"Ask the Pastor" began as a weekly newspaper column in the Sunday Newsboy of Jasper, Texas. The Rev. Walter P. Snyder, Jr. began writing for the paper's inaugural edition in September of 1995. What the News-Boy hoped for was a two-way street: People would be amused, confused, encouraged, or challenged by what they read, and they, in turn, would write in with their own questions.

Since Pastor Snyder's move to Emma, Missouri in 1999, "Ask the Pastor" has been picked up by the Concordian of Concordia, Missouri, as well as continuing to be distributed via the Internet, through discussion groups such as CAT 41's Table Talk . Pastor Snyder maintains copyright on the columns, allowing them to be copied and used according to the notice attached to each.

And Now...Ask The Pastor appears in an 'extended' form as a service of Confess And Teach For Unity! What space limitations won't allow in a newspaper setting is now provided through a 'moderated' email group--extended clarification of what concerns you and what the Bible says about it...but with a small enough volume of mail that you won't feel like you're drwoning in it (at least not because of us!).

Pastor Snyder and Confess And Teach For Unity have assembled a staff of pastors to assist in this endeavor, so that when a point just doesn't seem to 'click', you will have the benefit of a fresh approach by other staff members who are committed to the same Scriptural teaching.

Use the following links to:

Begin receiving Ask the Pastor via email;

To Ask the Pastor a question for his column;

To Ask the Pastor a followup question;

Enter the Ask the Pastor column archives.

NOTE: While this extended discussion forum is now being used for followup in conjunction with the column , there are no separate print and online versions of the regular "Ask the Pastor" column itself--the online version is the same copyrighted column that appears in the Newsboy . The questions received, whether in person, by mail, or through the Internet, are evaluated and used according to the strict criteria Pastor Snyder has set for the column:

1.Ask good, clear questions on matters concerning churches, ministers, personal faith the Scriptures, and such.

2.Be specific. Don't be so specific that you will harm another's reputation or bring public shame upon yourself.

3.Give me some idea of who you are in "real life." Even if you remain anonymous in the column, I can check to make sure that "you" are "really you," and not an imposter. We won't print any names unless specifically asked to.

4.I'd rather not play "stump the Pastor." It will be more enjoyable for me (and probably for you) if we use this as a time to learn and grow together, rather than playing Obscure Bible Trivia.

5.Questions will be answered based upon available space, interest to the reading public, interest to this writer, and general suitability.

To give you some idea of the scope of the column, issues we've discussed include justice, Sabbath and Sabaoth, gossip, homosexuality, original sin, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, chicken pox, sports, computing and the Internet, humor, holidays, church nomenclature, prayer, politics, virtue, beer, and more. To see these columns,