Write for Ex-Minister's Blog
YOU SHOULD BE BLOGGING and I WANT to HELP YOU GET STARTED!!!
Attention all former priests, ministers, clergy, missionaries and etc.! Ex-minister’s blog & website has finally reached the point to where I can open my heart and reveal long kept secretive goals. This would involve YOU!!! How? Please keep reading!
I started from “nothing but a dream” when opening Ex-Minister. I knew I needed to build things to where I can finally state what it is that I have always wanted to do!!!! The name “Ex-minister” was never intended as a means where Brian claims an exclusive title of “Ex-Minister.” But, I have long wanted to have a place on the web WHERE ALL FORMER CLERGY THAT STILL WANT TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT UPON THE WORLD can have a place to exercise their desires through writing and possibly more!!!
Here is the plan, the website still operates as a place targeted for Christians who are somewhere in the process of examining the legitimacy of their faith (as well as those adjusting to post-Christian life.) Now, the blog HAS THE INTENTION of being a place SPECIFICALLY CONSISTING ONLY OF the voices of former clergy! I’m convinced that most of you originally wanted to do great things in the world when you entered into the ministry! Am I correct? But, when you lost your faith your “platform” of rendering those good intentions was taken away!
I am looking for as many of you that want to lose your “blogging virginity” and lend your talents to the world through a blog consisting of former clergy!!! You don’t have to know computers, just send me an email with your message and I will post it giving you full credit as the writer! It is THAT SIMPLE! Write as often as you want! Use this as a place (if you want) to where you can get your start and if you make it “big” and people love your writing….you might want to consider branching off and starting your own blog or website. Just like they taught us in Homiletics....it is about proclaiming truth through your personality (Phillips Brooks idea.) I have always wanted to help former clergy because I understand and share with those of you that still have positive humanity building desires! Another advantage of this is that an individual that runs a blog or website by themselves has that “pressure” to have “3 sermons” a week. But here on this blog, you can write/contribute when you want to without the “pressure of adding something just to feed the expectations” that you would have if you went “solo!”
Now, if you already have your own blog or website but have something that you want to contribute you are welcome to do so as well! I am open to placing your work here with the thought of helping your work gain some attention. I have always been in this for a cause: not for notoriety and thus I am seeking to promote others with the same mindset!
Anticipated questions
I anticipate that one of your first questions might have something to do with getting your message out without compromising your identity? Answer: I prefer you to use your real name…but if you want to go under a “pen name” then I need to know you are legitimate. I will ask you for some means of verification. I will not knowingly compromise anyone’s identity!
Perhaps you are still a “liberal” clergy member that takes a critical look at the church/ministry/denomination and you want to use a pen name…..we can probably work something out!
Guidelines
Keep in mind that my website will be run differently than the blog. The nature of blogs is to be predominantly shorter thoughts from the size of a few paragraphs or extending to the size of a magazine article in length. If you want to submit to the website rather than the blog….click the Posting/Re-posting button on the website.
Both the website & this blog are generally conservative. There are literally hundreds of liberal & progressive minded blogs "out there"...if that is your persuasion then you should seek to write for or join them (not Ex-Minister). Ex-Minister has been critical of organized secularism...though I am a secular American. Aggressive secularism harms society , anyone seeking to contribute to the websites needs to understand and be conscious of their secular demeanor.
Now for the blog, you will be able to be yourselves. We are all grown-ups and we have differing views, perspectives and opinions and that is to be understood! The only way I will intervene will be when someone unfairly maligns someone else or is propagating hatred (you get the idea). I may not be able to read a post prior to posting it….so if someone contacts me I will examine the article and make a judgment. YOU are on display….not Brian!
All in all, I want to BUILD humanity! In so doing some things need de-constructing in order that something better can be built in it’s place. The blog will make no ownership claims on your work. The blog retains the right to post that work for an unspecified time period. When you submit an article, it is with the understanding that it is YOUR work and you are allowing it to be posted to the blog. The views you express are strictly your views and thus the blog is a platform separate from the website (the website doesn’t take any endorsement position.)
As for subject matter…anything that is touched by religion, faith or humanity is fair game. Political associations of these matters are also appropriate. I want you to be able to comment upon your posted article. SO…you will need to provide your Internet ID “profile tag” that would appear in comments when you respond to others comments.
I shouldn’t have to say this, but I don’t want to see things like “f” words and etc.! Now should you look at the blog prior to June 2009, you would notice that the blog primarily introduced articles that were posted to the website. This part will remain, but otherwise the new changes will be in effect!
I will place you in the contributor’s column if you can roughly average one article or more a month.
Keep in mind that it will take time for people to hear and get used to having a reason to visit the blog. So traffic will probably be slow at first. I will do my best to promote and direct traffic from the website to the blog once things get started! If you have questions, simply email me and I will update this page as frequently as needed! Brian's contact info is on both the site & blog. Lets rock and roll!
Brian
Worley May 29, 2009 updated August 10, 2014 Ex-minister.org
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