Disowning Conservative Politics, Evangelical Pastor Rattles Flock - New York Times

This preacher has the real courage of his convictions. While I don't agree with him on everything, I can respect him.

Disowning Conservative Politics, Evangelical Pastor Rattles Flock - New York Times:

After refusing each time, Mr. Boyd finally became fed up, he said. Before the last presidential election, he preached six sermons called 'The Cross and the Sword' in which he said the church should steer clear of politics, give up moralizing on sexual issues, stop claiming the United States as a 'Christian nation' and stop glorifying American military campaigns.

'When the church wins the culture wars, it inevitably loses,' Mr. Boyd preached. 'When it conquers the world, it becomes the world. When you put your trust in the sword, you lose the cross.'

Mr. Boyd says he is no liberal. He is opposed to abortion and thinks homosexuality is not God's ideal. The response from his congregation at Woodland Hills Church here in suburban St. Paul, packed mostly with politically and theologically conservative, middle-class evangelicals, was passionate.

Some members walked out of a sermon and never returned. By the time the dust had settled, Woodland Hills, which Mr. Boyd founded in 1992, had lost about 1,000 of its 5,000 members.

But there were also congregants who thanked Mr. Boyd, telling him they were moved to tears to hear him voice concerns they had been too afraid to share.