T-2 PEOPLE-FILES
- Jemar Tisby - Jim Tomberlin - Brian Tome - Rob Toonstra - Charles Toy -
==jemar tisby======
Jemar Tisby is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Color of
Compromise: The Truth about the Church's Complicity in Racism, and How to Fight Racism. His latest book is How to Fight Racism: Young Reader's Edition. Jemar has been a co-host of the "Pass the Mic" podcast since its inception seven years ago. His writing has been featured in the Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the New York Times among others. He is a frequent commentator on outlets such as NPR and CNN's New Day program. He speaks nationwide on the topics of racial justice, U.S. history and Christianity. Jemar earned his PhD in history and he studies race, religion, and social movements in the 20th century.
Compromise: The Truth about the Church's Complicity in Racism, and How to Fight Racism. His latest book is How to Fight Racism: Young Reader's Edition. Jemar has been a co-host of the "Pass the Mic" podcast since its inception seven years ago. His writing has been featured in the Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the New York Times among others. He is a frequent commentator on outlets such as NPR and CNN's New Day program. He speaks nationwide on the topics of racial justice, U.S. history and Christianity. Jemar earned his PhD in history and he studies race, religion, and social movements in the 20th century.
Trump's use of Bible shows he's a fake Christian and a fraudJason Cornwall, a pastor from South Carolina said that Trump’s Bible endorsement was a violation of one of the Ten Commandments of the Hebrew Testament that forbids taking God’s name in vain. Historian and author Jamarcus Tisby says the project echoes the values of Christian nationalism — the idea that America was founded as a Christian nation and the government should work to sanction Christianity on a national scale.The tenets of Christian nationalism are historically tied to prejudice, nativism and white supremacy. “There’s a very long tradition of what is included and what is not included in the Bible,“ Tisby said.
(Hagerstown Herald 5/16/24)READ MORE>>>>>
(Hagerstown Herald 5/16/24)READ MORE>>>>>
“This is cotton country — the land of slavery and sharecropping,” said Tisby. “You can see it in the landscape, you can see it in the generational poverty.” --Jemar Tisby
How evangelical Christian writer Jemar Tisby became a radioactive symbol of ‘wokeness’
Over the past decade, Jemar Tisby’s life has largely been shaped by two forces: the Bible, and the deaths of young Black men, often at the hands of law enforcement. About a decade ago, Tisby, then a seminary student in Jackson, Mississippi, helped start a new group called the Reformed African American Network — an offshoot of the “Young, Restless, and Reformed” movement that had spread like wildfire among evangelical Christians in the first decade of the 21st century. (Bob Smietana/Religion News 5/30/23)
Read More>>>>>
Over the past decade, Jemar Tisby’s life has largely been shaped by two forces: the Bible, and the deaths of young Black men, often at the hands of law enforcement. About a decade ago, Tisby, then a seminary student in Jackson, Mississippi, helped start a new group called the Reformed African American Network — an offshoot of the “Young, Restless, and Reformed” movement that had spread like wildfire among evangelical Christians in the first decade of the 21st century. (Bob Smietana/Religion News 5/30/23)
Read More>>>>>
Jemar Tisby
“This is cotton country — the land of slavery and sharecropping. You can see it in the landscape, you can see it in the generational poverty.....The thing that struck me was that there are churches on every corner. Not only were they racially divided, it also didn’t seem like they were having much impact in the community. That’s where I started thinking about the relationship between faith and justice.”
--Jemar Tisby on coming to Arkansas; Roys Report; 5.30.23
--Jemar Tisby on coming to Arkansas; Roys Report; 5.30.23
==Jim Tomberlin======
July 14, 2023: NPR: Megachurches are getting even bigger as churches close across the country
Typically, the mergers are with a church in decline or a pastor ready to retire, according to Jim Tomberlin, a member of The Unstuck Group, a consulting organization that offers a service to support church mergers. It's a case of "you need a building, we need a pastor," he says.
Tomberlin sees it as a win-win. The larger church grows its membership. The smaller congregation gets "a great communicator," in the form of a dynamic pastor, but also a local pastor "who's not consumed or distracted by preparing sermons 10 or 20 hours a week, every week," he says. "That gives them time to serve that congregation."
Typically, the mergers are with a church in decline or a pastor ready to retire, according to Jim Tomberlin, a member of The Unstuck Group, a consulting organization that offers a service to support church mergers. It's a case of "you need a building, we need a pastor," he says.
Tomberlin sees it as a win-win. The larger church grows its membership. The smaller congregation gets "a great communicator," in the form of a dynamic pastor, but also a local pastor "who's not consumed or distracted by preparing sermons 10 or 20 hours a week, every week," he says. "That gives them time to serve that congregation."
==brian tome======
Jan 5, 2023: New York Times: Prayers for Damar Hamlin Show Bond Between Football and Faith
Brian Tome, a former high-school football player and a Bengals fan, watched the game at home Monday night. What struck him, he said, was how television commentators struggled for words as they pivoted from covering a late-season game to the outpouring of fear and sadness around an emergency medical event. “America got to see people be empathetic,” said Mr. Tome, the pastor of Crossroads Church, with locations in Cincinnati and elsewhere. “These moments of crisis are bringing something out in us that’s really positive.”
About a mile from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where Mr. Hamlin remained sedated and in critical condition, Mr. Tome hosted a community prayer service at his church for Mr. Hamlin on Tuesday.
“We can’t participate in the medical process,” he told the assembled crowd of about 100, with hundreds more streaming the service online. “But we can participate in prayer.”
Brian Tome, a former high-school football player and a Bengals fan, watched the game at home Monday night. What struck him, he said, was how television commentators struggled for words as they pivoted from covering a late-season game to the outpouring of fear and sadness around an emergency medical event. “America got to see people be empathetic,” said Mr. Tome, the pastor of Crossroads Church, with locations in Cincinnati and elsewhere. “These moments of crisis are bringing something out in us that’s really positive.”
