You can’t see the fear and sadness in this photo—but I can. I was freshly resigned from a church after Charlottesville. I was afraid for my future. I was clinging to Steph and to God for dear life. My inbox was full with opportunities so I did what I knew best to do, I preached.

The church that heard my first and fearful message as someone thrust onto the public square was Wake Forest Baptist Church. They were kind and generous with their hospitality and encouragement. It is something a budding public theologian needed. I preached to 50 or so people that day—it was a gift.

Since then I’ve preached in hundreds of pulpits to thousands of people across the globe. But this was the first little church to welcome a wayward preacher in. As Wake Forest Baptist Church made the difficult decision to close this past Sunday, I want to affirm their witness in the world. They have fought the good fight and finished the race. Well done, well done.