The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser

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  • Ohio Public School Librarians Concerned Over Book Bans and Funding Cuts

    By Susan Tebben, Used with Permission from Ohio Capital Journal

    Public school librarians in Ohio are raising alarms about book bans and funding cuts.

    School librarians have been navigating challenges in their work as long as they’ve been among the stacks in their local districts.

    Proposed legislation to filter the reading choices students can make has brought concern, and budget reductions make some worry about the future of public school librarians as a mainstay in schools.

    “Right now, a lot of administrators and school boards look at having school librarians as a luxury,” said Gayle Schmuhl, president of the Ohio Educational Library Media Association. “I think a lot of school librarians (in Ohio) are just hoping to stay employed.”

    Schmuhl said many members of the association were wondering about the future of their jobs with cuts to public school funding in Ohio and debate over property taxes that go to education.

    Cuts to state public education has been talked about for decades, especially after multiple Ohio Supreme Court decisions that said the state was not paying its constitutional fair share.

    In 2022, a model called the Fair School Funding Plan came about with bipartisan sponsorship, and was passed in what some saw as a new era for Ohio. The plan was to fund schools based on actual need from school district to school district.

    The model almost made it through the six-year phase-in as planned, but Ohio Republican lawmakers abandoned it in the last operating budget.

    While the most recent state operating budget included a $226 million increase in school funding, the Fair School Funding Plan model needed at least triple that amount to maintain its initial calculations and keep up with inflation.

    Lawmakers, however, increased private school voucher funding into the billions.

    Courtney Johnson was a school librarian in Columbus for 10 years, and seeing funding plans decrease for public schools played a part in her move back to teaching English.

    She worried that though the funding priorities for schools hadn’t been spelled out, the cuts might mean she’d be splitting her time as the librarian in multiple district buildings.

    “I’m a person who likes to have roots in a place and go to my ‘work home’ every day,” Johnson told the Capital Journal.

    Johnson said returning to the classroom also means following an entire class through their year-long experience, and still means helping kids with reading and writing, two things that are among the passions that brought her to the profession.

    “Every kid has a story, even if they don’t trust that they do at first, and I love making space for them to tell their stories,” Johnson said.

    As a librarian, she saw the importance of parents reading to their kids, students receiving the context of other subjects in school for “full background knowledge” to help them decode the words they’re reading, and encouraging the connection between kids and books.

    “We’ve known this, that when kids see themselves represented in books, they feel more connected to the books, they’re going to like reading better,” Johnson said. “Likewise, kids can see how other people live in books, and develop empathy that way.”

    Part of the job of the modern school librarian is discussing material with parents that they may find objectionable enough to demand it be taken off the shelves.

    Sharon Hawkes, a retired librarian who is also part of the group Right to Read Ohio, decided to survey school librarians, with the help of the Ohio Educational Library Media Association’s member list.

    Of those who participated in Hawkes’ study 56% “experienced censorship incidents” between 2021 and 2025.

    While she only received responses from 32 school librarians, about 10% of the total school librarians in the state, she said the experiences were still indicative of a challenge in Ohio.

    “We’re getting some clues about what’s going on,” Hawkes said, noting that because there’s no standard survey system in each state to study censorship in libraries, the count made by organizations like the American Library Association may be less than the actual amount happening across the country.

    The American Library Association reported 98 attempts to censor 355 books in Ohio from 2021 to 2024, and last year, there were seven attempts to censor 129 books, according to the ALA.

    Schmuhl agreed that the study was representative of the experience she’d heard of in the state.

    “I did see that school librarians in our areas were being proactive and trying to have good communication within their school districts (about attempts to ban books),” Schmuhl said.

    In Hawkes’ study, of the 16 censorship requests in Ohio between 2021 and 2024, eleven were “challenges without removals,” while eight resulted in a book ban of some kind, and three involved “relocations of books or other materials.”

    According to the researcher, librarians use “objective criteria” in decisions about what materials are age-appropriate and relevant for the school libraries. Their training qualifies them to decide on the inventory, and to deal with challenges from parents, where the majority of material challenges came from in the study.

    The majority of school librarians who responded to Hawkes’ survey had between 11 and 15 years of experience as the director or manager of their current library, and more than 62% had a Master’s degree in Library Science.

    “More than anything, I wanted people to understand that parents do have the right to guide what their children read and when they read it … they can approach their librarians about it,” Hawkes said. “What they can’t do is ban books for other people’s children.”

    For Johnson, moving back to English doesn’t mean she’ll avoid the topic of censorship.

    “I think I’m going to deal with that in public schools under what we have going on right now, no matter what my position is,” she said.

    The legislature approved one measure to compel public libraries to relocate “inappropriate” materials out of the sight of minors, but Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed it as “not workable.”

