Felt the thud. People started scrambling… Non-denominational churches were coming into their heyday when I graduated from seminary in 1987. U.S. Mainline congregations accustomed to dominating American religion for 2 centuries were badly drifting. We just assumed we were too big to fail. Down south pastor friends were already accustomed to being surrounded and overwhelmed by Baptists, conservative theology and more regressive politics. Out West growth of the un-churched and “Post-Christian” sounded ominous. Up on the Atlantic coast where my career was launched tradition (including stately religion) holds more sway.…
Hartley’s Band
