introductions

i started this blog a while ago and then have just been letting it sit. end of the year stuff kept me from having a lot of time to write, but now that summer is here and i am finding a more normal schedule, i thought i would begin this blog in earnest.

so to begin i thought i would share a bit about myself to give you an idea of the person who is writing these thoughts and sharing these ideas. i am 26 and i just finished my first year of seminary. i am attending union theological seminary in manhattan and working towards a master of divinity degree. i am unaffiliated with any denomination presently (more on that later) but i grew up grace brethren and then worked at an american baptist church for a while as a youth pastor after i finished my undergraduate degree. my undergrad degree is from grace college in winona lake, indiana and it's a dual degree in youth ministry and communications.

i am now living in new jersey with my wonderful wife. we've been married for a little less than a year. she is amazing and will change the world someday. i am proud to stand by her side.

yes, i am queer. i am also transgendered (maybe we'll talk more about that later, we'll see). these things definitely influence the way i do theology and how i see church. i'm not interested in debating how one can be both queer and a christian. if that is the debate you would like to have, please do not have it here. it's not that i can't defend myself, it's just that i am tired of having to and will no longer take the time to do it.

so why did i choose the name "anarchist reverend"? this is something that will be answered in time, but for now i will throw this out there: i think a lot of the way we "do church" in the united states is less about furthering the kingdom of God and more about bueracracy and rules. i will be talking a lot about all of those things on this blog in the coming days and months.

so welcome aboard. glad to have you along for the ride. i am interested in discussion and dialogue and forming community in this little corner of the web. keep it respectful and keep it nice and we'll all get along fine.