    Another bill still in consideration by the legislature would order vendors of online educational resources that go to public libraries and schools to create protections to prevent “inappropriate” content from making it to kids’ eyes.

    Opponents of the materials have said the bill could have unintended consequences, removing materials that are educational as well.

    Johnson’s classroom goals include helping kids maintain reading to “get them ready for this really difficult world that we’re navigating,” and bring the parents in as part of it.

    “We need to work together as parents and school communities to make sure kids are achieving literacy, and we know that having access to books at home, and at school, at their fingertips, is just the beginning of it,” she said.

  • Did Dinosaurs Walk the Earth During Noah’s Time?

    Most Evangelicals are young earth creationists, though an increasing number of them are theistic evolutionists — God is the force, the mover behind evolution. Some Evangelicals are old earth creationists or day-age creationists. This allows them to distance themselves from crazy young earth creationists, even though their beliefs are just as nutty. Regardless of the belief, all of them believe the universe came into existence because “God did it.”

    According to Bishop James Ussher’s seventeenth century chronology, God created the universe in six twenty-hour days, 6,029 years ago. While other chronologies exist, Ussher’s seems to be the one that stuck with Evangelicals. Imprecise Evangelicals will say the universe is 6,000, 7,000, or 10,000 years old, but Ussher usually lurks in the shadows, even if few believers remember his name.

    I was a hardcore young earth creationist for most of my life. In the early 2000s, my beliefs bit by bit moved towards scientific consensus, and by the time I deconverted in 2008, I was no longer a creationist.

    As a young pastor, evolution was a favorite sermon target of mine, even though the only science training I had was general science and biology classes in high school, and a worthless biology class in college. I had no business talking about science in my sermons — much like preachers who pontificate about evolution today. “Evolution” is a buzzword used by Evangelical preachers to call the faithful to duty and commitment. “Them evil commies are coming for our kids with Satanic “evil-ution, ho-mo-sex-u-al-ity, rock and roll, Mary Jane, and premarital sex.” None of the church kids in youth group during the days when I heard such sermons became communists as adults. That other stuff? Most of us engage in them to some degree or the other, proof again that this sort of preaching never works (over the long term).

    One Sunday, I was preaching on the second coming of Jesus. He’s still late, decades later. During this fine piece of Baptist oratory, I brought up the hole in the ozone layer — a hot topic of discussion in the 1980s. I heartily laughed, as I thundered from the pulpit, “Who cares if there’s a hole in the ozone layer!” That’s just a bigger hole for Jesus to come through when he returns to earth.” Like that “deep” exegesis? 🤣 Yes, I’m embarrassed that I said dumb shit like that. I was in my 20s and 30s, lacking basic science training past middle school. My understanding of science wasn’t much different from that of my colleagues in the ministry, and most of the people I pastored had no science training beyond high school.

    In the 1970s forward, creationist “experts” traveled the land indoctrinating Evangelical church members in young earth creationism. (This is when Dr. Dino, Kent Hovind, got his start on the creationism circuit.) My first remembrance of a “creation conference” comes from 1979. At the time, I was the assistant pastor of Montpelier Baptist Church in rural northwest Ohio. Montpelier Baptist was a fast growing church, reaching 500 in attendance in October 1979. The church was filled with young adults excited to learn the truth about “science,” cults, and the end times. I still remember the buzz in the packed building when these subjects were addressed by Pastor Stuckey. We heard sermons on all the hot theological subjects and conspiracy theories. Good times? In the moment, yes. Think of being in the front row of a rock concert. Good time? In the moment, yes. However, morning follows night, and now you feel like you have been run over by a truck — twice. That’s how I feel about the 50 years I spent in Evangelicalism, especially the 25 years I devoted to the pastorate.

    The church brought in John Whitcomb to hold a creation conference. The building was filled with people as Whitcomb indoctrinated them in young earth creationism. Henry Morris’ and Whitcomb’s 1961 book, The Genesis Flood, was popular at the time. I owned the book, so I was familiar with his beliefs. I was excited to have an “expert” teach me the truth about science, creationism, Adam and Eve, and dinosaurs.

    These conferences turned ignorant preachers into science experts — in their own minds, anyway. If you have spent any time in Evangelical or Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) churches, you likely have heard sermons about science, evolution, and creationism. Maybe you even attended a creation conference or two. Did you ever question the qualifications of these “experts?” Probably not. Evangelicals tend to give too much respect and deference to men behind pulpits and lecterns. Few people bother to ask if the person speaking is qualified to teach on these subjects. Sadly, way too many “experts” are anything but. Going to an Evangelical preacher for your science knowledge is akin to thinking that eating a Big Mac at McDonald’s is fine dining. No one in their right mind would confuse McDonald’s with Ruth’s Chris Steak House. So it is with trusting Evangelical preachers to teach scientifically correct science. These preachers were indoctrinated just as their congregants were by them. Ignorance is multigenerational in Evangelical churches. It is not surprising that most church members are young earth creationists, and those who aren’t typically keep their mouths shut lest they be outed as “liberals.”

