For People with Bishop Rob Wright

Send us Fan MailDelay is one of the quickest ways to test what we really trust. When God’s timing does not match our urgency, we can start to panic, negotiate, or replace faith with something that feels more responsive. In Exodus, Moses is “delayed” on the mountain, and the newly freed community chooses a God made of gold because it feels available right now.In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about why God’s pacing and our pacing collide so often, and why that collision can bring out our most reactive selves. From self-soothing and control to the pull of familiar habits that are not life-giving, the wilderness exposes what we worship when we cannot see what comes next. They also name the “prison mindset” that can linger after liberation, when freedom is real, but uncertainty still feels like a cage. Listen in for the full conversation. Read For Faith, the companion devotional.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailConfidence can sound like having all the right answers. But what if real confidence is quieter and stronger: the settled kind that comes from knowing you’re held by God, not propped up by your resume? We find this in Philippians 3:4b–14, Paul’s blunt before-and-after story. He had lineage, learning, and religious credibility, yet he walks away from “earning” and toward a new center of gravity: the surpassing knowledge of God in Christ.In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Paul's shift, and why it matters for everyday faith and leadership. Spiritual disciplines give us the capacity to still make choices, but the order changes: God’s goodness comes first, and everything we do becomes response. That one reversal can change how we handle shame, how we think about self-worth, and how we stay steady in suffering without pretending life is easy. Listen in for the full conversation. Read For Faith, the companion devotional.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan Mail“Incline your ears” sounds gentle, but it is a direct challenge to the way most of us live. We say we want peace, wisdom, and healthy community, yet we often move through the day like we know better than God. Psalm 78 names a different path: humility as an active posture, a decision to bend our attention and our choices toward what is trustworthy and timeless.In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what Psalm 87  looks like in real life and in real leadership. As reading habits decline and attention gets fragmented, they make the case for biblical literacy that is personal, practical, and lived, not outsourced to a single hour on Sunday. They also push back on the false split between “heady” scripture study and embodiment. Whether you learn by reading, listening, or hearing the word spoken aloud, the real measure is application: do our priorities, budgets, conflicts, and relationships actually line up with what we say we believe? Listen in for the full conversation.Read For Faith, the companion devotional.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailTwo names most people have never heard may be the reason the Exodus story even has a future. Shiprah and Puah are Hebrew midwives trapped inside Pharaoh’s economy and Pharaoh’s fear, yet they refuse to participate in the empire’s violence. Their “no” is quiet, costly, and courageous, and it becomes the kind of leadership that erodes tyranny from the ground up. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about why this story still lands so hard right now, when so many of us feel worn down by loneliness, anxiety about the nation and economy, and the constant pull of the 24-hour news cycle. They talk about agency as a spiritual practice: controlling what we can control, resisting rage bait that produces no life, and choosing the most good we can do in the next 30 minutes. They also name a common trap, where planning and meetings can become a way to avoid the present, and we ask what it looks like to simply get up and do the right thing with the tools already in our hands. Listen in for the full conversation.Read For Faith, the companion devotional.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailYour words don’t just “slip out” when you’re stressed. They come from somewhere. Jesus shows us in Matthew 15: what goes into the mouth passes through, but what comes out reveals the heart and can defile, degrade, and damage the people around us. That idea lands like a mirror, especially if you care about faith, leadership, and the kind of community you’re building at home, at work, and in the world. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about spiritual maturity as the ability to critique and question your own thought patterns without spiraling into shame. Instead of living on a rushing river of emotion and reaction, they explore what it looks like to pause, reflect, and bring scripture into the process with honesty and humility. Jesus isn’t dismissing health or religious practice; he’s going deeper, pushing past external rule-keeping to the internal patterns that produce slander, blame, resentment, and unneighborly behavior. Listen in for the full conversation.Read For Faith, the companion devotional.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailThe scariest part of a storm isn’t always the wind and waves, it’s what fear convinces us we’re seeing. When the disciples spot Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14:22–33, they don’t call him their friend. They call him a ghost. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about anxiety, interpretation, and what steady faith looks like when life feels like it never stops testing you. Using the story found in Matthew, they discuss why Jesus says “It is I” before he says “Do not be afraid.” That order matters. Identity comes first, then courage. They connect that to faith and leadership, self-management, and the way fear can become a template we lay over God, other people, and even our own future. Listen in for the full conversation.Read For Faith, the companion devotional.