A seasoned guide for those at a spiritual junction needing to rethink their route and revitalize their faith.
No turning back. The old assumptions, the past perspectives are inadequate for the present crisis of faith. Are you done with simplistic, naive religion that cannot stand up to serious inquiry and tough questions? Are you done with the twisting and belittling of the Bible to support agendas that flatly contradict the way of Jesus? Are you done with the blatant hypocrisy, the total disconnect between compromised Christianity and authentic faith? Me, too
I’m Drew, and I share your frustration. My long journey of ministry and missions has taken me far and wide and forced me to reconsider the easy answers I learned as a young seminarian. This world is much bigger than I thought with all kinds of people, most of them unlike myself.
I am a pilgrim and a pioneer, a way finder and a boundary jumper. Injustice bothers me. Racism offends me. Violence troubles me. Poverty breaks my heart. I stand with the prophets on behalf of the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the immigrant. I stand with Jesus and His vision of the Kingdom of God, the Beloved Community, God’s shalom for all people, even the least of these.
So I write, I speak up, and I try to help others like yourself revitalize their faith and find their voice. If this is what you’re looking for, come join me on this journey.
Crossing the tracks is more than a metaphor. It’s a calling, a way of life, a determination to resist all that judges and excludes and condemns anyone unlike ourselves. Crossing the tracks is breaking down the barriers of race and gender, politics and power, religion and tribalism, and welcoming others to the way of Jesus, a Gospel far grander, wider, and deeper than we ever imagined.
I hope you’ll come along. - Drew
For new and recent readers of Drew’s unforgettable novel, we will be meeting every other week via Zoom beginning Thursday, April 23. Based on a true story, Crossing the Tracks captures the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement in Kansas City and across the country through the eyes of one man who made a difference.
Crossing the Tracks is available for purchase as an ebook, audiobook, and paperback. You can find all your options here. All proceeds from the sale of Crossing the Tracks go to support the Institute for Justice Formation at Leland Seminary.
To register for the book club, send an email to drew@crossingthetracks.org. Drew will confirm your registration and send you the zoom link.
Once again, Drew will be hosting a Civil Rights Pilgrimage, an immersive 12-day tour across eight states, July 20-31, 2026. The cost is minimal and the experience is life-changing. Just email Drew to get all the details. The deadline to sign up is June 15.
Book Clubs, Online Courses, and Travel Opportunities
In this live, online course Drew will discuss the changes in worldview and faith perspective that have moved him to reappraise his early beliefs and practices. Issues related to science and culture, making sense of the Bible, and the tribalism and violence of ancient times will be discussed. The course will meet every other week via Zoom beginning Tuesday, April 21. You can register by email at drew@crossingthetracks.org.
My story
I can still appreciate my small town, Midwestern roots, and I am grateful for my conservative religious upbringing. Life and faith felt simple and straightforward in those days, and I never raised questions or pondered other possibilities. Even as a young pastor, I guarded the shallow theology I had inherited and resisted any alternative perspectives.
But a funny thing happened along the way. As I rubbed shoulders with real people, folks who did not grow up in my little gospel bubble, I struggled to make sense of how my faith might fit in their lives. I realized that my approach was inadequate for the world that others faced every day. Engaging with people from other cultures and contexts far from my own, I was forced to reevaluate my faith and reexamine the scripture. I began to notice my own blind spots and ask tough questions that had no easy answers.
Looking back now, I know I did what most conservative White Christians have always done – say a lot about subjects about which the scripture says almost nothing, and say almost nothing about subjects that the scripture addresses over and over again. But now it’s time to take an honest look at what we call biblical faith.
You and I must find a faith that has been heated and hammered out on the anvil of human experience, burning away the dross of enculturated, compromised, corrupted religion, until only the face of Jesus shines out in all its beauty and grace.
I still believe that the way of Jesus is the hope of the world, that Christianity offers a path to healing for all who are wounded or broken. I believe in the kingdom Christ came to establish and the local church as an outpost of that kingdom.
Turns out, following Jesus isn’t nearly as simple or easy as I once believed, but it’s worth the struggle. Maybe that’s why we are called to community, to walk this journey of faith in the company of brothers and sisters. I am happy to come along with you. We’ll do better together.
Personally, I am husband to an amazing wife and father to three remarkable young adults. I am a writer and author of two novels and I’m working on a third. I have been a longtime pastor, a part-time professor, an occasional missionary, and a better than average chess player. I am also a passionate activist and a more than competent tour guide.
Lately, I’ve retired from my regular gigs so I can devote my time to being useful, still writing and guiding, speaking and teaching, as opportunities arise. Maybe I can be of help to you. That would make me smile. – Drew
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Interested in joining our journey? Would you like to register or get more information? Just fill in some info and I will be in touch shortly. I can’t wait to hear from you!