I had the pleasure of meeting Itohan Omolere at a recent conference in Chicago. This young woman’s elegant spoken word artistry and tender heart for the persecuted Church immediately captured both my theological and theatrical heart. As her carefully crafted words unfold stories of Christian endurance from Mosul to North Korea and places beyond, she transitions between locations with a haunting […]
Persecution – 3 Perspectives on Who’s Who
Charities who work with Christian communities overseas know well that as they work with those under anti-Christian persecution, they will invariably bump up against the issue of doctrinal differences. While it is a long trip from marginalization to martyrdom, doctrinal difference will be an issue that American Christians must likewise consider as we move into cultural marginalization of our own. At an event […]
What Charleston Teaches Us
A church in flames against the backdrop of night is a strong and evocative image. The tension swirling around the recent rash of Southern church fires in the US is understandable, given the history of terrorism against African American churches. The most recent fire at Mt. Zion AME Church in Greeleyville is being investigated by the FBI and the ATF, and […]
A Living Member, Always
The Heidelberg Catechism describes the invisible Church like this:
“One:” Global Anti-Christian Hostility, and the Case for Action
*Editor’s Note: Some links in this article contain graphic content. I’m often asked why I prioritize the global persecuted church when there’s so much need right in our own backyard. I understand the question. Like most, I serve a local community with pressing needs and issues. How should we regard the global persecution of Christians […]
‘Step Out The Boat:’ Following the Urban Disciple Maker
In the wake of the Brown/Garner decisions, it has been revealed that numerous conversations need to take place in American Christian circles regarding culture, race, class, systemic injustice, public policy, Christian responsibility, and so forth. Of course, at the center of each of these themes we place the Gospel and its implications for each. Enter the […]
Jesus, Keep Them Near The Cross
After several clashes this past summer, Christian members of the Guantou church in Wenzhou, a city known as China’s Jerusalem, saw the Chinese government remove the cross from atop their church. Church members were told by their government that if they resisted further, the whole building would be torn down. Activists and academics believe this […]
My People, My People: A Letter to the Church in America
In July 2014, I was invited to the Creating Options Together Conference by John Sather, the National Director of CRU Inner City, to give a presentation on the current condition of the global suffering church. At the conference, I was honored to share the platform with my husband Carl Ellis, Bob GreyEagle, Adam Edgerly, Sunish Abraham, Edrin […]
Identity Satisfaction Through Union with Christ
This is a reprint of an article I wrote that was carried by the Journal of Urban Mission. This article will address (1) how mentors may biblically affirm a disciple’s physical cultural differences within a dominant culture’s message that there is something inherently flawed in his or her design, (2) how theology addresses a body/spirit […]
Motherhood, Untimely Born
A curious command and promise opens Isaiah 54: 1 “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! 2 For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord. “Enlarge the […]
Endurance. 