About a mile from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where Mr. Hamlin remained sedated and in critical condition, Mr. Tome hosted a community prayer service at his church for Mr. Hamlin on Tuesday.
“We can’t participate in the medical process,” he told the assembled crowd of about 100, with hundreds more streaming the service online. “But we can participate in prayer.”
==Rob Toornstra======
Ron Toonstra
Understanding God’s purpose for us in sex helps us both to set proper boundaries and to embrace what God permits. At creation, God's designs his image-bearers as embodied and sexual beings, and he creates marriage as the context for sexual expression. God establishes marriage as a covenant relationship that both unites as one flesh and forsakes all others (Genesis 1). Furthermore, Paul writes in Ephesians 5:32 that the relationship between husband and wife mirrors that of Christ and the church--marriage reflects the glory of Christ’s covenant-love for his bride. Marital sex, then, is a way we may glorify Christ by experiencing the joy of covenant intimacy. The pleasure of sex points us to the ultimate reality of our relationship with Jesus.
The Old Testament book Song of Songs gives fuller expression to what this looks like. This lengthy and sexually graphic poem describes what sex can be between husband and wife when it points to Christ. Because some of the metaphors are admittedly strange, the message can be missed (I’m pretty sure I’ve never told my wife that her nose looks like the Tower of Lebanon). But with careful reading, the sensuality of this book begins to emerge. In the pages of this book, we find the woman admiring her husband’s erection (5:14), and her husband delighting in his wife as she becomes sexually aroused (7:2). It is clear that God’s intention for sex is our sensual enjoyment of one another. The two lovers enjoy one another with all their senses, and they embrace the delight of sexual pleasure – including (quite likely) oral sex (2:3-6).
This means at least that God intends sex to be sensual, playful, and exciting. Sex isn’t just for procreation or physical release – it’s a way that we enjoy the bodies that God created. And that can allow us the freedom to explore a variety of sexual activity. However, other factors must be considered.............Some sexual activities may not be explicitly forbidden in the bible, but are nonetheless unwise. Any sexual activity that puts you or your spouse at risk of injury or illness would be unwise. Anal sex, for example, exposes a person to significant risk – risk of infection and risk of damaging tissue. Sending explicit pictures of one another carries the risk of the images falling into the wrong hands. As we consider what is and is not acceptable in our marriage bed, we must weigh the wisdom of what we wish to try – even if it is not explicitly forbidden by God.
--Rob Toonstra; Family Fire; Is this Allowed? Guidelines for Christian Sex 1.1.16
The Old Testament book Song of Songs gives fuller expression to what this looks like. This lengthy and sexually graphic poem describes what sex can be between husband and wife when it points to Christ. Because some of the metaphors are admittedly strange, the message can be missed (I’m pretty sure I’ve never told my wife that her nose looks like the Tower of Lebanon). But with careful reading, the sensuality of this book begins to emerge. In the pages of this book, we find the woman admiring her husband’s erection (5:14), and her husband delighting in his wife as she becomes sexually aroused (7:2). It is clear that God’s intention for sex is our sensual enjoyment of one another. The two lovers enjoy one another with all their senses, and they embrace the delight of sexual pleasure – including (quite likely) oral sex (2:3-6).
This means at least that God intends sex to be sensual, playful, and exciting. Sex isn’t just for procreation or physical release – it’s a way that we enjoy the bodies that God created. And that can allow us the freedom to explore a variety of sexual activity. However, other factors must be considered.............Some sexual activities may not be explicitly forbidden in the bible, but are nonetheless unwise. Any sexual activity that puts you or your spouse at risk of injury or illness would be unwise. Anal sex, for example, exposes a person to significant risk – risk of infection and risk of damaging tissue. Sending explicit pictures of one another carries the risk of the images falling into the wrong hands. As we consider what is and is not acceptable in our marriage bed, we must weigh the wisdom of what we wish to try – even if it is not explicitly forbidden by God.
--Rob Toonstra; Family Fire; Is this Allowed? Guidelines for Christian Sex 1.1.16
==charles toy======
May 16, 2023:
National and state Christian leaders spoke out against the white supremacist ideology espoused during two recent Christian nationalist rallies in South Florida. Christians Against Christian Nationalism and Faithful America organized a livestreamed event as a counter perspective to the May 11 “Pastors for Trump” reception and the May 12 ReAwaken America Tour rally, both held at the Trump Doral resort in Miami. “We are here today as Christians who are horrified to see the faith we hold dear being used to spread lies, violence and authoritarian theocracy,” said Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and lead organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Tyler was joined at All Angels Episcopal Church in Miami Springs by Nathan Empsall of Faithful America, Russell Meyer of the Florida Council of Churches, Jennifer Butler of Faith in Public Life Action, James Golden of Pastors for Florida Children and Charles Toy of The Christian Left. More at Baptist News Global
National and state Christian leaders spoke out against the white supremacist ideology espoused during two recent Christian nationalist rallies in South Florida. Christians Against Christian Nationalism and Faithful America organized a livestreamed event as a counter perspective to the May 11 “Pastors for Trump” reception and the May 12 ReAwaken America Tour rally, both held at the Trump Doral resort in Miami. “We are here today as Christians who are horrified to see the faith we hold dear being used to spread lies, violence and authoritarian theocracy,” said Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and lead organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Tyler was joined at All Angels Episcopal Church in Miami Springs by Nathan Empsall of Faithful America, Russell Meyer of the Florida Council of Churches, Jennifer Butler of Faith in Public Life Action, James Golden of Pastors for Florida Children and Charles Toy of The Christian Left. More at Baptist News Global