Ten Years of Tekton

[jpholding]

http://tektonforge.blogspot.com/2011...of-tekton.html

On this day ten years ago -- give or take a day or two; my memory isn't that precise -- Tekton took a headlong jump from part time pastime to full time ministry. As a sort of observation, here are some reflections on those past ten years.

What was the nature of the decision to pursue full time ministry, in retrospect? It was more of a risk than had been expected at the time: The actual decision to pursue ministry full time was one I had made only days before the World Trade Center disaster, and at that moment, the world seemed a safer place to most people. Economically, there was no sign we were in for several years in which we would have especially lean tidings. I imagine many people would have rethought their decision in light of those events.

Would I have made the same decision had this all be foreknown to me? Yes, I certainly would have, though I'm also fairly sure I would have planned things differently. Out of the past ten years, there have been four so far in which the ministry's finances have touched on bleak, and only two in which such worries were far from consideration. It’s too early to tell what 2012 will be like, but there are a couple of unhealthy signs ahead. Tekton has been -- probably always will be -- a shoestring operation; it's the sort of ministry that inevitably relies on assistance that is transient and sporadic, and is often the first sort of thing on the chopping block when someone's personal finances need trimming. That's just the way it is -- and it's the result of the low priority our churches have placed on education and the emphasis they have placed on experience. (It's too bad apologetics doesn't give people an emotional high, isn't it?)

I suppose I could change that some -- by making Tekton something it isn't, by compromising certain pinciples. Not something immoral, of course: I mean, for example, that I could solicit for and accept live debate challenges, which tend to be relatively significant paydays. And by now more than a few atheists would relish the chance to (so they think!) take a bite of my hide, so that'd be a considerable source of income.

But no, that's not temptation enough, sorry. I accepted a debate with Richard Carrier so that my beloved could see, probably for the final time, an elderly uncle in his 80s who lived nearby; nothing else is enough to waver the principles that I hold when it comes to thinking live debate a useless sideshow that teaches people nothing. (She has one other uncle, but -- sorry, atheists -- he's somewhat younger and not in bad health. Check with me again in 10 years.) And besides, I've had it with extended travel for a while, too.

There have been a lot of changes in ten years. For example, I'm typing this entry on a notebook computer that didn't even exist in 2001. Tekton is also doing a lot of work today on the making of films for YouTube -- which in 2001 didn’t even exist, and would not for another 4 years. One of Tekton's first projects immediately after the switch to full time was a response to "cowboy" atheist Scott Bidstrup -- who today is still around, but still has the same versions of his articles up that I addressed in 2002, and also doesn’t seem to have written on the subject of Christianity any further after that. Bidstrup is just one of several opponents who have sunk into the woodwork since then; while of course others have risen to take their place. (The quality of opposition hasn't improved, though -- if anything they've gotten worse, and that's amazing when you consider that Farrell Till was in that earlier set.)

Beyond the ministry, there's also been a delightfully heavy chunk of freelance work for other ministries. When I'd made the switch to full time, I'd had one article for the Christian Research Journal, with one more in process: not by any stretch would I have imagined that the number of articles would reach two dozen (along with other articles for my friends in creationist ministry, and a few other places). There's also been unexpected as well as humbling recognition in the form of references (citations) in books by persons I never expected recognition from when all this first started: Lee Strobel, Daniel Block, Wayne House, Daniel Howard-Snyder, Robert Stacy McCain. There have been references in some very odd places as well: Perhaps the oddest of all, Tekton's article on Esther is referenced in a book by Matthew Stroud titled Plot Twists and Critical Turns: Queer Approaches to Early Modern Spanish Theater. If you'd told me in 2001 that there'd be a reference like that, I'd have probably suggested a place for you in a mental health facility.)

In all, rather unexpected for a shoestring operation that to this day operates out of one corner of a second bedroom. It remains to be seen what changes and morphings the next ten years will bring, but this much can be said: What has happened has exceeded my expectations, and what remains to be accomplished will be a matter of exploring new ground. I'd like to continue to put out books, whether e-books or standard print; I've also set a goal of having more YouTube apologetics vids on my channel than any other channel with an apologetics focus. That may not be hard; I've seen no channel with more than a few hundred such vids, though it is hard to count at times because some of them also upload personal vids on their channel. It would also be nice to drive a few more atheists there into submission. But it's likely TektonTV will reach 100 vids by the end of the year, and I'd like to reach at least 1000. With the current level of production, that will happen well before the end of the next ten years.

At the very least -- it'll be interesting!

