Rev. Adam Hamilton

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Rev. Adam Hamilton is an evangelical megachurch pastor of one of the largest mainline Protestant churches in the United States, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City. He is known for his middle-of-the-road approach to divisive religious and political topics.

1 Political Stance
2 Abortion Controversy
3 Background
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Political Stance

Adam represents a growing segment of Christians in America who seek to hold together the best of the left and the right, in what some call the “radical center.” He reminds others that to be liberal means to be generous, open-minded, and always seeking reform – and that these are good qualities to possess as a Christian. Likewise, he notes that to be conservative means one preserves the treasures of the past, and does not easily set aside what has been passed on by our forbearers. Again, he notes that this is a good quality to possess. He describes himself as an "evangelical liberal" or a "liberal evangelical."

Not afraid to take on difficult or controversial ethical or theological issues, Adam has said that Jesus did not intend the Gospel to be a wedge in anyone’s culture wars, and that being "born again" should make Christians more, not less, loving toward others. His view on the "religious right":^[1]

"...gone too far. They've lost their focus on the spirit of Jesus and have separated the world into black and white, when the world is much more gray. I can't see Jesus standing with signs at an anti-gay rally. It's hard to picture that."

[edit] Abortion Controversy

Though he does not call himself "pro-choice," Adam believes that abortion should be available and legal. He prefers to call himself "pro-life with a heavy heart."^[2] He explains this in his book Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White. He believes that there are situations when it might be necessary to abort and that those instances should be very rare. The abortion debate, he says, has been too hot for too long, and that, as a Christian minister, his job is to try "to support people no matter what decision they make."

He believes pro-choice and pro-life advocates should join forces to reduce the number of abortions, through providing comprehensive sex education and by making contraceptives readily available. He has also expressed that the longer a pregnancy progresses, the more morally problematic an abortion becomes.

[edit] Background

Raised in a conservative Christian church environment, Adam received his undergraduate education at Oral Roberts University. It was there that he found himself searching for a broader approach to religion, ethics and politics. Ultimately he joined the United Methodist Church. Upon graduating with his B.A., he went on to pursue his Master of Divinity degree from Southern Methodist University, where he was awarded the senior award in Social Ethics before graduating in 1988. Today he is the chairman of the board of the Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City.

Adam is the author of eight books, including Confronting the Controversies: a Christian Looks at the Tough Issues, Christianity and World Religions, and his newest book, Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White: Thoughts on Religion, Morality and Politics.

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, founded in 1990, has grown to over 14,000 members and 8,000 people per weekend in attendance. Adam preaches five times each weekend, is a writer, is involved in missions, and speaks across the country teaching on leadership and preaching. Adam is married and has two daughters.