    In the early 80s, I attended a Bible conference at the Newark Baptist Temple in Heath, Ohio, pastored at the time by Polly’s uncle, James Dennis. I believe Jack Hyles was the headliner — uh I mean humble servant of God. 🤣 Afterward, I had a delightful discussion with the Glen West, the principal of the church’s Christian school. We jabbered back and forth before landing on dinosaurs. Both of us believed dinosaurs existed with humans on earth before Noah’s flood.

    Somewhere in the discussion, Henry Morris and John Whitcomb’s book came up. Both of us had read the book — two “intellectuals” discussing the finer points of science. I was pleased that Glen recognized my “scholarly” knowledge. It was nice to talk to someone on my level. Alas, this was little more than the blind leading the blind.

    I want to think Glen’s science knowledge increased over the past forty-five years, but he’s an Evangelical preacher, so I doubt it. Mine, on the other hand, has increased incrementally over years, though I will never be anything more than a rank novice.

    As a grandfather, I’m pleased to watch my older grandchildren choose STEM programs for their training at Ohio State University, Miami University, and Trine University respectively. Other grandkids coming behind them have STEM interests too.

    I can’t imagine — oh, I can, and I shudder to think — what kind of educations these kids would have received had our family remained Evangelicals and Grandpa was still a fire breathing Baptist preacher. Fortunately, the curse has been broken. Two of my granddaughters are taking college evolutionary biology this coming year. I relish the day when we can sit down at the pub and they can school Gramps on science. Maybe we can have a rousing discussion about endogenous retroviruses.🤣

  • Short Stories: The Bus — A Sign From God?

    Years ago, I pastored an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church in southeast Ohio. Nestled in the hills of the Appalachia mountain range, the church ministered primarily to the working poor. The eleven years I spent at Somerset Baptist were revelatory as I learned through on-the-job training to do the work of the ministry.

    I pastored all sorts of people. One such man was a transplant from a nearby IFB church. Greg was looking for a church that preached the perfect Word of God; a church that aggressively won souls for Christ. Recently married, Greg thought Somerset Baptist was a perfect fit for him and his new family.

    Greg died a couple of years ago. Prior to that, he and I had a back-and-forth interaction which culminated in me writing a post titled, Dear Greg.

    Greg and I spent a lot of time together, both socially and professionally. I genuinely enjoyed his company. We would play basketball outdoors and I would help him fix his car. A mechanic, Greg was not. One time, he accidentally drained the oil from his manual transmission, putting five extra quarts of oil in the motor. He then jumped in the car and drove to the church ten miles away to go soulwinning with me. Needless to say, his transmission and motor were smoking by the time he pulled into the church parking lot. Fortunately, Greg didn’t ruin the power train of his car. I helped him get the fluids where they belonged. We had a shared memory I never forgot. Funny, in retrospect, but a mistake that could have cost Greg thousands of dollars.

    Greg was one church member I could count on to show up for visitation or soulwinning. Greg also preached, taught Sunday School, and worked in the bus ministry. He and his family attended church every time the doors were open. (He eventually left because he found out I was a Calvinist — an unpardonable sin, in his mind.)

    While most people, including myself, thought Greg was eccentric, the real issue was undiagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This resulted in Greg having deep, dark psychological struggles. We would talk about these struggles, but I was not much help. I tried to support Greg and be his friend, but I knew nothing about OCD. Years later, I would understand much better after I was diagnosed with OCPD.

    Greg struggled with his OCD, wondering if God was punishing him or Satan was tempting him. Such thinking was common in IFB churches. Blame must be assigned, and I suspect deep down Greg blamed himself. Isn’t that what we were taught?

    Greg had a lot of upheaval in his life, from moving to job changes. I always tried to be there for him (and his dear wife), but I’m sure I could have done more if I had known and recognized the signs of OCD and tried to get Greg into therapy. Instead, I was adamantly against going outside of the church for help. God, the Bible, and the church were all any of us needed, the thinking went. Boy, was I wrong, causing harm to congregants with mental health challenges. And causing harm to myself by spiritualizing my own psychological struggles.

    One time, Greg was looking for a new job. Previously, Greg had driven a bus for a local school district. He thought he would try his hand at driving again for a new school.

    On the appointed day, Greg went to the school bus lot for an interview. While getting on a bus, Greg glanced down and was shocked by what he saw. What did he see? The word “Carpenter.” Huh? Let me explain.

