{"id":1994,"date":"2011-03-29T02:04:06","date_gmt":"2011-03-29T06:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/?p=1994"},"modified":"2011-03-28T12:05:48","modified_gmt":"2011-03-28T16:05:48","slug":"massachusetts-100-texas-100","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/massachusetts-100-texas-100.html","title":{"rendered":"Massachusetts 100, Texas -100"},"content":{"rendered":"

No, this is not some strange March Madness basketball score, though I must say I wouldn’t put anything past this year’s NCAA men’s tournament. It has to be the strangest year on record.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Michael Lindsay speaking at Laity Lodge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In fact, I’m referencing the fact that Texas is losing one of its finest leaders to Massachusetts. On Monday, the announcement was made that L. Michael Lindsay, sociologist at Rice University in Houston, Texas, will be the next President of Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. This is big news for the kingdom of God, because Michael is one of the finest, young Christian leaders I know.<\/p>\n

You might wonder why the score isn’t: Massachusetts 1, Texas -1. Simple. Michael is a brilliant scholar, a visionary, an exceptional manager, and a fine man of God. Yes, he’s only one person. But his impact on the world as an articulate Christian is worth at least 100 points.<\/p>\n

I’m pleased to count Michael as a friend. He is also a close friend and partner of Laity Lodge and the developing Laity Leadership Institute. Thus, I am personally sad to see Michael moving away from Texas, even though he will live on the North Shore of Massachusetts, which is one of my all-time favorite spots. More importantly, Michael’s new role as President of Gordon College is fantastic news for Christians who are committed to a wise, thoughtful, humble, and bold engagement with the world.<\/p>\n

If you’re not familiar with Gordon College, let me say that it is one of the leading Christian colleges in the country. The fact that they would choose Michael as their President tells you something important about Gordon. This institution is forward-looking, culturally-engaged, and kingdom-committed. Ironically, two of its graduates are among the finest and most influential sociologists in the world: Christian Smith (of Notre Dame) and James Davison Hunter (of the University of Virginia). Under Michael’s leadership, Gordon College will take new steps forward in its contribution to the world as an instruments of God’s grace and truth.<\/p>\n

So, congratulations Michael! We’ll miss you down here in Texas, but are thrilled both for you and for Gordon.<\/p>\n

For an insightful write-up on Michael’s new role and an exclusive interview, see Tim Dalrymple’s article and interview at Patheos.com: “The New Game-Changer President of Gordon College.” <\/a><\/p>\n

Also, if you’re interested in Michael Lindsay’s views of leadership, an area of expertise for him, The High Calling<\/em><\/a> just finishing an eight-part series featuring Michael on leadership. Here’s is part one, with links to the other parts. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No, this is not some strange March Madness basketball score, though I must say I wouldn’t put anything past this year’s NCAA men’s tournament. It has to be the strangest year on record. In fact, I’m referencing the fact that Texas is losing one of its finest leaders to Massachusetts. On Monday, the announcement was…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[154],"tags":[220,221,219],"class_list":["post-1994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-noteworthy-news","tag-gordon-college","tag-l-michael-lindsay","tag-michael-lindsay"],"yoast_head":"\nMassachusetts 100, Texas -100 - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1994"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1994\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1999,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1994\/revisions\/1999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}