1. What do you believe?

Apostles Creed. Nicene Creed. New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith.

2. What denomination are you?

I’m a Baptist. My church is associated with the Southern Baptist Convention and the Kentucky Baptist Convention.

3. What does “post-evangelical” mean?

I believe the way forward for evangelicalism is the way back to the roots of the broader, deeper, more ancient, more ecumenical church, not forward into more of what evangelicals have been doing the last 50 years.

4. What is a Reformation Christian?

I believe the reformation was a tragic necessity and I embrace all the solas of the reformation.

5. What is a Jesus shaped Christianity?

A Christianity that Jesus would recognize as being like him, about him and formed around him, not religion.

6. Are you becoming a Catholic?

No. I appreciate other Christian traditions besides my own and I see the value in them. I also know why I am a Protestant, an evangelical and a Baptist.

My Catholic friends have evangelized me for two years, but I’m a solidly reformation Christian. Luther’s Gospel is mostly my Gospel.

7. Do you hate evangelicals?

No. Being realistically critical isn’t hatred. I am critical and honest about the issues in my tradition that are problems.

8. Do you hate megachurches?

No. I believe making the megachurch the single model of church growth and success was a big mistake. I know there are many good megachurches.

9. What is The Coming Evangelical Collapse?

Three posts I wrote in January of ‘09 that became a single op-ed piece in the Christian Science Monitor in March of 09. The CSM piece was picked up by Drudge and got attention all over the world. It was my 15 minutes. (See the category CEC on the sidebar for these links.)

10. What is the commenting policy at IM?

Comments are welcome. Sometimes comments are held in moderation, but not most of the time.

I moderate assertively. I delete comments that are irrelevant, too long, off topic, selling things, pimping blogs and especially those that reject the Christian profession of other posters.

A primary commenting rule is to not engage in attempts to convert other Christians to your tradition or away from their own.

If I announce a policy in a particular thread, I will moderate assertively according to that policy.

Comments that denigrate the discussion itself or participants in the discussion will not be posted.

You do not need to be obnoxious, mean or profane to be placed on moderation or banned. If your comments consistently are obstructive to the conversation, I will moderate accordingly.

I have no problem banning commenters that offer no positive contribution to the discussion. I have a large audience and I moderate so they can have a civil discussion. I do not have any commitment to absolute free speech on my blog. I have worked hard for the success I have in this medium, and I do not share it or allow others to denigrate or manipulate it. You may participate, but I do not sponsor wars, slander, threats or pointless arguments.

I’m not a perfect moderator, so if you want to accuse me of being hypocritical or inconsistent, I already agree with you and it doesn’t matter. You won’t win the comment war.

11. Where do you work?

At a Christian ministry for students in Southeastern Kentucky.

12. Why is there a rosary ad on the page?

Because my Catholic friend Alan is trying to make some income on the side and I’m supporting him. He’s been gracious to me and I support my friends.

A rosary, by the way, is a prayer that many Catholics pray. Protestants, orthodox and many other Christians don’t pray the rosary, but use prayer beads to pray scripture and classic prayers from their traditions. I like them because of the cross.

13. Are you a pastor?

I’m an ordained minister. I serve a local Presbyterian Church as supply pastor. I work with students in the classroom and preach in a school chapel. On Sundays I lead worship with the students I teach. I preach about 12x a month. When I can, I attend a Baptist church where I am a member. One Sunday a month, I visit a church off campus. Often it’s St. Patrick’s Anglican Church in Lexington, Ky.

14. Did you go to seminary?

I graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1984. I returned for post-graduate work in 1987.

15. Are you a full time blogger?

LOL. That’s a good one.

16. Why are there ads on your site?

Because 700,000 people will visit IM this year, and I’m not an idiot.

17. What do you use to make the podcast?

Garageband, Podsafe music, Wiretap Studio, Blue Snowball Mic or Belkin mic on my ipod Touch.

18. Critics say no one can tell you you’re wrong.

I’ll be sure and pass that along to several thousand IM commenters and emailers from the past 8 years who’ve told me I’m wrong and worse.

19. Critics say you don’t have a pastor.

I have a pastor I talk to every single day. I also have two administrative superiors, both of whom have no problem telling me to straighten up or lose my job. I’m accountable to a board of elected trustees, and the four members of my accountability group.

20. Did you write a book?

I have a book coming out in fall of ‘10. No name yet, but “Southern Cooking” seems good.

21. Do you get paid to write book reviews?

No. Sometimes I get the book free, but frequently not. About 60/40 not.