    Carpenter Body Works was a bus-building company in Mitchell, Indiana. They went out of business in 2001. You see, Greg’s last name was Carpenter, and his OCD brain was absolutely certain that this was a sign from God. How else could Greg explain the word “Carpenter” on the bus floor?

    This settled the matter for Greg, and he accepted a driving job. Greg loved driving bus, but with a wife and children to provide for, the bus-driving job didn’t pay the bills. Greg later took a factory job. No further mention was made of the “sign from God.”

    All these years later, I lament how my ignorance and lack of training hurt Greg. Unintentional, to be sure, but I wonder how much more peaceful his life might have been had I been more competent to help. That is, if Greg were willing to accept my help. Psychological problems were typically ignored or shoved under the proverbial church rug. I pastored scores of people with undiagnosed mental health problems. Sunday after Sunday they suffered as I told them Jesus and the Bible were all they needed to find love, peace, and happiness. This, of course, was a lie. It took me years to learn that the church was not the cure-all for what ailed us. By then countless hurting people came and went, going to the “world” to find people to help them. How could it be otherwise? Most Evangelical pastors are unqualified to counsel people about psychological problems. Greg certainly needed my friendship, but he needed a friend that understood his OCD, even if he refused to see and understand it for himself. Sadly IFB beliefs about sin and holiness only fueled Greg’s OCD. For him, minor, insignificant “sins” became full blown crises of faith, leading to extreme restlessness and suicidal thoughts. Greg deserved better than what Pastor Bruce and the church had to offer.

    How did your church and pastor handle the mental health struggles of church members (or their own)? Please share your experiences in the comment section.

    Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 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.

    Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

    You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

  • I Need Your Help

    help

    Someone filed a complaint about how this site handles cookies. I am required by federal/international law to give readers the option of opting out of cookies. This has never been a problem, until now. I suspect the person who filed the complaint has ill-intent; it doesn’t matter. I’m now on the clock with my service provider. If I’m not compliant, they are required by law to take down my site.

    I thought I had the problem fixed; they filed another complaint. I have one remaining issue with the JETPACK plugin. It loads its cookie before the approval choice, which is not allowed.

    I could set my site for US only. This would immediately cut off international readers from this site. This would fix the problem, but I’m not willing to do so. I have too many international readers to do that to them (and me).

    You may have noticed that you were served a cookie approval box when first coming to this site. Once a reader chooses to accept or reject some or all cookies that setting will be remembered for one year.

    I have spent days working to make this site compliant, and as of today, I think it is. Except for the JETPACK issue mentioned above. I can disable the plugin, but I really don’t want to do that, since doing so will affect reader experience in a negative way. What I need is for someone with WordPress expertise — especially the cookie process — to go through my site and make sure everything is compliant. I had to remove several plugins that improved the site for readers. I couldn’t find a way to make them compliant.

    If you have expertise in this area and would like to help me, please let me know.

    Otherwise, please make a burnt offering to your god for me; or a grain offering if your deity is vegan. If you don’t have a deity, I appreciate telepathic good vibes too. 🤣

    I’ve been running on near empty for a while now. This hassle has caused further energy loss, as I suspect the person who complained knows. I’m sure they are happy-happy-happy causing me pain. Otherwise, they would have sent me an email about the problem instead of contacting my hosting provider.

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  • Evangelical “Logic”

    Evangelicals are allegedly “people of the book,” even though most of them have not read the Bible from cover to cover one time. Supposedly, the Bible is THE book above all books, one written and compiled by God himself — another belief for which there is no evidence apart from words written in the Bible. Yet, at the same time, Evangelicals claim that their faith is a “logical” faith. Sure, little buddy, sure.

    Evangelicals claim univocality for the Bible, an absurd claim, to say the least. The Bible is often contradictory, littered with scientific, historical, and theological errors. Anyone who says the Bible is inerrant and infallible ain’t paying attention. Before the Internet, Evangelical ignorance about the nature and history of the Bible was understandable, but not today. Anyone with a modicum of curiosity can be quickly disabused of their supernatural beliefs about the Bible itself and its teachings.

    Besides, it’s a hoot to hear Evangelicals talk about “logic” while holding absurd, irrational beliefs. The same can be said for Mormonism and Islam too.

    Most Evangelicals believe in a 6,029 year old universe, talking snakes and animals, a virgin birth, and curing blindness with dirt and spit, to name a few fantastical beliefs; beliefs for which there is no evidence apart from words written in an ancient religious text. These beliefs fail rational inquiry, and Evangelicals are forced to appeal to supernaturalism and faith to “prove” their beliefs. An epic fail, to be sure.

    And let me be clear, I’m not using the word “logic” in a philosophical sense. I have no interest in philosophical arguments; none of which ever leads to the Evangelical God of the Bible. As a theologically educated atheist, all I’m interested in is what the Biblical text actually says. Surely, that should be desire of every follower of Jesus, yes?

