and "Radical Left hard line Trump hater" on his social media website Truth Social.Trump called the service "very boring" and demanded an apology from Budde and the Episcopal Church. Trump allies also attacked Budde; evangelical pastor Robert Jeffress condemned the bishop for having "insulted rather than encouraged our great president" while Republican congressman Mike Collins said that Budde (who is a U.S. citizen) "should be added to the deportation list". According to Baptist News Global,
Megan Basham and other far-right religious figures used the incident to press their views against the ordination of women as pastors. In contrast, Budde's remarks were welcomed by civil rights
advocate Bernice King, Pope Francis's biographer
Austen Ivereigh, and other public figures. Budde
declined to respond to Trump's reaction to her message; in interviews, she described her sermon as fairly mild, with the intended message to the new president that "The country has been entrusted to you. And one of the qualities of a leader is mercy."
Budde said that unity requires mercy, humility, and the upholding of human dignity; she warned against America's "culture of contempt" as well as the harms of polarizing narratives.
==josh buice======
Josh Buice is serving as the Pastor of Pray’s Mill Baptist Church located in Douglasville, Ga. He is married to his wife Kari and we has four children. He earned his M.Div. and D.Min. in expository preaching from the school of theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife are originally from Douglasville, Ga. They were both members of Pray’s Mill as children and crossed paths in the children’s ministries of our church. After God’s call on their lives for the gospel ministry, they moved to Louisville to attend the Seminary. After a few months, Josh was called to be the pastor of Van Buren Baptist Church. God moved their family to serve in McMinnville, TN at Cornerstone Baptist Church four years later. Today, they are seeking to be obedient to God and desire to serve the people of Pray’s Mill.
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July 8, 2021: Capstone Report: Ed Litton is an unrepentant liar and this interview proves it
And Justin Peters posting on the Reformation Charlotte YouTube page said, “Unnamed sources? My name is Justin Peters. Let’s add to my name the names of Gabriel Hughes, Jeff Maples, Jordan Hall, Tom Buck, Tom Ascol, Josh Buice, Phil Johnson, and literally dozens upon dozens of others who have been talking about this (along with their names) for at least 2 weeks now. There, fixed it.” |
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==philip D Bunn======
To be clear, Stephen Wolfe is not the only representative of Christian Nationalism, nor is his book the best or only resource for the committee to assess. It is, however, a sort of cultural touchstone for the conversation, and so the committee would undoubtedly be wise to evaluate its claims. In so doing, the committee will necessarily need to consider Wolfe’s repeated claim, both inside and outside of the book, that what he offers in The Case for Christian Nationalism is nothing more or less than the historic Reformed position on the civil magistrate.
This claim is really three claims packaged into one. The first is that the view advanced by Christian Nationalism’s contemporary proponents is a historic view. That is, it is a view drawn from the example of history and the writings of people within the broader Reformed tradition that the PCA would not be willing to haphazardly anathemize. The second claim is that Christian Nationalism is not only historically grounded, but also represents the consensus within Reformed Protestantism. That is, it is not merely one of many styles or camps of political theology within the broader tradition, but that it represents the majority or overwhelming consensus view.
These first two claims can, I think, be fairly objectively assessed by turning to the sources Wolfe and others employ. The third claim however, that Christian Nationalism should be embraced by Christians today as theologically sound and politically prudent, will require much more discernment to adjudicate. It is undeniably true, for example, that past theologians and commentators within the Reformed tradition have advocated the civil magistrate do things most PCA leaders and members today would not support (think here of the oft-repeated debates around the execution of Servetus in Calvin’s Geneva, or the laws enacted in places like Puritan New England or Knox’s Scotland). When engaging in some sort of retrieval, then, contemporary Reformed thinkers have several options available. They could, like David VanDrunen in his Politics after Christendom, suggest that the principles and the framework established by 16th- and 17th-century thinkers like Calvin and Turretin is broadly correct and useful, establishing a difference between what is “common” and what is “sacred,” leaving the sacred to the church and the common to the magistrate. At the same time, they could suggest these thinkers are merely mistaken when they treat, for example, blasphemy laws as within the proper purview of the civil magistrate. Retrieval of this kind says that these thinkers are broadly correct in principle, incorrect in their application, and can thus be adopted with modifications. -Philip D Bunn 8/7/25
This claim is really three claims packaged into one. The first is that the view advanced by Christian Nationalism’s contemporary proponents is a historic view. That is, it is a view drawn from the example of history and the writings of people within the broader Reformed tradition that the PCA would not be willing to haphazardly anathemize. The second claim is that Christian Nationalism is not only historically grounded, but also represents the consensus within Reformed Protestantism. That is, it is not merely one of many styles or camps of political theology within the broader tradition, but that it represents the majority or overwhelming consensus view.
