My letter to Hugh Hewitt:

Dear Hugh:

The other day you said that people should know about the pastors who blog--that said blogging is indicative of a pastor who is plugged in to the culture and that their churches deserved a shout-out.

So let me introduce myself. I'm Glenn Layne, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Temple City, CA. For the benefit of the Pittsburgh Steelers fans, Temple City is adjacent to Pasadena. Like you, I am an expatriate Buckeye here doing ministry here on the Left Coast. (Native Californians don't like to admit it, but this place would fall apart if it we're for us Midwesterners bringing Red State sensibility to the place. And yes, I thanked friends and relatives in Ohio for saving us all from Kerry.)

About me: BA in Poltical Science from Alderson-Broaddus College in WV; MA in Political Science from Ohio U; MDiv and DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological Semiary in Massachusetts. Married for 24 1/2 years to Lynann, two almost grown children.

Politics: center right. Long ago, a considered myself a conservative Democrat, but like Reagan said, I didn't move--the party did.

My blog can be found at www.durabledata.blogspot.com. No, I don't blog every day. Pastoral life makes that hard. I like to publish here columns I've written for the church newsletter, or I'll take an article from Drudge or maybe something you've linked, and I'll scatter my comments within it. I, like most of the Blogosphere, obsessed the 2004 election, and in my final call did very well: a week before projected a 51-47 win for Bush and only got one state wrong (WI).

I'll keep listening, you keep talking and we'll both keep it going.

Blessings,

Glenn Layne

PS. My church website is www.templecitybaptist.org.