Brian McLaren on Becoming a New Kind of Christian and New Kind of Church

In these five episodes of Season 5, we’ll be meeting stunning spiritual entrepreneurs who are making a profound impact as they follow God’s call on their lives. They are the recipients of the 2022 Locke Innovative Leader Award.  To help us set the stage for these conversations, we begin with Brian McLaren! In book after book (his newest book Do I Stay Christian? comes out in May… we talk about it!), with startling clarity, he lays bare the deeply troubling and the fundamentally beautiful aspects of the church and what it means to be the Body of Christ in the world. Being human, being Christian, is messy and imperfect. Christ, have mercy. And still, God is good. And the Holy Spirit is at work in the world. Our conversation is as challenging as it is hopeful. May it spark new conversations, renewed hope, and new imagination for what is possible.   QUOTES “You realize for many people Christianity is defined by adherence to a set of beliefs. You can be a racist. You can be a bigot. You can be an abuser, but you’re still an orthodox Christian because of beliefs. So it just raises this question, what does this word even mean?” -Brian McLaren [19:20] “Don’t imitate. Innovate.” -Brian McLaren [34:43]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [00:45] Co-host Matt Russell [01:47] About the Locke Innovative Leader Award [04:21] About Brian McLaren [10:00] Brian’s faith journey [16:42] Defining the word, Christian [22:14] What it is to be a new kind of Christian [31:01] The role of leaders and spiritual entrepreneurs [40:39] Outro   RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS Brian McLaren’s newest book Do I Stay Christian? A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned, is coming out on May 24th but can be preordered now here. RSVP for the Locke Leader Virtual Event You are invited to attend a virtual event honoring the 2022 Tom Locke Innovative Leader Award recipients. Earlier this year, four extraordinary leaders received a surprising letter from our organization. Without their knowledge, each leader had been nominated and selected to receive the second annual Tom Locke Innovative Leader Award. We would be honored if you would join us to celebrate them at a virtual event on Sunday, May 22 at 5 pm CT / 6 pm ET. RSVP and find out more about the Locke Award at award.wesleyaninvestive.org. Expect to be inspired by their stories and filled with hope for the future of the church’s witness! (45 minute virtual event, register today!) This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at TMF and Wesleyan Investive. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high-capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. Subscribe to our Leadership Ministry emails here. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes?   Brian McLaren Bio Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is a faculty member of  The Living School and podcaster with Learning How to See, which are part of the Center for Action and Contemplation. He is also an Auburn Senior Fellow and is a co-host of Southern Lights. His newest books are Faith After Doubt released in January 2021, and his next release, Do I Stay Christian is coming out in May and can be preordered now.