These first two claims can, I think, be fairly objectively assessed by turning to the sources Wolfe and others employ. The third claim however, that Christian Nationalism should be embraced by Christians today as theologically sound and politically prudent, will require much more discernment to adjudicate. It is undeniably true, for example, that past theologians and commentators within the Reformed tradition have advocated the civil magistrate do things most PCA leaders and members today would not support (think here of the oft-repeated debates around the execution of Servetus in Calvin’s Geneva, or the laws enacted in places like Puritan New England or Knox’s Scotland). When engaging in some sort of retrieval, then, contemporary Reformed thinkers have several options available. They could, like David VanDrunen in his Politics after Christendom, suggest that the principles and the framework established by 16th- and 17th-century thinkers like Calvin and Turretin is broadly correct and useful, establishing a difference between what is “common” and what is “sacred,” leaving the sacred to the church and the common to the magistrate. At the same time, they could suggest these thinkers are merely mistaken when they treat, for example, blasphemy laws as within the proper purview of the civil magistrate. Retrieval of this kind says that these thinkers are broadly correct in principle, incorrect in their application, and can thus be adopted with modifications. -Philip D Bunn 8/7/25
==michael F burbidge======
The real danger of ‘Christian nationalism’
While some religious leaders have rightly criticized Christian nationalism defined as an ideology that seeks to merge Christian and American identities to privilege one specific faith, the term is also understood by some to mean being patriotic as a Christian. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, observed that “Christian nationalism is a confusing term because it can confuse two things that should be distinct: devotion to the nation and devotion to the church.” (The Leaven; 2.19.25)READMORE>>>>>>
While some religious leaders have rightly criticized Christian nationalism defined as an ideology that seeks to merge Christian and American identities to privilege one specific faith, the term is also understood by some to mean being patriotic as a Christian. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, observed that “Christian nationalism is a confusing term because it can confuse two things that should be distinct: devotion to the nation and devotion to the church.” (The Leaven; 2.19.25)READMORE>>>>>>
==brian burch======
DOJ must defend churches from more expected pro-abortion attacks, Catholic leader says
A prominent Catholic organization is calling on the Department of Justice to defend Catholic churches from anticipated pro-abortion attacks, pointing to the disparities in the DOJ’s enforcement of a law protecting both abortion clinics and churches. In a letter first obtained by The Daily Signal, CatholicVote President Brian Burch calls on Attorney General Merrick Garland to detail what steps the DOJ plans to take to “combat the incessant attacks against Catholic churches.” “How much more violence needs to happen before you will act?” he asks Garland. “Why is the FACE Act being enforced against Holocaust survivors, but not [against] those who attempt to destroy churches or even kill Catholics?” (The Lion; 4/10/24) READ MORE>>>>>
A prominent Catholic organization is calling on the Department of Justice to defend Catholic churches from anticipated pro-abortion attacks, pointing to the disparities in the DOJ’s enforcement of a law protecting both abortion clinics and churches. In a letter first obtained by The Daily Signal, CatholicVote President Brian Burch calls on Attorney General Merrick Garland to detail what steps the DOJ plans to take to “combat the incessant attacks against Catholic churches.” “How much more violence needs to happen before you will act?” he asks Garland. “Why is the FACE Act being enforced against Holocaust survivors, but not [against] those who attempt to destroy churches or even kill Catholics?” (The Lion; 4/10/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==brandon burden======
Churches are breaking the law and endorsing in elections, experts say. The IRS looks the other way.