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailScarcity is loud. It tells us there's not enough money, not enough compassion, not enough hope, and not enough time to help. In our final Summer Shorts episode, The Rev. Kenya Thompson, Vicar of Church of the Common Ground, offers a different narrative rooted in the miracle of Matthew 14:13–21, where Jesus feeds the 5,000. Miracles, she reminds us, are signs of God's presence breaking into ordinary life, revealing abundance where we assume there's only emptiness.In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Kenya about everyday miracles, Jesus' creativity, and what "enough" really looks like. Together, they explore practical ways to show up for our neighbors—especially the most vulnerable—even when we feel our own resources are limited. Listen in for the full conversation. Read For Faith, the companion devotional.Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Indianapolis, Kenya attended Howard University, graduating in 1992. She later earned a master’s in education from American University in 1996. For over 20 years, she worked in education, including as a high school guidance and college counselor for 15 years. Kenya joined St. George’s Episcopal Church in 1995 and was confirmed that year. After discerning a call to ministry, she earned her M.Div. from Candler School of Theology – Emory University and was ordained in 2018. Her time working in China deeply impacted her spiritually, as she witnessed God’s love through the kindness of strangers, even those not Christian. Since ordination, Kenya has served in various roles, including Vicar at Church of the Common Ground, Associate Rector at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church, and Director of Leadership Development at Emmaus House. She is passionate about caring for the forgotten and the unwelcome. She considers being a priest an honor and a blessing and looks forward to future opportunities to love and serve God.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailPain has a way of making everything feel personal, like the universe is singling you out. Holle Tubbs, diocesan youth missioner for the Diocese of Atlanta, joins us for our Summer Shorts series to talk about a different path: reaching for God without turning faith into a bargain for control.In this episode, Melissa and Holle explore the relationship between faith, humility, and a kind of grit that isn't defined by winning, but by refusing to give up. They also discuss vulnerability as intimacy, the hard work of depersonalizing pain, and the relief that comes when we can finally say, “This hurts,” without assuming it is punishment. Listen in for the full conversation.Read For Faith, the companion devotional.Holle Tubbs has served in formation ministry leadership since 2003, working in both nondenominational and Episcopal contexts. After spending several years in ministry in the Pacific Northwest, she returned to the South and began serving her hometown parish (St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Columbus, GA) as the Director of Youth Ministry & Media. She joined the Bishop’s Staff of the Diocese of Atlanta in 2021.In her diocesan role, Holle develops EYCDIOATL programs, supports and mobilizes youth ministers and young people, and partners with the Mikell Board of Governors to oversee the ministry of Mikell Camp & Conference Center in Toccoa, GA. She also leads The Keep/Watch Project, an Atlanta-based suicide prevention ministry offering curriculum and training for individuals, congregations, and faith-based organizations.Beyond the Diocese, Holle collaborates with ministry leaders across the Church to equip students, strengthen intergenerational ministry, and explore fresh ways to engage Gen Z/Gen Alpha. She is a partner with the Forma Network and serves on the Youth Ministry Council of Advice for The Episcopal Church. A passionate advocate for mental health and leadership development, Holle is committed to helping young people and their leaders thrive. Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailYou can ruin a garden by being too confident, and you can damage a church the same way. The Rev. Michael White joins us for our Summer Shorts series with a story that starts small, weeding a tidy plot, and lands right in the middle of Matthew 13: sometimes what we label a weed is actually the vine that is meant to grow. That simple mistake opens a bigger conversation about Christian community, belonging, and the temptation to do God’s sorting for God.In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Michael about why churches struggle with inclusion even when the sign says “all are welcome.” Michael names an uncomfortable truth: a lot of us don't like feeling awkward, so we drift toward people who look familiar, think like us, and fit our preferred style. But The Episcopal Church at its best is a community where whoever shows up gets to be part of the pilgrimage, and that wide embrace can shape us into richer, more grounded people with a deeper “tapestry” of relationships. Listen in for the full conversation. Read For Faith, the companion devotional.The Rev. Michael White currently serves as interim rector of St. Luke's Atlanta. Prior to serving at St. Luke's, Michael served as the 41st rector of Christ Church, Savannah. Founded in 1733, Christ Church is the oldest house of worship in the state of Georgia. Michael graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in May of 1995 and was ordained that same month. He has a certificate in Non-profit Management from Duke University. He completed the two-year Clergy Leadership Project sponsored by Trinity Wall Street and spent one year as a religious outreach advisor in the U.S. Senate. Michael has also completed a multi-year training offered by the Interim Ministry Network. Michael is married to The Rev. Helen Slingluff White. They have two sons, Ethan and Jay. Ethan is beginning his third year of study at Virginia Theological Seminary after serving as a youth minister at St. Stephen’s, Richmond and graduating from The University of the South: Sewanee. Jay is a recent graduate of Princeton University and now lives in Chicago pursuing an acting career.