The Living Church Podcast

Mission and discipleship are connected at the root. Today we’re going to explore some of those connections, not only through our guest’s own life, but also through her experience with particular discipleship programs, as well as what she’s learned through a first career as a geographer and her husband’s career as a mechanic.Our guest today is the Rt. Rev. Dr. Eleanor Sanderson. Eleanor is Bishop of Hull in the Diocese of York and was previously the Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Wellington, New Zealand. She serves on the Anglican Communion Commission for Discipleship and Evangelism and has a passion for the renewal of God’s church through multiplying missional disciples and intentional communities.Today we talk about personal journeys: backpacking, bus rides, and the multifaceted adventure of coming to Christ. We also talk about helping guide others along the way, and how evangelism and community map onto the geography of discipleship and formation.We’ll also look at a practical apprenticeship model of discipleship she calls “discipleship coaching.” She suggests some excellent resources and describes their powerful but simple format, including Mustard Seed ministries and Discovery Bible Studies.And at the end of this episode, stay tuned for a new bonus segment!For today’s bonus segment, we chat with the Rev. Shahzad Gill, Senior Chaplain to the Moderator Bishop of the Church of Pakistan, and Presbyter in Charge of the National Church of Pakistan. With all the anxiety over Christian influence and power in politics and society in the U.S., what it’s like to be an Anglican in a place where Christians are hardly the majority? Shahzad tells a story about family and resilience.From this episode:Mustard Seed discipleship Discovery Bible Studies From the ads:Give to support the Living ChurchRegister for Radiant PagesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Today’s Newsdesk episode covers developments in Gafcon’s Global Anglican Communion, a Rwandan bishop jailed for grazing cattle on church property, and a new, and possibly unique, church growth survey looking for “bright spots” in Episcopal ministry.We also enjoy a bonus segment at the end that includes some Eastertide treats, including book recommendations and recipes.See below for related articles, essays, and resources, including corresponding goodies from our bonus segment.Podcast host and Director of Programs Amber Noel is joined by the Rev. Mark Michael, Editor in Chief of The Living Church magazine, and the Rev. Dr. Matthew Olver, Executive Director and Publisher of the Living Church.For more, consider subscribing to The Living Church magazine, the only independent news voice covering the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion.From this episode:Gafcon, Global Anglican Communion, and Abuja Affirmation:(Award-winning podcast episode) https://livingchurch.org/podcasts/questions-for-gafcon/(Articles and essays)https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/heres-who-leads-the-global-anglican-communion/https://livingchurch.org/covenant/abuja-series-1/https://livingchurch.org/covenant/a-confessional-solution-but-what-about-the-nairobi-cairo-proposal/https://livingchurch.org/covenant/the-abuja-affirmation-an-anglican-communion/https://livingchurch.org/covenant/abuja-series-goddard-responds-to-avis/https://livingchurch.org/covenant/a-fretful-future-gafcons-reordering-of-the-communion-part-1/Rwandan bishop and cattle grazing:https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/jailed-rwandan-bishop-pleads-for-justice/https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/jailed-rwandan-bishop-released/New church growth survey:https://livingchurch.org/news/news-episcopal-church/churchwide-surveys-seeks-bright-spots-for-growt…Eastertide treats:Travel books by Patrick Leigh FermorLamb chop “lollipop” recipeElderflower gin + tonic (Don’t forget to add lemon!)From the ads:Give to support this podcastSubscribe to The Living ChurchRegister for Radiant PagesJoin the mission at Saint Francis MinistriesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What’s your school of prayer? Where did you learn to pray? How do you continue to deepen your prayer life? Whose prayer life do you want to have when you grow up? How do you want the example of your prayer life, or the fruits of it, to be a gift to others?Today’s conversation is about how prayer affects our leadership, and how our pastors’ prayer lives affect us. Whether you are the leader of a congregation, staff, or a person in the pew, our show today is a fascinating, and at times moving, analysis of how healthy leadership, staff culture, and church health are deeply intertwined with the prayer lives of the leaders.Our conversation isn’t based on formal research, but from the lived perspective of one priest and what he’s observed in the different churches and rectors he’s served.Our guest today is the Rev. John D. Sundara. John is vice rector at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. Previous appointments include St. Martin's, Houston, and Church of the Incarnation, Dallas.We’ll talk about things like:The importance of sharing your prayer life with the people you serve.Appropriate vulnerability and rejecting ego.How a culture of prayer creates room for discussion, disagreement, and decision-making.Ways that prayer nurtures a trusting and confident staff culture.The gifts and limitations of the prayer book for carrying us in a life of prayer.John also shares about his journey, and times when prayer has been agonizingly difficult. How does God show up when praying is the last thing you want to do?Now whether you are a newbie or long time student in the school of prayer; sailing along or bottomed out; charismatic, Catholic, evangelical, or somewhere else on the map; if you’re interested in what it can mean to lead from a place of prayer, this episode is for you. We hope you enjoy the conversation.From this episode:This episode is made possible in part by a special bequest from the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer.“Prayer Drives Congregational Growth” by John SundaraWith Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew MurrayFrom the ads:Give to support this podcastJoin the mission at Saint Francis MinistriesAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Who is Archbishop Sarah Mullally? And what might we expect from her ministry?Augustine of Canterbury was sent by Pope Gregory in 597 on mission to re-evangelize Britain and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. Incase you haven’t heard, Anglicans have made world news for electing as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury the first woman to serve in the role, former Bishop of London, the Most Rev. Sarah Mullally. Archbishop Sarah is coming into the role at a time of many tensions and possible changes within the Anglican Communion, including what the ABC's role should actually be and what shape the church might take under the continued pressures of disagreement over what it means to be faithful to the gospel today.Our editor in chief, the Rev. Dr. Mark Michael, sat down with Dr. Andrew Atherstone, who has just published the definitive biography of Archbishop Sarah called (very appropriately) Archbishop Sarah Mullally: A Biography.They talk about:Why she was the “dark horse” of the ABC race the bookies didn’t initially bet on.Why Andrew calls her a “trailblazer” and a “pioneer.”How 20 years in a south-side evangelical church and a 20-year career as a nurse shape her leadership.What we learn from a collection of her parish sermons.And how we might anticipate her role in the Anglican Communion’s approach to euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and other divisive issues.Andrew is Professor of Modern Anglicanism at the University of Oxford, and Tutorial Fellow and Latimer Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He is a prolific writer and biographer of the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.We hope you enjoy the conversation.From this episode:Archbishop Sarah’s websiteArchbishop Sarah Mullally: A Biography by Andrew AtherstoneArchbishop Justin Welby: Risk Taker and Reconciler by Andrew AtherstoneEcclesiastical History of the English People and other books by the Venerable BedeLiving in Love and Faith processFrom the ads:Advertise with TLC: [email protected]/resourcesGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How should Anglicans feel about AI? But first: what the heck is it?Our guests today tackle one of the toughest topics of our time head on, from both a theological and technical perspective.What is AI? Is it unprecedented? What can AI currently, actually, do? Should Christians accept, or resist? As Christians, it’s often hard to know whether to embrace new technology. If we get worked up or freaked out, is it about the right things? Where might we still need to fill in gaps in our knowledge or our discipleship? Are we living in The Matrix? Or can we let the robots help, sometimes, and still insist on fully human lives?Our guests today are Arlie Coles and the Rt. Rev. Dr. George Sumner.Arlie is a lay Anglican from the Diocese of Dallas who writes about modern Episcopal history and polity. She is also a machine-learning researcher serving on General Convention’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property and a reporter for the Living Church.Bishop George is retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and former Principal of Wycliffe Theological Seminary.The Rev. Dr. Matthew Olver, Executive Director of the Living Church, joins Amber Noel as co-host.We talk about:How AI taps into our instincts for communication, mystery, and relationship.How this both increases its usefulness and gives us the creeps.What AI is good for and not good for (spoiler, not writing sermons).Pastoral concerns about spiritual influence, addiction, and human dignity.Whether we need an Anglican “Prayer Before Using AI.”Why you might want to go full Star Trek and rename your Alexa “Computer” so you’re less likely to mistake a tool for a person.The forms and capacities of human tools are not neutral— a steak knife, an AR-15, and a Ouija board do not carry the same potential for moral or immoral use— but, like the idols of old, do AI tools, which have “screens but see not, algorithms but feel not,” receive the power and significance they have only from the power and significance we give them?One of the biggest dangers of AI comes from one of humanity’s greatest gifts: language and its use in relationships.We hope you enjoy the conversation.From this episode:Living Church articles on AI“AI as Normal Technology” by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash KapoorAgainst the Machine by Paul KingsnorthInterview with Paul Kingsnorth and Ross Douthat about AIFind Nathan Jennings’ 6-part preaching series on our online journal, CovenantFrom the ads:Advertise with TLC: [email protected] us with a proposed "Prayer Before Using AI": [email protected]/resourcesGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In this episode, we learn from neuroscience to explore questions in theology and ministry.When we talk about the brain, we think of the intellect, private processes, perception—even as the center or source of the self. And the brain is one important place where “self” happens.But what if all our private, individualized function, in fact our very life, depends much more on exterior factors, like eye contact and physical touch? What if the center of what it means to be human, or even to be yourself, is not in your head but very much outside it?How can what scientists are learning about the brain open up theological anthropology, pastoral care, and how we read Scripture?Our guest today is Dr. Rodney Wilson. Rod is associate professor of psychology at Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA, with a specialty in clinical neuropsychology. He also works in hospitals and with patients who have dementia syndrome and their families, with one foot in the classroom and one in the clinic.We talk today about neuroplasticity and the “renewing of the mind”; how we’re never so much “in our heads” as in relationships; how the temperature of your coffee or the smell of a charcoal fire can affect your ability to know truth and build trust; and what the brain teaches us about our limits and the mystery of love.If this episode piques your interest, and you have further questions about the brain and Christian life or leadership, Rod welcomes you to get in touch with him. Please see the link to his website below.Now hold on to your hats, and we hope you enjoy this enlightening conversation.From this episode:Curt Thompson’s booksDan Siegel and interpersonal neurobiologyGet in touch with Rod to learn more or with any questionsFrom the ads:Livingchurch.org/resourcesGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How does the 1662 Book of Common Prayer hold Anglicans together today?What book of common prayer book do you use? And why? Whichever it is, and however you relate to other Anglicans, all of our common prayer books share one ancestor which still binds us together today, more closely than we might realize.Today we’re going back to the roots of your Anglican prayer book: the great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandaddy of all Anglican prayer books, the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.The 1662 wasn’t technically the first book of common prayer in England. So why is it the standard by which so many Anglicans today measure and revise their prayer books? Where did it come from? What makes it stand the test of time? How was it controversial, even divisive, in its own day? And how has it helped bring Christians together since?Our guest is Dr. Drew Nathaniel Keane. Drew is a lecturer in English at Georgia Southern University and managing editor of The Anglican Way. He is the co-author, along with Samuel Bray, of How to Use the Book of Common Prayer and co-editor with the same of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition. He’s also currently co-authoring a commentary on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer with IVP Academic.Now let’s get down the family album, blow off the dust, and hear some tales from a fascinating and crucial chapter in our Anglican story. Family is indeed stranger than fiction. We hope you enjoy the conversation.This episode is made possible in part by a special bequest from the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer.From this episode:More about Drew's workHow to Use the Book of Common Prayer: A Guide to the Anglican Liturgy1662 Book of Common Prayer: International EditionFrom the ads:Livingchurch.org/resourcesGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Today, musician