For nearly 70 years, federal law has barred churches from directly involving themselves in political campaigns, but the IRS has largely abdicated its enforcement responsibilities as churches have become more brazen about publicly backing candidates.”.Six days before a local runoff election last year in Frisco, a prosperous and growing suburb of Dallas, Brandon Burden paced the stage of KingdomLife Church. The pastor told congregants that demonic spirits were operating through members of the City Council
(Jeremy Schwartz/Texas Tribune 10/30/22)
READ MORE>>>>>
For nearly 70 years, federal law has barred churches from directly involving themselves in political campaigns, but the IRS has largely abdicated its enforcement responsibilities as churches have become more brazen about publicly backing candidates.”.Six days before a local runoff election last year in Frisco, a prosperous and growing suburb of Dallas, Brandon Burden paced the stage of KingdomLife Church. The pastor told congregants that demonic spirits were operating through members of the City Council
(Jeremy Schwartz/Texas Tribune 10/30/22)
READ MORE>>>>>
==ryan burge======
Ryan Burge is an American political scientist, statistician, and prominent data analyst specializing in the intersection of religion and politics in the United States. He currently serves as a Professor of Practice at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis, a role he began in August 2025. Before his current role, Burge was an Associate Professor of Political Science at Eastern Illinois University for 13 years. His research focuses on quantitative analysis of changes in the American religious landscape, particularly the rise of the religiously unaffiliated. Burge served as a pastor in the American Baptist Church for over two decades. He is known for his Substack, Graphs about Religion, contributions to major media, and has been recognized as a leading data analyst on religion and politics. Burge has authored or co-authored several books on American religiosity, including The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going (2021), 20 Myths about Religion and Politics in America (2022), The Great Dechurching (2023), The American Religious Landscape (2024), and The Vanishing Church (January 2026).
On My Shelf: Life and Books with Stephen O. Presley
I’m also reading Ryan Burge’s The Vanishing Church, which echoes several of these concerns. What’s clear across these studies is that the church in the West is undergoing dramatic transitions, both in its denominational character and in its relationship to the surrounding culture.(Gospel Coalition; 1.11.26) READMORE>>>>>
I’m also reading Ryan Burge’s The Vanishing Church, which echoes several of these concerns. What’s clear across these studies is that the church in the West is undergoing dramatic transitions, both in its denominational character and in its relationship to the surrounding culture.(Gospel Coalition; 1.11.26) READMORE>>>>>
He Left the Pastorate. But He Hasn’t Given up on Religion.
Ryan Burge “stumbled” into ministry, as he put it. He left the pastorate with his church in decline, but he has not yet given up on reviving religion in America. (Christianity Today; 1.8.26) READMORE>>>>>
Ryan Burge “stumbled” into ministry, as he put it. He left the pastorate with his church in decline, but he has not yet given up on reviving religion in America. (Christianity Today; 1.8.26) READMORE>>>>>
November 17, 2025: CBS News reported: "Nondenominational is actually the strongest force in American Christianity right now," said Ryan Burge, a professor who focuses on religion's impact on American life at Washington University. "They really talk about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Many of them preach a conservative gospel on things like abortion, same-sex marriage, but they don't lead with those things." In 1972, fewer than 3% of Americans identified as nondenominational Christians. Now it's 14%, or nearly 40 million people, according to the General Social Survey. Burge believes it's possible nondenominational Christians could overtake Roman Catholics in the next 15 years to be "the largest religious tradition in America." "I think it's, we're moving away from authority structure," Burge said.
December 8, 2025: Religion News Service reported: Ryan Burge, a professor of practice at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis, said something similar could be happening now. “I think it’s the calm before the storm,” said Burge, who writes about the religious landscape in his Graphs about Religion Substack. At some point, the decline will begin again due to generational shifts. “Gravity still goes down,” he said. Looking at the data, Burge suspects that in the future, just over half of Americans will be religious, with about 45% of Americans identifying as Christians and 10% as other faiths, while just under half will be nones. Religion in America isn’t going away, he said. But it won’t have the same social power as it did in the past.
December 11, 2025: Baptist News Global reported: MAGA Christianity casts a broad net. As religious statistician Ryan Burge frequently reminds us, white Catholics and white Mainline Protestants are almost as enamored of MAGA politics as white evangelicals. The difference is that MAGA voters who attend Catholic or Mainline Protestant churches are unlikely to hear Trumpian political themes reinforced from the pulpit. Since Mainline congregations are ideologically diverse, preachers generally hold their political cards tight to the vest. Similarly, Catholic churches are so racially diverse that partisan sermons are certain to stoke unwanted controversy. White evangelicals lead the MAGA parade because, after decades of ideological sorting, pastors and parishioners have a cozy relationship with MAGA-themed messaging.
===larry burgess==========
Larry T Burgess served seven churches during their ministry career: First Baptist Church, Calhoun, GA; First Baptist Church, Ocala, FL; Shively Baptist Church, Louisville, KY; Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, Rome, GA; Clairmont Hills Baptist Church, Decatur, GA; Lucerne Baptist Church, Lilburn, GA; North Clarendon Baptist Church, Scottdale, GA.