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailOver the next four weeks, For People will feature special guests from the Diocese of Atlanta: The Rev. Matt Babcock, The Rev. Michael White, Holle Tubbs, The Rev. Kenya Thompson for Summer Shorts. Each guest will write the For Faith weekly devotional and join For People host Melissa Rau to dive deeper into their reflections. Join us each week as they share their stories and insights.In the first guest episode, Melissa has a conversation with The Rev. Matt Babcock, vicar at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, on the parable of the reckless sower. Reflecting on Matthew 13, they call God the “reckless sower” because God keeps sowing hope, compassion, and grace even where no one expects life to grow. They discuss why the gospel isn’t asking us to obsess over outcomes, why the harvest remains a mystery, and how faith and leadership can look like simply dropping seeds and continuing to walk. Listen in for the full conversation. Read For Faith, the companion devotional.The Rev. Matt Babcock began his ministry with Holy Comforter on August 11, 2025. Matt was raised in central Louisiana and graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 2007, earning a BS in Agricultural Business. Following undergraduate studies, he moved to North Carolina, where he was introduced to The Episcopal Church. What began as volunteer service in a food pantry led to a rediscovery of the presence of God through the fruits of a community with a shared vision to live the Gospel. Serving alongside parishioners seeking to restore the dignity of God’s creation eventually led Matt to explore a desire to foster communities of love as he discerned his own call to ordained ministry.Prior to seminary, Matt had a rewarding career in commodities trading, risk management, finance, and banking. He graduated in 2019 from Yale Divinity School, having earned a Master of Divinity degree; he also earned a Diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School. Since seminary training, Matt has served in various positions in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, the Diocese of Chicago, and the Diocese of Atlanta. He is a Trinity Leadership Fellow and is currently pursuing a Doctor in Ministry at Candler School of Theology.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailUnconditional love gets talked about like it has no edges, but that kind of “anything goes” love can turn selfish and chaotic fast. Love has a shape. When we pay attention to Jesus’ words and actions, a pattern emerges that you can actually practice in real life, from conflict and apology to courage, sharing, forbearance, and justice. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Jesus’ teaching on love through John 14:15–21 and the Great Commandment. Together, they discuss what Christian maturity looks like when love is understood as a formative way of life rather than a mere sentiment or feeling. Listen in for the full conversation.Read For Faith, the companion devotional.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailThe loudest voices want you to believe the only way forward is to pick a side and dig in. Jesus shows us another way. In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Bishop Sarah Fisher, 9th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina, about a different kind of strength: the courage to stay centered on Jesus when everything around you begs for distraction. Bishop Sarah shares what it feels like to begin a brand-new bishop with 66 worshipping communities. They get honest about labels, social media noise, and why identity can be both something to honor and something that cannot be the headline. The headline, if we’re reading the bible right, is that Jesus is Lord and the Church is called to witness to good news in the 21st century.They dig into why church matters right now, when people feel worn down by division, war, and purposelessness, and start looking again for meaning and community. From Flannery O’Connor’s “truth makes you odd” to Walter Brueggemann’s “dangerously odd,” they explore how Christian leadership offers an alternative to the status quo without doing harm. They close with a shared anchor verse, Ephesians 3:20, and the invitation to stay astounded by what God can do “infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” Listen in for the full conversation. In no particular order, Bishop Fisher loves Jesus, the Church, organization and congregational development, poetry, Holy Scripture, her family in all of its delightful and quirky forms, thrift stores, singing, practicing and teaching yoga, vegetables, laughter, playing in the kitchen and sharpie markers.She hopes to love, in as much as it is possible, the way that Jesus loves; to serve the Church with fierce compassion and care; to learn as long as it’s possible. She seeks to see and respond to the needs of the world, specifically with an eye to racial injustice; to love those who the world casts to the margins; to use her voice to heal and never harm.Bishop Fisher is a native of Athens, Georgia and has served parishes in the Diocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Atlanta. She and her spouse and best beloved, Mandy, who is an Episcopal priest, live in New Bern, where they frequently function as human tennis ball dispensers to their two black labs, Bayton and Maggie.