Pastor Privileged: Anti-intellectualism, Slowness, and some SAD news

Here's three things that happened in March 2026

This is Pastor Privileged Monthly, where you get an insider’s end-of-the-month view of what it takes practically and theologically to be a pastor theologian.

In March 2026:

1. Taking a break from anti-intellectualism

2. Slow Preaching

3. And some big (and sad) news about Evangel (so make sure you read to the end)

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First: The Society for Pentecostal Studies

Last month I wrote about the Center for Pastor Theologians Conference being the best gathering you’ve never been to. The other conference that you should most definitely attend is the Society for Pentecostal Studies. It’s the place where all the best thinkers in the Charismatic tradition get to take a break from the anti-intellectual ecclesial traditions to joyfully exercise the gifts of wisdom and knowledge given them by the Holy Spirit.

Matt Van Winkle and I road tripped it from Iowa through Springfield, MO (to hear Chris EW Green give lectures on beauty and Christianity), and continued on to Waco, TX where the conference was held. Road trips are for 90s music 👇👇👇

I was super excited this year to be on two panels. The first was a panel on my book, Resurrecting Worship: A Pentecostal Liturgy for Slow Burn Revival.

Click the image to buy it

Chris Green, Brenton Fessler, Sam Scalf, and—most importantly—my pastor, Abby Anderson reviewed my work and spoke of its import for the local church. I’m glad to say the reviews were positive 😅

The second panel was for another book I contributed to: I Was A Stranger and You Took Me In: Pentecostal Responses to the Refugee Crisis. It was edited by my friend, Lois Olena, and has a moving introduction by (the Assemblies of God scholar Craig Keener’s wife) Médine Keener, who is from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Click the image to buy

For my part, I talked about how slogans like “Jesus was a refugee!” don’t really get us anywhere. We need to be Christians who, for example, know about the legacy of Oscar Romero and who enjoy the foods of other cultures. But we haven’t really done what Christ asks of us until we utter blessings over the owners of the local pupuseria when we stop in for lunch.

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Second: Slow Preaching for Voice of Christ at Harvest Land

I mentioned in my previous post on Pastoral Theology that I got to once again preach at Pastor Armel Fandohan’s bilingual, African-majority church in Iowa City.

One of the challenges of speaking in a bilingual church is that one must learn to pause in rhythm with one’s translator who relays in another language what you said for the congregation. I’d utter one phrase in English, and my translator would follow, repeating my words in French. Like a dance, preacher and translator must learn the other’s cadence. It’s a challenge and joy to feed off of one another to maintain the dynamism of the communicative act.

That, and it really gives new meaning to being one in Christ.

Photo by Voice of Christ, Harvest Land Iowa City

It’s also is a lesson in how one should preach even without a translator. Preachers often preach too quickly, and human ears—especially those who are hearing a spiritual lesson for the first time—can’t keep up. It’s easy to forget how much slower the ear is than the eye. The preacher has his notes, the congregation doesn’t. The truth is no one will ever complain about a preacher slowing down an idea and carefully annunciating each word (especially for the elderly and those with learning disabilities).

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Finally: Some Sad (and Big) News

About a month ago, Evangel University informed me that I am no longer a part of their plans for the future. This came as a shock to me, and was most unwelcome news. I’d planned on being at Evangel for the long haul, having been convinced of the mission and values of the institution.

Earlier this year, Evangel held a chapel where the Board of Trustees distributed these towels to commemorate the sacred calling of being part of the University. I wasn’t able to attend since I live in Iowa, so a colleague saved one for me. I received the towel the day before I was told my time at Evangel was over.

I haven’t been told why I was cut, except that there’s a “re-architechting” (sic, President Mike Rakes’s word) of the university underway and that they’re “fully embedding online delivery into the academic enterprise to expand access and engagement” (again, Rakes’s words).¹

I’m deeply saddened by the news, not only because of my affection for my students and colleagues, but also because, having been caught off guard by the decision, I don’t know what’s next. The timing of my release has meant that I’ve already missed deadlines for the many jobs I would have been qualified for at other institutions beginning this fall.

I did my PhD in Luke-Acts for the love of Pentecostalism and the Assemblies of God. I’ve given all I have, and am not going to stop giving what I can to the Jesus’s church.

Pray for me 🙏

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I’m indeed saddened by my departure, but I’m also extremely proud of what I accomplished as the Director of Theology and Global Church Ministries in the College of Online Learning:

• I created the most affordable and accessible accredited credentialing/ordination pathway in the Assemblies of God, starting a new pipeline of pastors for the Fellowship.

• I launched the first-ever accredited undergraduate theology program taught entirely in Spanish.

• I introduced biblical languages in an online format to prepare the next generation of Pentecostal scholars.

• I brought in 120 students in just the last 18 months.

It’s not so much a pastoral lesson as a life one, but I’ll say it anyway: Measurable success doesn’t always lead to recognition or promotion. Sometimes it leads to termination. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but that’s life. And through it all God is good, faithful, and true.

Jesus is holding my hand to lead me forward.

I promise that he’ll take yours too if you just open your palm 🫴

1. Your guess as to what this jumble of words means is as good as mine.