    Did you think you had a “logical” faith as a Christian? How did you reconcile the errant, fallible nature of the Bible, if at all? I, for one, ran to the house of faith anytime I couldn’t make the pieces fit. Please share your thoughts in the comment section.

    Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 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.

    Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

    You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

  • Letter to the Editor: JD Vance, Calls for the Restoration of Christendom

    Dear Editor,

    JD Vance is out and about preaching up his version of Christianity. Vance, a Roman Catholic, calls for a restoration of Western Civilization; alleging that liberals, humanists, socialists, and atheists want to destroy America. This is patently untrue. The issue at stake is a radical difference between worldviews.

    Vance promotes not Christianity itself, but Christendom. Christendom vs. Christianity — the former all about restoring Western Civilization to what Vance considers its glory days.

    Christendom is about power, not piety. The goal is coercion, not salvation. Christendom gave us imperialism, colonialism, empire, and war. Millions have died as the result of the West’s lust for world domination. Trump, Vance, Rubio, and Hegseth all think that the Christian deity and the United States are best buds; that this God gave his approval for America’s immoral wars. Or so we’re told.

    Vance’s promotion of Christendom explains why he says there’s no such thing as the separation of church and state. In Vance’s view of the world, the United States is an explicitly Christian nation, divinely chosen and blessed by the triune Christian God, not just a nation of mainly people who self- identify as Christians.

    Various streams of Christian nationalism all want one thing: a Christian nation governed by the laws of the Bible. This is nothing more than the Christian version of Muslim Sharia Law. Calling pluralism and multiculturalism evil, Christian nationalists want religious purity; or at the very least a culture dominated by Christianity and a society where unbelievers are grudgingly tolerated as long as they know their place.

    I recently began my seventieth year of life. For the first time in my life, I no longer feel welcome in my own country. I’ve been told there’s no place for people like me: an unbelieving atheist, socialist, and pacifist. How dare I live according to my values and beliefs. Vance and his fellow Christians want a religious monoculture, one where everyone thinks, believes, and behaves the same way.

    Vance’s wife is a Hindu. You would think he would respect his wife’s religious beliefs, but he does not. Before converting to Catholicism, Vance was an Evangelical — and it shows. Vance has publicly called on his wife to convert to Christianity. This is a reminder that Vance’s goal is restore Western Christianity to its former greatness. How much blood he is willing to shed to advance his cause remains to be seen.

    Bruce Gerencser

    Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 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.

    Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

    You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

  • Quote of the Day: Hunter Biden May be a Gun-Toting Drug Addict, But He’s Right About the Democratic Party

    I’m not running for office. But if I were, these are some of the lessons I’d take away from what happened in NY yesterday.

    1. Authenticity is measurable. Voters can smell a focus group from a mile away.

    2. Endorsements from the current Democratic leadership now read like warnings. The establishment wing of the party is no longer a sword. It’s a question mark.

    3. Conviction beats caution. The candidates who said hard things about rent, about who pays for what, about Gaza, they won. The triangulators lost.

    4. Cost of living is everything. Everything else is wallpaper.

    5. The middle is not a strategy. It’s an empty room. Voters reached past the establishment to grab someone who actually believes something.

    6. Don’t fear the base. Court it. The Democrats who ran from their own voters lost. The ones who ran toward them won.

    7. If you want to lead a party you have to be willing to fight inside it. Mamdani didn’t ask permission. He took the field.

    The lesson under the lessons: the country is tired of being managed. People want to be led.

    — Hunter Biden, son of former president Joe Biden , as reported by Crooks and Liars

  • Reader Zero: Thank You, Zoe

    bruce gerencser 1991
    Bruce Gerencser, 1991, Somerset Baptist Academy. Surely everyone can see from this picture that I was a real Christian. 🙂

    Environmental Scientist recently asked “[…] have you reached out to these former students and apologized?”

    Zoe responded:

    Ugh. Heaviness. Sigh.

    I remember coming across Bruce’s blog ages ago. Maybe the dinosaurs were still roaming the earth back then? It was a post where he apologized. I cannot recall the specifics, but it was the first time I had ever heard, whether in person or online or in a book, a pastor apologize.

    To date, he’s the only one.

    I don’t know but I sense that in a way, Bruce’s writing is his attempt to apologize. The weight of sorrow that accompanies decisions made during our former believing days, is ever present. I wish the inventors of Christianity would apologize to me. I wish my ancestors had apologized to me. I am thankful that in my generation, I broke the cycle. Maybe breaking the cycle is our apology. 

    Zoe is a personal friend of mine. She’s been a reader of my writing from almost day one. I appreciate her friendship and support.