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailJesus does not look at a hurting world and offer merely technical solutions. He sees the deeper wound, speaks to the heart of it, and sends ordinary people to carry hope into ordinary places. In Matthew 9:35–10:8, Jesus shows us three kinds of sheep: the harassed and helpless, the lost, and those sent among wolves. At every intersection of life, this passage asks us to decide who we will be.In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Jesus’ image of three kinds of sheep as a way of understanding the spiritual crossroads many of us face. They discuss shepherdless sheep who feel harassed and helpless, and lost sheep who may be surrounded by faith language yet still feel untethered from meaning and the good news. From rising despair to uncertain truth, the conversation lands squarely in the realities many of us know well—especially when life seems to be moving faster than our spiritual resources can keep up. Together, they consider how Jesus meets people at the point of their deepest need and sends ordinary people to carry hope into a weary world.Then they turn toward the sent sheep. They reflect on what it means to be commissioned under Jesus’ authority, sent like sheep among wolves, and called to public witness that can carry real consequences. Bishop Wright offers a practical image of a “script” that works like jazz: a clear melody for discipleship with faithful improvisation shaped by the moment, your workplace, your family, and your community. Listen in for the full conversation. Read For Faith, the companion devotional.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailHunger rarely looks like the stereotype. Sometimes it looks like a parent who works full-time but cannot make childcare and groceries fit in the same month. Sometimes it looks like grandparents raising grandchildren, a family navigating a health crisis, or someone who just lost a job and needs help for a season. Loving like Jesus means serving those who are the most vulnerable in real and tangible ways. In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Ashley and Sean Davis about the real faces of food insecurity and why a food pantry can be a lifeline without ever stripping away dignity. Their story starts with a major health issue that forced Ashley to step back from a corporate banking career and ask a hard question: what kind of work actually helps people? This discerning question led them to sell their California home, move to Cartersville, Georgia, and search for a place where they could stop feeling anonymous and start building community. That search led them to The Episcopal Church of the Ascension, where everything “felt right,” and soon after to the Red Door Food Pantry, where Ashley became executive director in 2024. They dig into the measurable impact and the human impact and how The Red Door Food Pantry grew from a ministry of Ascension into a nonprofit while continuing distributions through the church, and serving thousands of households across Bartow County and beyond. They discuss improving access through technology, mobile pantry plans, and partnerships that bring mental health support, housing resources, health services, and recovery connections right to distribution days. Listen in for the full conversation. About the Red Door Food Pantry:For decades, the food pantry was an outreach ministry of the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, and it distributed the same 8-10 items of food every week to about 30-50 people. Purchasing food at retail prices required the food pantry to use restricted funds to meet budgetary needs. Thus, the food pantry was “in the red,” with only about 10 months of operating expenses to fall back on. However, by joining the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) in 2013, the Red Door Food Pantry was able to buy food for about sixteen cents a pound– thus giving it greater buying power and by helping it attain solvency. In 2022, the Red Door Food Pantry was designated 501(c)(3) status as a public charity. Learn more and give here.From the archives: Read an article from our diocese about the Red Door Food Pantry and partnerships, including our own Episcopal Community Foundation.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailThis episode is Bishop Rob Wright’s sermon from the ordination and consecration of Bishop Sarah Fisher, ninth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina, given on May 23. In his sermon, Bishop Wright answers an important question: what is a bishop for? You’ll hear a clear, memorable vision of Episcopal leadership as itinerant service, scripture-shaped preaching, guarding the faith, and doing “balcony” work that spots patterns and faces the challenges we’d rather avoid. The hat doesn’t make the leader. The work does. Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailTogetherness is not a warm slogan, it’s the only way we meet the scale of what’s in front of us. From the start, we press on a simple question: how do you remember the past honestly without letting it turn into bitterness? In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Senator Jon Ossoff about faith, leadership, and what it takes to build a better world when the headlines feel like a steady stream of bad news. Ossoff traces his moral education through the legacy of Congressman John Lewis and the civil rights movement in Georgia, including the historic alliance between Black and Jewish communities in the South. He shares the powerful symbolism of being sworn into the US Senate on scripture belonging to Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, the Atlanta rabbi whose temple was bombed in 1958 for supporting Dr. King and the SCLC. They discuss what interfaith coalition building looks like when it’s real, not performative, and why serious faith