***

I imagine there's so much more I could put in here, but I think it would be only right to let everyone else have a turn to put in some thoughts too. There's just too much that could be said -- about TWeb, of course, but also about the literally hundreds of people I've kept in touch with over the years (including a few from as far back as 1996).

So, feel free to post whatever thoughts, memories, and ideas come to mind after a whole decade of doing this ministry full time. (Yes, even you whiny atheists can post...you'll be regarded with the usual respect you earn. )

[Hamster]

Has it been ten years already? Man I feel old...

[jpholding]

Has it been ten years already? Man I feel old...

Yep. Though if you add the PT work, it's actually been 15 years since I started doing any kind of online ministry. And I think you were one of the earliest contacts, too.

[Leonhard]

Congratulations mr. H.

[Benson Shays]

I used to get nervous when I saw titles like "The Skeptics Guide to the Bible" in the bookstore. Now I just giggle. Thanks, JP.

nothing else is enough to waver the principles that I hold when it comes to thinking live debate a useless sideshow that teaches people nothing.

No, no, no. This is all wrong. I had a number of people ask me about tekton material and where to find it following your trip out here. We're also putting together another debate and a number of churches want to be involved, all because of your naval battle with Carrier. So give yourself more credit, jerk.

[Sparko]

congratulations!

[jpholding]

No, no, no. This is all wrong. I had a number of people ask me about tekton material and where to find it following your trip out here. We're also putting together another debate and a number of churches want to be involved, all because of your naval battle with Carrier. So give yourself more credit, jerk.

Snort. Credit yourself -- an involved organizer makes all the difference. Besides, on reflection, I think what Carrier and I had was closer to a panel discussion than a debate. If it had been Sam Harris rather than Carrier...well, we won't go there...

[RumTumTugger]

I remember when I first saw your posts on AOL even then I knew you weren't going to let the Atheists off the hook as they tried to frame the discussion in a way that they would win. Then finding the bookshelf where your writings were, that was more then 10 years ago. I was so happy that even though the Bookshelf was no longer around that you were still there on your own site still kicking Fundy Atheists,, Non Christian's Derrieres. Remember the reader that sent you the Pisonut's conspiracy nonsense?

Congratulations.

[jpholding]

I remember when I first saw your posts on AOL even then I knew you weren't going to let the Atheists off the hook as they tried to frame the discussion in a way that they would win. Then finding the bookshelf where your writings were, that was more then 10 years ago. I was so happy that even though the Bookshelf was no longer around that you were still there on your own site still kicking Fundy Atheists,, Non Christian's Derrieres. Remember the reader that sent you the Pisonut's conspiracy nonsense?

Congratulations.

Thanks...I had forgotten it was you who sent me that. Now I remember who to punish, but not how.

J/K of course, I think dealing with that was inevitable...although you emailed me about it, I knew about them back in the 80s when I was scanning Humanist magazine at the Orlando Library.

I wasn't on AOL that long but I still have a few contacts from there -- not just you, but a guy named Mike Shelton (forgot his username there) who wrote one of the chapter answers to McKinsey's EBE and a couple of other things. I also hear from Kevin Closson (KClos, followed by numbers) now and then, he wrote a couple of things for me too.

The AOL Skeppies on there like Snakepiper and Kornform...not sure if they're still around, but I know Gary Butner is -- this'll stir some memories:

http://www.errantskeptics.org/Smallest-Seed.htm

[Sparko]

And JP, you were the one who got me to tweb...

I was hanging out on the usenet groups and looked up something to back up some point I was making and found your website and theologyweb. That was back in 2004.

So you are to blame, er congratulate, on getting me here.

[ukchristian28]

Congratulations J.P. Tekton has become a wonderful ministry and long may it live.

[jpholding]

And JP, you were the one who got me to tweb...

I was hanging out on the usenet groups and looked up something to back up some point I was making and found your website and theologyweb. That was back in 2004.

So you are to blame, er congratulate, on getting me here.

That's it, blame the victim.


As a nice bonus, I just found a new reference to the site...Alex MacFarland lists it as a resource in here:

http://www.amazon.com/10-Answers-Ske...9136716&sr=1-1

[One Bad Pig]

10 years? Dang. I remember your announcement too. Naturally, it's your fault I'm here.

Congrats!

[RumTumTugger]

10 years? Dang. I remember your announcement too. Naturally, it's your fault I'm here.

Congrats!

yeah it is J.P's fault I'm here also.

[Sparko]

This seems to be turning into a blame thread.