I’m an Anglican evangelical minister from Birmingham, Alabama, where I minister to military veterans.
My ministry has involved writing and editing, teaching, and speaking at churches, for groups, and at civic events. Prior to my current ministry position, I served as a chaplain to veterans in Missouri and Georgia, as a pastor in Indiana, as a pastor and headmaster in Texas, and as a pastor in Alabama.
I also served as a chaplain in the U.S. Army, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. My experiences in the military shaped me a great deal, and my heart still quickens when I think about my soldiers and their families, about war, and about the ministry of chaplains. On occasion, you may see this come through my writing–I assure you, however, that whatever surfaces is only the tip of what is within my heart.
Before the military, I worked in parish and non-parochial ministry in Alabama. I was deeply engaged in events surrounding the public expression of Christian faith and the sanctity of human life. These are matters that remain important to me, and I am learning how best to continue my involvement–particularly in this time of public intimidation of Christians in these United States.
As a Christian committed to the gospel and biblical ethics, I was an early signer of both the Nashville Statement on biblical sexuality and The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel. I support those statements of clarity about biblical teaching.
An Alabama native, I was educated in a rural public school, community college, and The University of Alabama. I completed seminary at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School.
My reflections here are sometimes well-ordered and careful, at other times rambling and disorganized. I hope you will find something helpful, even if it is only the spark of an idea. I have discarded more material than I have ever allowed others to see, and I hope something I share is meaningful.
Daniel J. Sparks