I restarted this blog in December 2014. Before that, I had several other blogs, such as Bruce Droppings (my all-time favorite), NW Ohio Skeptic, Restless Wanderings, Hungarian Luddite, and Fallen From Grace. I first started blogging in 2007. Because I was an Evangelical-pastor-turned-atheist who used his real name to write, my blogs attracted much attention from the get-go. In 2007, I was still a Christian — barely. I operated blogs such as Rethinking Church Life to flesh out my increasingly post-modern, emerging/emergent views.
Initially, I attracted a lot of Independent Fundamentalist Baptists (IFB) and Evangelicals who were anti-emergent church. As I blogged through the evolution of my beliefs and eventual deconversion, the comments and emails I received increased in volume and hostility — so much so that I would stop blogging. I thought then that if I just told my story and honestly and openly shared my beliefs, that people would, at the very least, understand and treat me as Christ commanded them to do in the gospels and Paul did in the Epistles. Boy, was I naive. Nasty, hateful comments and emails wore me down after a time, so I stopped blogging and deleted all of my writing. With the help of my therapist, I would eventually get back on the proverbial horse and start riding again.
Time and therapy helped me learn how to deal with unChristian Christians, so in December 2014, I decided to restart blogging. One last time, I told myself, and if I can’t make it work, I will give up. Here we are ten years later, I am still writing — 5,203 posts. Have I wanted to quit, at times? You bet. The reasons are mainly health-related these days, but I will have moments when I think I am done or that I don’t have anything more meaningful to say. When such low moments come, instead of quitting, I stop, taking time off to mentally regroup. And then I start writing again. I can’t promise that my health will not one day win this titanic struggle, but for now, I have enough strength and energy to keep pecking away on my laptop keyboard. I no longer make promises, but I will say that I hope to keep writing as long as physically possible.
Blog traffic numbers somewhat leveled off in 2023, but this site did, once again, surpass 1,000,000 page views. And for that I am grateful. 212,000 people came to this site for the first time in 2023 via Google, making up 95% of the searches. Social media plays a small part traffic-wise. 14,000 people came to this site via Facebook, 12,000 from Twitter, 3,200 from Reddit, and 2,500 from WordPress. Somewhat surprisingly, YouTube only generated 400 clicks. The most-read post on this site is the same as last year: The Scandalous Life of Jack Hyles and Why it Still Matters.
Over 45,000 comments have been left since 2014. I appreciate everyone who comments, even those who disagree with me. I am especially grateful for those of you who are frequent commenters. I find your comments encouraging, and they add measurably to the life of this blog.
Currently, only a handful of people are banned from commenting on this site. Dr. David Tee, whose real name is Derrick Thomas Thiessen, is NOT banned from commenting, despite him saying otherwise. In 2023, I lost several commenters due to my trans-friendly posts. A handful of other readers exited stage right over my liberal political and social views. I learned long ago that I can’t please everyone. All I know to do is to be open, honest, and transparent in my writing. If that offends people, there’s not much I can do about it. I am who I am. 🙂
Currently, I am spending $125 a month to host this blog through Flywheel — a managed WordPress company — and pay for the various software and plugins I use on the site. Thanks to loyal readers who make monthly donations through Patreon or contributions through PayPal, site costs are covered with a little bit of money left over. With the leftover money, I was able to buy a brand-new Lear Jet! 🙂 Thank you for your continued financial support.
I still hope to complete my book and get my podcast up and running soon. Of course, I hoped in 2023 that the Cincinnati Bengals would make it to the playoffs. Sadly, life (and torn tendons in your team’s quarterback’s wrist) gets in the way of hope. No promises outside of “I will do what I can, Loki-willing.”
Have a blessed year.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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Yes some folks’ rigidity is surprising. I tried talking and writing sensibly about religion and learned some people can’t and won’t change their minds and feel attacked by mere suggestions their faith is flawed. It occurred to me blogging may have had much to do with your development into an atheist. Writing about Christianity and religion in general cleared my head about what made sense. Religion and critical thinking just aren’t compatible.
Lear jet? I have flown in a Lear Jet (not my own) a few times many years back. How long ago and why are not important. But, if you are looking for flying companions….🙂😇😇
I enjoy your writing and insigh so I am glad you made it this long. It is really impressive that you are on year ten. I hope your health lets you keep going. In fact, I need you to keep writing no matter what. Yeah, I know, I’m selfish. I have been called a lot worse so selfish might be an improvement, so whatever. 😁
I was trying to think how long I have been causing trouble here..hmm. Maybe 4 years? That just shows how interesting your writing can be.