    Zoe has seen my highs, lows, and meltdowns. It took me years to learn how best to deal with and respond to aggressive, violent, abusive Evangelical commenters. Years ago, when the pressure got to be too much, I would quit blogging. In late 2014, something clicked for me, and I’ve not stopped blogging since. This does not mean that I’m impervious to the ill treatment I receive from some Evangelical commenters. What’s different is that I have, over time, developed a thicker skin. I’ve also come to understand how deeply indoctrination and conditioning hinders some Evangelicals from having pleasant, thoughtful discussions. Instead, I am viewed as an enemy of Jesus and Christianity, unworthy of kindness and respect. I’ve concluded that many Evangelicals don’t believe the Bible commands governing their behavior apply when dealing with apostates, reprobates, and atheists. Never mind the fact that the Bible has a lot to say about how Christians should treat their enemies.

    Over the years, I’ve been as open and honest as I could possibly be. Do I still have secrets; things I’m uncomfortable sharing with the public? Sure, and I make no apology for having them. That said, I’ve done my best to answer questions from friends and critics alike.

    In 1989, I started a private school: Somerset Baptist Academy. The school was built on a one room school house approach. With 15-18 students, K-12, this was not hard to do. The focus was academic proficiency instead of grade level. Thus, an eleventh grader might be taking reading with fourth graders. Students were slotted based on academic ability. While this proved embarrassing for some older students, it did provide motivation for them to do better.

    Most of the students “fondly” remember Preacher’s weekly timed math facts tests. Every student took the same tests. Passing the tests in a certain amount of time meant students didn’t have to take the tests any more. Eventually, all of the students passed.

    Somerset Baptist Academy was an unchartered private religious school. What this meant, practically, is that the government left us alone, even though we were costing the local school district $75,000-$150,000 a year from lost state funding. That said, I faced no problems with the local school superintendent. In fact, he graciously donated desks for our school to use.

    SBA was a tuition-free school, with unpaid teachers and staff. Polly and I were the primary teachers, with church members helping in areas they were proficient (i.e. home economics, auto repair, small engine repair).

    The school was pass-fail. The goal was proficiency, not grade point average. One third of the students were excellent scholars. The rest of the students had various academic challenges. For these students, public schools had largely abandoned them.

    One highlight was the fact that our little school had computers before the public schools did. Thanks to me being a computer geek and my office being in the same building as the school, older students had access to my computers. They were well ahead of public-school students when it came to computers.

    We decided early on to focus on core academic proficiency. Teach students to competently read, write, and do maths, they can do almost anything. If you can’t read, write, and balance your checkbook, you are in for a hard life.

    The school was started at the same time my theology moved from Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) beliefs to Evangelical Calvinism. This, of course, affected the theology taught in the school — primarily by me. Order and discipline were important. While corporeal punishment was permitted, I only paddled one student. I had no stomach for paddling other parents’ children. Instead, I would send a note home detailing the infraction, asking parents to discipline their children.

    I did, however, use after school detentions as punishment for offenses. And not public school-like detention, either. Students in detention were given work to do after school: pulling weeds, cleaning fence lines, mowing grass, splitting and stacking wood, hauling coal, shoveling snow, cleaning the buildings, and straightening song books for the next service.

    Years later, now an atheist and a humanist, I have mellowed out. I have no doubt I would do things differently if I was operating a Christian school today. But, it was the late 80s, and I had a lot of learning to learn and unlearn. I remain a work in progress. Sadly, some readers refuse to grant me grace. The more open I am, the more critical they become. Another reader, which I plan to dispense forthwith, has been sending me emails accusing me of abusing Polly and being a bad husband, totally ignoring the religious and cultural paradigms that were in play, at the time. We were a patriarchal family, willingly so. Same goes for Calvinism, which directly affected how many children we had.

    I’m generally self-aware. Both of my therapists have told me that I’m too self-aware; that I’m hyper judgmental of self; that I struggle with guilt. Believe me, I want to be well thought of by others. I don’t like conflict, nor do I want people to be angry with me. But, in the real world, church conflict is common. I pastored scores of delightful people, but I also was shepherd to more than a few troublemaking, judgmental assholes. That’s the nature of the ministry. I tried to do my best, but that was never enough, for some people. I apologized when warranted, but refused to do so when I committed no offense. So it is with students at Somerset Baptist Academy.

    Have I apologized to some of the students over the years? Sure. Who they are and what I apologized for is no one’s business except the parties involved. I have had lunch/dinner with several students. I’d say I’m on good terms with ten of the students — all of whom I have met and interacted with over the years. A few years back, I conducted the funeral for the father of four students. I sensed no anger or animosity from any of them.

