Category: Theological Reflection

May 27, 2023, was the 12th anniversary of the death of my paternal grandfather, the Rev. Raymond Troutman. He died almost exactly a year after I was ordained, which means I’ve been a minister for 13 years. Both periods of time are hard to believe. Granddad served Moravian churches in North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, and…

Radical is not a word often used to describe Fred Rogers. But his work in children’s television, and especially Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, was ministry ahead of its time. Almost 40 percent of seminary graduates today plan to use their degrees in contexts outside of the local church. Most who serve within the local church will…

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream for our nation. He also had a challenge. On the weekend celebrating his legacy, we tend to focus on the dream and minimize the challenge. The Aug. 28, 1963 “I Have A Dream” speech is one of the most historically significant speeches in American history…