Obituary: Nancy Burgess, wife of Pastor Larry Burgess, dies at 76
Nancy is a graduate of Ocala High School, Class of 1966, as is her husband of 54 years, Rev. Larry T. Burgess. They met in kindergarten and were classmates in the same elementary school, junior high school and high school. After graduation from high school, Nancy earned a degree in Elementary Education from Florida State University, and taught in public schools in Gordon County, GA; Louisville, KY; and Rome, GA. However, her primary professions were Child of God, pastor's wife, mother, sister, aunt, teacher of the Bible, Sunday School Conference Leader, Women's Conference Leader, member of the ministry staff of the Atlanta Metro Baptist Association, founder and leader of Heart & Soul Connection, a non-profit which ministered to pastor's wives, and "Momma Nance" to the young ladies of HopeQuest Addiction Treatment Center. Nancy absolutely loved the Scriptures and taught the Bible as far east as England and Switzerland and as far west as New Mexico, Idaho and Nevada. (The Christian Index; 12.29.24) READMORE>>>>>
Nancy is a graduate of Ocala High School, Class of 1966, as is her husband of 54 years, Rev. Larry T. Burgess. They met in kindergarten and were classmates in the same elementary school, junior high school and high school. After graduation from high school, Nancy earned a degree in Elementary Education from Florida State University, and taught in public schools in Gordon County, GA; Louisville, KY; and Rome, GA. However, her primary professions were Child of God, pastor's wife, mother, sister, aunt, teacher of the Bible, Sunday School Conference Leader, Women's Conference Leader, member of the ministry staff of the Atlanta Metro Baptist Association, founder and leader of Heart & Soul Connection, a non-profit which ministered to pastor's wives, and "Momma Nance" to the young ladies of HopeQuest Addiction Treatment Center. Nancy absolutely loved the Scriptures and taught the Bible as far east as England and Switzerland and as far west as New Mexico, Idaho and Nevada. (The Christian Index; 12.29.24) READMORE>>>>>
==aaron burke======
AARON BURKE: ‘CHRISTIANS DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO PREACH TO PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVEN’T PRAYED FOR FIRST’
Aaron Burke emphasized that Christians don’t have the right to preach to people they haven’t prayed for first. The lead pastor of Radiant Church (Tampa Bay, Florida), Aaron Burke, discussed ways to share one’s faith. According to him, one thing that Christians could do for those who haven’t encountered God was to pray for them. “Prayer is the most powerful way to invite God into a relationship, whether it’s a friend or a coworker or a spouse. If you want to see God change their life, pray for them,” he highlighted.
(Church Learning 4/25/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Aaron Burke emphasized that Christians don’t have the right to preach to people they haven’t prayed for first. The lead pastor of Radiant Church (Tampa Bay, Florida), Aaron Burke, discussed ways to share one’s faith. According to him, one thing that Christians could do for those who haven’t encountered God was to pray for them. “Prayer is the most powerful way to invite God into a relationship, whether it’s a friend or a coworker or a spouse. If you want to see God change their life, pray for them,” he highlighted.
(Church Learning 4/25/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==raymond burke======
Raymond Leo Burke (born June 30, 1948) is an American cardinal prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He serves as the patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a position widely interpreted as a demotion from his previous position as Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, which he held until November 2014. Burke previously served as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri (2003–2008) and as the bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin (1994–2003). He is a prominent canon lawyer and is often perceived as a voice of conservatism in the Roman Catholic Church and American politics.
Aug 16, 2021: Friendly Athiest: Herman Mehta: Anti-Vaxxer Catholic Cardinal Currently on Ventilator After Catching COVID
Mar 27, 2015: Religion News Service: Cardinal Raymond Burke: Gays, remarried Catholics, murderers are all the same
When Pope Francis last year effectively demoted U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke by moving him out of a senior post in the Vatican to a largely ceremonial role as head of a Rome-based Catholic charity, it was viewed as a way to sideline one of the pontiff’s most outspoken critics on the right.
Mar 27, 2015: Religion News Service: Cardinal Raymond Burke: Gays, remarried Catholics, murderers are all the same
When Pope Francis last year effectively demoted U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke by moving him out of a senior post in the Vatican to a largely ceremonial role as head of a Rome-based Catholic charity, it was viewed as a way to sideline one of the pontiff’s most outspoken critics on the right.