    Half of the students ended up graduating from college, including two of my sons. I like to think Polly and I, along with other volunteers, put students on a better path. It is, of course, up to them to tell their own stories. If if have learned anything, it is this: experiences are personal; and that no two people have the same experience. I would love to have former students share their SBA “war stories,” but these events are over 30 years old. Most of the students understand their five years at Somerset Baptist Academy in its theological, cultural, and tribal context. They view me as a man who was trying to do the right thing; trying to make life better for them. Did I fail? I will it leave to them to say.

    To Zoe I say, once again, thank you! ❤️

    Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 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.

    Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

    You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

  • Why Don’t Most Evangelicals Daily Read or Study the Bible?

    preacher on bible reading

    Evangelicals love to call themselves “people of the book.” The first church I worked for had an advertising sign that said, “The Blood, The Book, The Blessed Hope.” We believed, as Evangelicals do today, that the Bible was inerrant and infallible — without error and true in all it teaches. Yet, for all their talk about the Bible, most Evangelicals don’t read and study the Bible. Oh, they might read it from time to time, but as far as diligently reading and studying the Bible? No time for that, even though they demand unbelievers obey the Bible, not bothering to read it from cover to cover themselves. If this is not the case, why do Evangelical preachers repeatedly “encourage” congregants to read the Bible, warning them about what God will do to them if they don’t. Some pastors throw in the towel and try to at least get church members to read devotional materials such as “Our Daily Bread.” Every day, Christians read a couple of Bible verses and the devotional commentary for said verses, delusionally thinking that they are “studying” the Bible.

    Evangelicals claim the Bible was written by God himself; that it is the most important book (actually collection of books) in human history. Supposedly, the Bible contains everything necessary for life and godliness. This supernatural book tells us how the universe was created and reveals to us the nature of God. Its pages reveal God’s redemptive plan for humanity (or the elect), along with how to have a successful marriage and a happy family. What a book of wisdom and knowledge, right? Yet, most Evangelicals never read the Bible through one time. What’s up with this disconnect? Why do Evangelicals demand the unwashed, uncircumcised Philistines of the world read the Bible when they, themselves, can’t bother to do it?

    Here’s what I learned pastoring Evangelical churches for twenty-five years:

    First, most Evangelicals want to do what is “right.” They want to read and study the Bible, pleasing both God and the maniac who chastises them every week from the pulpit for not being the bestest (and the most giving and obedient) Christians ever.

    Second, life often gets in the way of obey God. Sorry, but that’s just how it is. I was about ten years into my ministerial career before I finally figured out what was going on. Most of the people I pastored were kind, loving, thoughtful people. Sure, I pastored more than a few assholes, but most congregants loved God, loved the church, loved the Bible, and loved me as their preacher. They wanted to read and study the Bible, but after working 40-60 hours a week and taking care of domestic obligations, no time was left for them to devote themselves to the Word of God. Did this make them bad Christians? Of course not. They were tired Christians, not backslidden as I alleged. I was paid to read, study, and preach the Bible. I can’t remember a day as a pastor that I didn’t read the Bible. It was, after all, the most important book in my life. I wanted the Bible to be the most important book in the lives of congregants too, but there were not enough hours in the day for them to do so.

    Polly spent much of her life as a pastor’s wife feeling guilty over her lack of Bible reading, study, and prayer. It didn’t help the matter that her preacher husband kept reminding her to be a “good example.” Eventually, I stopped badgering Polly, realizing that she, too, only had so much time to devote to the Bible every day. She wanted to read and study the Bible as her preacher husband did, but after raising six kids in a 12×60 foot trailer, cooking meals for them, washing loads of shitty cloth diapers every day, doing ALL the domestic chores (because her soulwinning husband was rarely home), entertaining church members almost every weekend, being her husband’s secretary (she was happy when computers delivered her from this task), and happily putting out when her husband asked, there was no time left for Bible reading.

    For five years, both Polly and I taught in our church’s private school. Polly taught church children how to read, spell, and do basic grammar. Our younger students have fond memories of Miss Polly putting them on her lap and helping them read. These same students have different memories of the man they called “Preacher.” I not only taught in the school, I was the principal. Remember, we were Independent Fundamentalist Baptists, at the time. I was the school disciplinarian. No one wanted to be sent to my office.

    Based on what I have already shared, when, exactly, did my partner have time to give anything more than a passing glance at the pages of the Bible? Did this make her a bad Christian? Of course not, even though she felt guilty for not being a sold-out follower of Jesus. Six kids, loads of poopy diapers, cooking countless meals, caring for a 720 square foot hillbilly mansion, and devotedly loving a demanding, driven husband dominated her waking hours. Both of us spent years only getting five to seven hours of sleep a night. In retrospect, it’s a wonder either of us made it out alive.