traditions should pull us alongside each other when the stakes are high. Listen in for the full conversation. Born and raised in Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff serves as our Senior United States Senator. Since his election, Sen. Ossoff has built bipartisanship in the Senate to achieve meaningful legislative results for Georgia — even in a divided Congress. In his first two years in office, Sen. Ossoff passed into law more standalone bills than any other freshman Senator. Sen. Ossoff’s legislative achievements include laws to protect children online; to strengthen public safety; to tackle the opioid epidemic and prevent fentanyl trafficking across the Southern Border; to investigate unsolved lynchings and Civil Rights murders; to strengthen mental health care services for veterans; and to fight corruption and improve security in U.S. prisons. Mentored by civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis, Sen. Ossoff previously led a small business that produced investigative journalism exposing war crimes, public corruption, human trafficking, and organized crime. Sen. Ossoff lives with his wife, Dr. Alisha Kramer, and two daughters in Atlanta.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailLove sounds simple until you try to practice it with someone who won’t return it, someone who betrays you, or someone whose decisions harm people you care about. That’s where Dorothy Day’s language hits with force: “God is love,” and love doesn’t just soothe fear, it casts fear out. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright use Day’s quote as a doorway into a grounded conversation on Christian love, faith and leadership, and what it means to follow Jesus when the world feels tense, divided, and exhausted.  They discuss the uncomfortable gap between sentimental love and what we actually deliver to each other. Bishop Wright names the cost of love that isn’t contingent on someone else’s goodness, gratitude, or agreement and why that kind of love often feels unrequited. They dig into the difference between belief and opinion: belief is rooted in being beloved by God, then living like it. That includes the hard questions, like how to hold dignity and respect for people you deeply disagree with while still working against policies and behaviors that harm others. Listen in for the full conversation.Read For Faith, the companion devotional.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailThis week, we celebrate 300 episodes of For People! 300 episodes in, we’re still surprised by what happens when you pair a simple setup with a clear purpose: offer people a Jesus-shaped invitation that doesn’t rely on shame, fear, or gatekeeping. In this milestone episode, Bishop Wright sits down with producer and co-founder Easton Davis to share behind-the-scenes stories from the early days and reflect on how For People grew from a small investment into a podcast with 400,000 downloads, reaching listeners in thousands of cities across 184 countries.They discuss candidly why digital evangelism matters right now and how online spaces have become the new front door of the church. For many, a short-form video or a podcast is the first step toward faith, especially for those who have only heard harmful theology that says they are not enough. We dig into what it looks like to communicate the gospel with clarity, creativity, and consistency, and why we believe scripture can be shared in ways that respect questions, nuance, and real life. Listen in for the full conversation.Easton serves as Canon for Communications and Digital Evangelism for the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, where he has been a member of the Bishop’s Staff since 2015. Since 2020, in his current role, he has helped shape the diocese’s voice and presence across digital platforms. A passionate storyteller, Easton believes deeply in the power of the visual arts to connect, inspire, and share the Gospel.Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright. 

Send us Fan MailWaiting for people to show up at church can feel polite, safe, and even faithful, but it may be the quickest way to lose real connection. In this episode, Bishop Rob Wright has a conversation with The Rev. Joseph Yoo, an Episcopal priest and creator known for talking about God with rare plainness, to explore what it looks like to take the Great Commission seriously as “come and see” and “go therefore” instead of “wait and welcome.”Joseph shares his journey as a Korean immigrant kid raised in a family where ministry is almost a birthright, and how seminary forced him to sort out what belonged to his parents’ expectations versus what belonged to his own call. They get practical: Joseph explains why he started posting on TikTok and Instagram, why he wears a collar out in public to normalize faith, and what mainline churches can learn about speaking to people who are not already insiders. The grounded takeaway is simple and demanding: get local, learn names, show up, and bless someone today by helping them breathe easier, even for a moment. Listen in for the full conversation.Joseph Yoo currently works as a Church Planter and Episcopalian priest at Mosaic Episcopal Church in Pearland, Texas. He has served as a member of the clergy in multiple states in the US, including Hawaii and California. Born in Korea in 1980, he immigrated to the United States in 1986 and has lived in multiple states throughout his childhood and adult life. He received his BA in Psychology from the University of Hawaii, Manoa in 2003 and his M.Div from Wesley Theological Seminary in 2006. He got his priesthood in 2021 from the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. He currently lives with his wife and family in Pearland. Learn more about Joseph: https://josephyoo.com/Support the showFollow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright.