The Clergy Query

In this episode, we visit Anne Armstrong who runs The Healing Church in West Greenwich. During our conversation, Anne (with some input from Alan Gordon) explains her belief in the centrality of cannabis to the Catholic tradition, and how it has enhanced and guided her own personal journey. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

As a pairing to last week's discussion with another Rhode Island non-profit, this week's episode focuses on Beata Mazen, the co-founder and ministry director at Women Supporting Women. Beata explains the unlikely origins of this organization, the unique opportunities of mobile food ministry, and what the plan is going forward. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

Charlie Doherty is the leader and founder (with his wife) of Cornerstone World Missions, an organization which ministers primarily to Afghan refugees living in Rhode Island. In this interview, Charlie describes his journey from ministering in India to building bridges here in America, and presents a picture of mission-work which centers on showing the loving of God through meaningful and genuine friendship. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

In this episode, we sit down with Rick Bringhurst, who pastors Stony Lane Church in North Kingstown, who shares his unexpected journey into the pastorate, his thoughts on Biblical counseling, and the unique merging of two churches into one at Stony Lane. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

Keith McNamar is the pastor of New Life Assembly, in Wakefield. In this episode, Pastor Keith shares his life-long relationship with the Assemblies of God fellowship, argues for the value and needs for pastors to have life experiences outside of their local church, and shares his deep love for The Lord of the Rings. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

Linda Forsberg is an ordained Lutheran minister who leads the Church Beyond the Walls, a street church ministry in Providence. She also teaches at Salve Regina University, and in this conversation, she discusses the unique challenges of operating as a woman in both church and university spaces, the interplay between liberal and conservative thought in the Christian world, and why she cares so much about poetry. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

In our first coffee shop episode, we meet Daniel Murphy, who pastors King's Grant Fellowship in Portsmouth. Over the course of the conversation, Daniel discusses the challenges and joys of being a bivocational pastor, shares his concerns for the young men in our society, and uses the word Titantron. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

In this episode, we sit down with Sean Bland, the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Newport. While repping his favorite Church Father hat, he shares his thoughts on the importance of early church thinkers, the emotional cost of preaching, and the unique challenges of a downtown church. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

Denetra Platts is the pastor of House of Praise and Prayer Worship Center, which she recently planted in Middletown. In this conversation, she describes her life as a "Bapticostal”, argues against the weaponization of theology, and helps clarify commonly-misunderstood charismatic terms. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

Tony Phelps is the pastor-again of Christ Our Hope Presbyterian Church. In this episode, he explained what brought him to this church in the first place, the journey away and back again, and why he believes placing Christ at the center of everything is the most important thing. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

In this week's episode, we talk with Adam Fagan-Kela, who is one of the elders at Graceway Church, in Middletown. Adam explains the unique modal of mobile churches which make up Graceway, shares his thoughts on what it means to be a church leader, and pushes back on what he sees as the wekanesses of the traditional modal of doing church. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

For this interview, I talk with Keith Cabral about the church he is planting in downtown Pawtucket. Pastor Keith describes his journey to becoming a church planter, his thoughts on how to balance the internal and external foci of the church, and his heart for the people of Pawtucket. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

In this episode, I sit down with one of my current pastors, Jim Sole. Pastor Jim has been at QBC for almost three decades, and, as he nears retirement, he has many thoughts to share on how to pastor gently, lovingly, and with meaningful care for the congregation. We are also joined by a mutual friend and mentor, Glenn Moore, who adds his own thoughts to the conversation. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

In this episode, we take a detour from our usual pastor interviews to talk to Greg Johnson, who leads Revive New England, a parachurch ministry focused on preparing churches for revival. If you'd like to learn more about Greg's work, you can visit his website at revivenewengland.org. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

Nicholas Fleming is the pastor at SS. John and James Catholic Church in West Warwick. In this episode, he explains the basic of Roman Catholic church hierarchy, shares his thoughts on the most important questions in the Catholic tradition, and argues for a deeper understanding of the work of Christ on the cross. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

In today's episode, we sit down with Andrew Mook, the pastor of Sanctuary Church in Providence. Andrew describes his heart for the city, his desire to prepare his church for whatever God has coming, and his hope for the future. To learn more about AlphaRI, check out their website at https://www.alphari.org/. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

In this episode, we talk with Father Michael Najim, who currently pastors the parish at St. Philip's Church, in Smithfield. During the course of our conversation, we discuss evangelism, the role of theology in church life, and the weight of the permanence of the priesthood. If you'd like to hear more from Fr. Najim, you can find his podcast online, entitled "Father Michael Najim's Homilies". For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

For almost 20 years, Father Bernard Doré has pastored at St. Paul the Apostle's Church. In this conversation, he describes his journey from his homeland in India to Rhode Island, with some fascinating stops along the way. He also expresses what he believes is the heart of Christianity, and tells how powerful it was to interact with Mother Theresa. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

In this episode, we chat David Harden, of Line Baptist Church in Foster. Over the course of the conversation, we discuss competitiveness in preaching, how to grow as a new pastor, and why every pastor should read the Dune series. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please visit our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com.

In today's episode, we sit-down with Lead Pastor Rick Moore and Associate Pastor Justin Duwiot from Hope Church, in Cranston. Together, they map out the history of Hope Church (formally known as Cranston Christian Fellowship) and describe their plans for the new phase of church growth. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please visit our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com.

In this episode, we chat with Tyler Brock, the Pastor of Summit Baptist Church in Coventry. Between discussions of higher education, angelology and cults, Pastor Brock shares his life story and expresses his thoughts on ministry in a small Rhode Island church. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please visit our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com.

Rev. Paul Grenon serves as the pastor at St. Joseph's Church in Scituate, RI. In this conversation, Father Grenon describes his long career in church ministry, and offers a glimpse into the deeply relational aspects of serving as a pastor in a local Roman Catholic parish. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.

Paul Rollins serves as the interim pastor at First Baptist Church of East Greenwhich. In this episode, Pastor Rollins talks about his history with church revitalization, and shares the wisdom he has gained from pastoring multiple small churches in Rhode Island. For more episodes like this one, or if you are a church leader in RI who would like to be interviewed, please check out our website at https://clergyquerypod.squarespace.com/.