    As a pastor, I came to understand that the only Bible knowledge most church members had was what they gained from my sermons three times a week. I accepted that no amount of preaching was going to add more hours in their days. No amount of cajoling Polly was going to make her devote time she didn’t have to leisurely reading the Bible. I eventually stopped nagging people about reading and studying the Bible. I figured if God wanted them to read more of the Bible he could tell them himself. Overnight, preacher and congregants alike took a sigh of relief, leaving the matter to God.

    How often did you read the Bible? Did you feel guilty over not reading the Bible as you felt you should (or as your pastor felt you should)? Did you read the Bible from cover-to-cover? Please share your experiences in the comment section.

    Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 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.

    Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

    You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

  • What’s with Evangelicals Coming Out Against Empathy?

    empathy

    What is empathy? Psychology Today defines it like this:

    Empathy is the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person, animal, or fictional character. Developing empathy is crucial for establishing relationships and behaving compassionately. It involves experiencing another person’s point of view, rather than just one’s own, and enables prosocial or helping behaviors that come from within, rather than being forced.

    It seems to me, and I suspect to you that empathy is a good thing; that empathy is essential to the progress of the human race. The Bible itself says that empathy (loving your neighbor as yourself) is essential to Christian faith. Empathy leads to and promotes goodness, kindness, and common decency. What’s not to like, right?

    I am a child of the Evangelical church, but more than that I grew up in poverty. I experienced firsthand doing without. My upbringing afforded me the opportunity to learn a lot things about life, particularly within the church. I quickly learned that the church cared for its own, but not so much for anyone else. And some churches didn’t even care for their own. What mattered was saving souls, not feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and meeting the needs of widows and orphans. What I saw was an incestuous church only concerned with its own wellbeing — increased attendance, increased souls saved, and increased income. Today, megachurches — shrines to Evangelical wealth and power — dot the American landscape, testimonies to a religion far removed from the teachings of Jesus. Empathy is no longer emphasized or encouraged. It should be no surprise, then, that some Evangelical preachers are now condemning empathy. Granted, they are a minority within Evangelicalism, but their influence over the sect is larger than life. And now that the MAGA movement and its prophet Donald Trump have co-opted Evangelicalism, rabid capitalism and right-wing extremism have infested the church, resulting in indifference (apathy, unconcern, hardheartedness) towards suffering and poverty.

    Theologically, I was a card-carrying Evangelical, but socially I rejected the church’s indifference towards “the least of these.” My children will tell you that I stressed the importance of being empathic towards the needs of others. Church members will tell you the same. I believed that empathy, compassion, and kindness were central to being a follower a Jesus. Years ago, my mother-in-law, a devout Independent Fundamentalist Baptist, got upset at me over an act of charity I had done for someone else; one that cost me a good bit of money. Mom said to me, “You would give someone the shirt off your back,” as if that was an awful thing to do. (Mom was raised in a family where care and concern rarely, if ever, extended beyond family.) And then, understanding the awful import of her criticism, Mom said, “Well, not that that would be a bad thing to do.”

    I am sure Polly and the kids could share stories about how empathy worked out in my day-to-day life. My mantra was simple, “If you see a need and can help, do.” No one is expected to help beyond their abilities. I encouraged people to have a watchful eye for opportunities to be blessings to others.

    Did I ever get taken advantage of? Yep, but over time I develop skills that helped me sniff out con-artists. Take the preacher and his son who stopped by our church to get help to make it home from their travels. I quickly discerned this was a scam. How did I know? The old preacher was carrying a $4.99 Dollar General Bible. No preacher carries a cheap-ass Bible. Sorry, I’ve never seen it. The Bible is a tool of the trade for a preacher. No home builder uses a $3 hammer. Quality and durability matter, and so it is for preachers and their Bibles. For the record, my favorite Bible was the calf-skin Oxford KJV. I used to give homeless people money until I found out they were drinking it up at the bar. Going forward, I paid for meals and other needs instead of giving them money. But, even here empathy ruled. My obligation was to follow Jesus and the teachings of the Bible. What people did with the money I gave them was on them, not me. Wisdom is important, but far too often ‘wisdom” gets in the way of help others, and could be used a polite excuse for indifference and bigotry.

    Think I am being too harsh on Evangelicals? Consider what is going on in Washington D.C. Evangelicals twice voted Donald Trump into office. Trump quickly rewarded them by appointing largely unqualified Evangelicals (and conservative Catholics and Mormons) to cabinet positions and administrative roles. The no-empathy crowd now dominates our government. Whatever compassion the Obama and Biden administrations may have had (and they were lacking too), it is now gone. Ruthlessness, violence, and indifference are now the norm. Empathy is for the weak, not for them. All that matters is advancing the Project 2025 blueprint. Well that and increasing the net worth of Trump, his family, and his lackeys.

    Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 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.

    Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

    You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.