It’s Will Campbell’s fault I am no longer a pastor.

That’s not completely true. He left this earth five years before I was ordained, 10 years ago, tomorrow, in fact. So, unless he’s out there somewhere pulling strings from the other side, he played no direct role in my departure from the pulpit last year.

Yet, nearly every word he wrote or spoke has shaped my understanding of ministry, the church and the responsibilities of straight, white clergy like me.

I’m convinced three pieces he wrote during the early years of the conservative takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention were his attempt to lay out what it truly meant, to him at least, to be Christian.

I also know that people in the pews tired of me quoting him in sermons or sharing anecdotes in casual conversation, and I’m certain those who’ve listened to my