But there is hope. Over the years, however, Barker’s reading caused him to start to doubt the truth not just of Christianity, but claims of God altogether. The former pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Md., Joshua Harris, a … "Atheism doesn't pretend to have answers to every question. From Bible-Belt Pastor to Atheist Leader. He says his time as an atheist actually made him a better Christian. … It is a well … ... Late one night in early May 2011, a preacher named Jerry DeWitt was lying in bed in DeRidder, La., when his phone rang. Even more amazing, as far as atheism is concerned, I am the only person who attended Midwestern and entered the ministry as a Midwestern-trained preacher who is now an atheist. GC: I’ve seen you speak at atheist events, and you have a passion, and a powerful and distinctive speaking style, that clearly comes from your years of experience as a Pentecostal preacher. Tuesday, March 24 at 9 ET/PT. I am soooo special. He picked it … From time to time, I see in the logs search strings such as “the Midwestern Baptist College preacher who became an atheist.” Former Preacher Turned Atheist Bruce Gerencser on Lumping All Christians Together By Anonymous at 1/18/2010 I am sure my more liberal, progressive, emerging/emergent, non-conforming Christian readers are upset at me because I lumped them into the same group as all the Christians I mentioned in my previous post. If there is such a thing as the New Atheism, then John W. Loftus is one of the standard bearers. Bruce responded to my comment on his blog (see below) and I just responded to his response. Losing God changed me. Some of you might have read my post back on February 28 entitled "Answering a Personal Attack: My Response to a Former Preacher Turned Atheist." Mike McHargue is a Christian turned atheist turned follower of Christ. GC: I've seen you speak at atheist events, and you have a passion, and a powerful and distinctive speaking style, that clearly comes from your years of experience as a Pentecostal preacher. CNN Special Report: Atheists: Inside the World of Non-Believers. Jerry Coyne directs our attention to a harrowing, but important, article from The New York Times Magazine. Loftus is a former Christian evangelical apologist who became an atheist, and he tells us why in a detail and a depth worthy of the best atheist writers today. It is a profile of Jerry DeWitt, a former Pentecostal preacher … When a God-fearing pastor becomes a godless champion for faithlessness, love has grown cold. Joshua Harris, well-known Christian author, 'purity' advocate, renounces faith. In 1984, he publicly came out as an atheist. Pastor and TCP member Mike Aus featured on MSNBC's "Up with Chris Hayes" where he comes out as a non-believer on live television. A former evangelical preacher, spreads his atheist message.