I remember the first time I stumbled on your blog. I was searching on Ken Ham, and I think it was The Way Forward blog, but it might have been the one before. “Whoa! I thought, who is this old guy talking about Ken Ham?!… He’s got a good head on his shoulders” I didn’t really follow blogs at the time (and I don’t know except this one) so I didn’t stick around, but found it again later.
Congratulations on 10 years of blogging! I look forward to your writing, and I hope you can continue for many more years. 🤞🍀
Congratulations, Bruce! Like the commenters before me, I hope you continue. You say so much that needs to be said.
I don’t comment on all of your “Black Collar” series but I read them. Speaking of which: If I recall correctly, I first started reading this blog around the time the “Me Too” movement. I stumbled across the blog when I was searching for something else—I forget what, exactly. But it’s one of the things that motivated to start telling my own story of leaving faith (Roman Catholicism and Evangelicalism) and of childhood sexual abuse by a priest. I talked about the latter in my first few guest posts.
Bruce, I and many other people are grateful for your blog—and that you’re here. Even if we don’t have stories of deconversion—or, at least ones like yours—we know we’re not alone. Perhaps most important of all—as attested by your readers who still believe—you show that it’s never too late to change. If a 50 year old man who spent all of his life to that point in church, and half of it as a pastor. surely the rest of us don’t have to remain in whatever closets we’ve spent our lives.
Many congratulations on ten years!
Congratulations, Bruce, on your 10 years! I found you via the Clergy Project. I think it was 2016 or 2017, but I am not sure. I was a couple of years into active deconstruction, searching for information on atheism, history of evangelicalism specifically and Christianity generally, reading books and internet posts. There wasn’t a lot then, but there was enough to find that I wasn’t alone. ExChristian.net and Patheos Nonreligious Channel opened me to people’s stories, and it helped tremendously to know I wasn’t alone in doubting and leaving Christianity. (I had left Christianity in 2007 or 8 but had no resources and thought I was alone). Anyway, the only blog I ended up really liking and following from members of the Clergy Project is yours, Bruce. While I was raised Southern Baptist, I attended a fundamentalist Christian school that was founded by Bob Jones University trained folks, and the school hired mostly IFB faculty and staff. The school advertised itself as nondenominational Christian in order to draw students, but in Bible Conference or chapel preachers sometimes dropped “independent Baptist” or “fundamentalist” labels. There were a handful of churches in the area called “independent Baptist” – they generally dropped the “fundamentalist” from the label. Anyway, reading Bruce’s blog felt familiar, lots of OMG moments that brought back my sometimes depressing and oppressed childhood, and Bruce’s posts have allowed me to work through some of my issues while also providing education on the IFB movement itself.
Bruce, you’re doing a good thing here by providing this forum for us to learn and interact. You’re pulling the mask off evangelical fundamentalism. Now I see documentaries and articles bringing light to the destructive and abusive nature of the movement, but you were doing this WAY before others have finally noticed.
I will continue reading this blog as long as we’re both around.❤️ Thank you!!!!
Bruce thank you for providing this space. While I chose a very different brand of Christianity than I grew up with, reading yours and everyone’s childhood experience with fundamentalist Protestantism has helped me work through the complicated memories, both good and not so good. Thanks also for letting me post and comment even though I’m a practicing Catholic. Reading and posting have helped me cultivate a better attitude towards people in general.
Happy Tenthiversary, Bruce. While I’m not, nor have ever been, a Christian of any stripe, I’ve been enjoying your blog and your unflagging support of Cincinnati sports teams for a number of years now. I feel that it’s incumbant on folks like me to understand where our evangelical neighbors are coming from, and to steer them (when possible) to folks like you who have come out the other side of a radically unhealthy relationship with religion. Next year, the playoffs!
Great to see you still writing Bruce. Being aware of the health problems you have I am even more amazed, but delighted, that you are able to keep going!
Congratulations, Bruce, not only for ten+ years blogging but for having one of the very best blogs out there. It’s my first stop every morning.
Congratulations on ten years of blogging, Bruce! I’m a regular reader and enjoy the commenters’ reactions too. That you’ve been able to keep it going despite your considerable health challenges is very inspiring. I’ve learned so much and appreciate what you do.
Congrats Bruce. Where did the time go? 🙂
Congratulations on 10 years! I really did LOL at the Lear jet comment. 🙂
Happy somewhat belated 10th Anniversary, Bruce! I have no real idea how long I’ve been reading and commenting on your blog. but I’m delighted that you’re here. I appreciate your insights, into both your previous religion, and your present absence of belief. Wishing you better health and the stamina to keep writing.