Fundie Refugee @Fundiestan
“Jesus-follower on the refugee trail out of #Fundiestan”
1. Why did you start a Twitter account?
A. I grew up in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church (#Fundiestan). My purpose in creating a Twitter account was to connect with other IFB survivors, raise awareness about the IFB’s abuse and false teaching, and keep up with Christian current events.
2. What has been your favorite Twitter interaction so far?
A. I’ve had really great interactions with @GovPappy, @DarthBaptist, and @OldPathsGhost among others. I also enjoy reading @Lex_Lutheran, @ChortlesWeakly, and @chuck_finney.
3. Who is your favorite theologian, past and/or present?
A. I don’t have a favorite theologian, but I have enjoyed various aspects of Augustine, Luther, Barth, Moltmann, Stott, Hart, and Bird.
4. What is something that people would be surprised to know about you?
A. I am an archaeologist by education and training. Currently, I work for an environmental consulting firm in the cultural resources division.
5. What book(s) are you reading?
A. At the moment, I am reading through Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics Vol. 4.1 and David
Bentley Hart’s The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, and Bliss.
6. What is your pet peeve in church or with Christians?
A. Tribalism. Too often we Christians find ourselves only reading or interacting with those who think exactly like us. We shouldn’t forsake our specific denominational particularities—they are important—but I think it’s necessary to interact with those outside of our denominational/tribal walls. I believe that we can learn a lot from each other’s perspectives, which is one reason why I enjoy Twitter.
7. Why is it important to study Theology?
A. A.W. Tozer opens The Knowledge of the Holy with this startling line, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” I grew up in a faith tradition that preached a very warped view of God because it’s theology was deeply flawed. Our theology directly influences what we think about when we think about God. That is why I believe that it is supremely necessary to study theology, because a proper and orthodox theology engenders a right view of God, and this right view of God positively informs our thoughts and actions towards God, ourselves, and others.
8. After a stressful day, what’s your favorite way of relaxing?
A. For me, cooking while listening to music or a podcast is a great way to unwind after a hard day at work.
9. What’s your favorite Bible verse(s)?
A. I don’t have a specific favorite Bible verse, but I do have a couple of favorite passages: Revelation 12:1-18 and Revelation 21: 1-5.
10. What would you consider the “worst”—Christian book, Christian music, Christian movies?
A. Saving Christmas (2014) starring Kirk Cameron. Need I say more?
11. Is the church relevant? If yes, what would you consider the best way to reach the unchurched?
A. I believe that the church is relevant for our modern culture, and will continue to be relevant in the future even as the church’s political power wanes and the culture becomes more secular. The issue at stake for the church in this period of societal change is how to effectively communicate the Gospel’s relevance to the culture at large. This might look like the church searching for new ways to serve local communities by caring for their physical and spiritual needs and seeking to be more intentional in developing relationships with unchurched individuals by showing them genuine love instead of treating them as evangelistic projects. Going forward, the church needs to view culture as an entity to be redeemed through Christian love and service rather than entity to be fought through politics and legislation.
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