Monthly Archives: May 2026

Mother’s Day

Posted on by

by Mike James

One of the many criticisms “the world” has about Christianity is that it keeps women down or does not allow women to reach their full potential. Some of the reasons for this may be due to the fact some Christians and Christian groups emphasize male leadership. The Bible mentions the lead role of a man in marriage. God is referred to as “the Father,” and I could go on with other examples.

Despite all this, the Bible makes it clear that God’s image is made up of both male and female (Genesis 1:27). Let’s not forget this physical life is not what it is all about. God has primary roles for both men and women in this world. But that does not diminish women or make them less than men. Galatians 3:28 makes it clear that in the coming Kingdom, there is neither male nor female. In other words, the physical limitations we live in will be overcome in the spiritual kingdom we are preparing for.

Continue reading →

Empty the Pews

Posted on by

by Mike James

I recently read a book titled Empty the Pews, which contains twenty-one essays by people who left hardline, authoritarian Christian groups. As the numbers for Church of God and other Christian groups continue to decline, I think it is important to see if we can find anything in these stories that may help us keep our young people. According to one estimate, 40 percent of people under 30 in the United States are religiously unaffiliated.

The editors of the book, Chrissy Stroop and Lauren O’Neal, cite a number of reasons as to why many young people are leaving right-wing Christianity: shame, repression, hypocrisy, and that many of the church’s teachings didn’t make sense. Let’s take a closer look at some details in the essays of this book and see what we can learn about not turning away our young people.

Continue reading →