Reverend William E. Flippin, Jr.

On May 14-17, I had the fortunate opportunity to have traveled to the Dominican Republic with Children International and a group of committed advocates for the poor. This non-profit organization, which serves mostly Latin America, Asia (the Philippines), Africa and India, helps to provide impoverished children with meaningful benefits and...

Latin America has a large number of children who live and work on the streets, and this case is no different in the Dominican Republic. As I am scheduled to travel to this country, I ponder on how a society can live by street food alone. Considering that a large...

Learn Your ABCs. Dwight L. Moody, in his Edinburgh crusade, spoke to a large congregation of very young boys and girls. Moody began his sermon with a question: "What is prayer?"

He wasn't expecting an answer, but the words were no sooner out of his mouth than hands raised...

Some criminals today are doing more than sitting sullenly in a cellblock. They're accepting the challenge to repent, make restitution, restore relationships and change their ways. Are we ready to shift our focus from revenge to reconciliation?

I have just read the draft that outlines the Evangelical Lutheran Church in...

Being raised in the Baptist church, I was amazed at how pulpit committees endeavored to call a pastor. Most churches that are autonomous by polity rely heavily on the homiletically and charismatic gifts of the preacher to draw crowds than as other denominations who rely more on proven pastoral experience...

A recent book written by Orthodox Jewish rabbi, Shmuley Boteach called "Kosher Jesus" has been described by The Los Angeles Times as having a "deeply unorthodox streak." The book focuses on the Christian savior's Jewishness, portraying him as a hero who stood up to Roman rule of Palestine and paid...

The above statement has been used by many faiths in describing their position on homosexuality, yet affirming unconditional love for all.

The recent suicide of Tyler Clementi, a gifted teen with untapped potential, displays in center stage the close mindedness and harm caused by religious teachings' bias and intimidation...

The Gospel lesson last Sunday comes from John, Chapter 3 -- the ultimate passage from the Bible on the need to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Here Jesus tells Nicodemus, a religious leader and member of the Jewish ruling council (John 3:1), that he needs to...

As found in the Roman Catholic Church, Southern Baptist Convention, and many other denominations women are still treated as second-class citizens. There are churches in America and abroad in which women aren't allowed to speak out loud unless they get permission from a man first. There are several churches in...

On this Third Sunday of Lent, we are in the midst of one of my favorite narratives in all of scripture coming from John 2:13-22. Like a no-nonsense consultant or maverick CEO, Jesus comes to work to provide a wake-up call. The mighty are about to fall.

John has...

Pope Benedict XVI brought new Catholic churchmen, including New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, into the elite club of cardinals who will elect his successor in a ceremony that took into account evidence the 84-year-old is slowing down. In all, 22 churchmen got their red hats Saturday, including the archbishops of...

About a month ago there was a meeting held in Orlando, Florida that developed a "new Reformed body" created by the Fellowship of Presbyterians that will be called the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians.

The majority of those who make up this group claim that they are in "a period...

With ash and soot we begin this Lenten season with confession and a reflection from the following poem:

"If the lost world is lost,
If the unheard, unspoken
Word is unspoken, unheard;
Still is the unspoken word, the Word unheard,
The word without a word,...

In professional football, one "old school" device still settles arguments about the location of the ball.

This is the time of the year of preaching, that I usually am more cognizant of the time in the delivery of my homily. Chances are that as we preach the next couple of...

This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of Absalom Jones, the first African-American priest in what is presently, the Episcopal Church, U.S.A. This day of devotion is annually set aside in February by the Episcopal Church, to commemorate this pioneer of religion, social action and transformation. I have always admired him...

Some of my most fondest memories of formation is going to work with my father, Dr. William E. Flippin, Sr., who served for 15 years as the Associate Director for Black Church Relations for the Georgia Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). I witnessed first hand, the commitment of the Southern...

You might have much of the world's riches, and you might hold a portion of authority, but if you have no ubuntu, you do not amount to much. -- Archbishop Desmond Tutu

The philosophy of Ubuntu derives from a Nguni word, ubuntu meaning "the quality of being human." Ubuntu manifests...

I have always liked Tim Tebow from his college days at Florida even as a passionate Georgia Bulldogs fan. Even while playing college at Florida, I discerned that Tebow was different. He writes Scriptures under his eyes. He quotes Proverbs in pregame pep talks. He thanks God at every opportunity....

As a staunch supporter of Barack Obama and an ELCA pastor, I wonder with the height of the elections about to surface would Martin Luther vote for this man who I believe is a champion for those who are struggling to recover from the recession. He has recently unveiled his...

I am a proud ordained Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Growing up in the National Baptist Church, it has been rather difficult in shifting from more spontaneous worship to more planned and rehearsed type of expressions. As a child, I would be alarmed when one was asked...