Episode 323: Second Place Candidates and Second Seminary Degrees

After a few weeks off, we’re finally back behind the microphones and there’s plenty to catch up on.Tim can officially talk about Lakeview hiring a new associate pastor, including what the search process was like and the surprisingly difficult reality of calling candidates to tell them they finished second. Pastoral ministry apparently now includes HR, recruiting, and emotionally complicated phone calls.Andrew spent last weekend in Dallas for his second graduation from Dallas Theological Seminary and, unlike the first time, he actually showed up for this one. Growth. Maturity. Airfare.Meanwhile, Tim’s ordination is only a month away, and he’s beginning to question why Andrew is asking such deeply personal theological and ministry questions. Somewhere between “describe your prayer life” and “what books are you reading,” the process started feeling less like ordination prep and more like a pastoral FBI interview.Last night, both guys participated in their friend Adam Powers’ D.Min graduation celebration, which somehow turned into the launch of an entirely new competition: figuring out who is actually the funniest pastor in the friend group. Results remain disputed.It’s a catch-up episode full of hiring updates, seminary milestones, ordination prep, and middle-aged men trying very hard to out-joke each other.