Brian McLaren

Brian D. McLaren (born 1956) is a prominent, controversial Christian pastor who is a leading figure in the emerging church movement. He is the founding pastor of the Cedar Ridge Community Church in Spencerville, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with degrees in English (BA, summa cum laude, 1978, and MA, 1981). He taught English for several years and left academia in 1986 to found Cedar Ridge. He is controversial due to his less-than-traditional views on issues such as homosexuality, and is an outspoken advocate of issues such as social justice.