Here are the essentials for this blog. I am a Baptist pastor in Virginia, but a strange one. I love liturgy and the history of the catholic (little “c”) faith. For almost six years, I pastored a church in southern Virginia. I am deeply grateful for that first pastorate. I am currently a pastor at Monument Heights Baptist Church in Richmond (since October 2020).
Before that, I bounced around a few seminaries. I love the biblical languages so much that I spent time, money, and sweat earning an MA in biblical languages from SEBTS. I think they are absolutely critical for pastors. I am approaching the dissertation phase for a PhD in New Testament (also at SEBTS).
I count myself in the tradition of the reformation. You might pick up on that if you read some of the stuff I’ve written. In college I was influenced by the Neo-Calvinist movement. I was an angry Calvinist. Everyone else was stupid. I’m recovering. I love to read and try to do so broadly. I’m most likely to quote C. S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, or John Calvin. But I do have a Luther quote tattooed on my forearm (shhh…don’t tell anyone).
As a pastor, I am absolutely, unashamedly, incontrovertibly, rabidly, committed to the classic model of the pastor-theologian. I am not a CEO nor am I a chaplain (no offense to either party). My primary task is to teach the Bible. I conceive of the pastorate as a theologian-in-residence. I absolutely love the fact that I get paid to teach the Bible. It’s the best job in the world. This blog is an outlet for my vocation as a pastor-theologian.
Additionally, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about church revitalization. I’m hardly an expert, but I’ve got a lot of ideas. I long to see robust churches that are filled with people who have been captured by the gospel, who are committed to God’s Word and sound doctrine, and who have partnered together in community for accountability and encouragement.
I started this website to keep everything in one place. The views expressed on this website do not necessarily reflect the views of Monument Heights Baptist Church.