Jon Guerra joins us for a conversation about music, theology, and life—and a few live tunes.We talk about his musical influences and about the formation (and deformation) that happens through Christian music. We talk about creating and speaking in difficult times, working in the shadow of the cross, and, as he puts it, “the dialectic struggle between the call and your ability to meet it.” We also talk about the importance of vulnerability and play, telling your story, and learning to be a Holy Fool.Our executive director, Matthew Olver, joined us for this chat and mini-concert.Our set list includes “In the Beginning Was Love,” “Where Your Treasure Is,” “Kingdom of God,” and “I See the Birds,” with great conversation in between.Jon Guerra is a singer-songwriter who writes devotional music, “music for attending to the soul.” He’s based in Austin, Texas, and his albums include Keeper of Days, Ordinary Ways, and his latest, Jesus, among others. He also composed music for Terrence Malick’s 2019 film, A Hidden Life.We hope you enjoy the music and the conversation.From this episode:Jon’s website, album, merchJon’s tour schedulePoet Robert LaxFrom the ads:Get the Living Church for $9.95Give to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How should ministers of the gospel engage politics from the pulpit? Today’s episode is from a panel at the RadVo 2025 conference on politics and preaching: the if, why, and how.Panelists discuss discernment, formation, and what preaching is for, and give examples of how the gospel of Jesus forms people who can be both responsive and resilient to political challenges and change.Panelists include:The Rev. Dr. Annette Brownlee, professor emerita of pastoral theology and the former chaplain at Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto. She has served the life of the church widely in both the academy and in parish ministry, and she's the author of Preaching Jesus Christ Today: Six Questions for Moving from Scripture to Sermon as well as “The Responsibility of the Church to the State in an Era of Mass Migration.”The Rev. Tish Harrison Warren, writer and priest in the Anglican Church in North America. She's the author of several books, including Liturgy of the Ordinary and Prayer in the Night, which won Christianity Today's book of the year awards (2018 and 2022). She has also been a columnist for the New York Times and Christianity Today, and is a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum.Dr. Joe Mangina, professor of theology at Wycliff College at the University of Toronto. He is the former editor of Pro Ecclesia, the ecumenical journal of theology, and has served on the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue for Canada. He is the author of several books, including a commentary in the book of Revelation with Brazos Theological Commentary series.The panel is moderated by the Rev. Dr. Matthew Olver, executive director of The Living Church.Thanks to RadVo and Church of the Incarnation in Dallas who hosted this panel.From the Bible, to the ballot box, to meditating come-to-Jesus meetings between parishioners fighting on Facebook, we hope you enjoy the conversation.--From this episode:RadVo 2027From the ads:Get 85% off a Living Church subscriptionGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

With love, wit, and a laugh, Jane Austen brought human drama to the drawing room. We love her for it. It also gave her away as a Christian.On December 16, 1775, the Anglican clergy family of Austens welcomed their youngest daughter, who would grow to become one of the world’s greatest novelists and, as we’ll discuss today, a profound Christian; a loving and lively friend, sister, and aunt; a scholar of human nature; and an expert on how the virtues and vices that make or break us reveal themselves in the everyday. She was also, for the record, hilarious.Today’s conversation is part of our annual Cozy Christmas Chat series, and our guests are Haley Stewart and the Rev. Dr. David Goodhew.Haley is a Catholic author and the editor of Word on Fire Votive. She was cohost of the popular Fountains of Carrots podcast, and is the author of Jane Austen's Genius Guide to Life, The Grace of Enough, and The Sister Seraphina Mysteries.David is Vicar of St Barnabas Church, Middlesbrough, England and Visiting Fellow of St Johns College, Durham University. He is widely published, with five volumes on modern Christianity and church growth. But he has also written several excellent and entertaining essays on Jane Austen’s life and faith that you can read at livingchurch.org/covenant.Today we encounter Jane Austen via Dante’s Inferno, learn from her on the virtues, unpack the popularity of Bridgerton, critique film adaptations, and learn about the personal practices of prayer that rooted Jane’s genius. And, from Mr. Darcy who can’t bear to be laughed at, to Emma with little to trouble or vex her, we discuss how humor, used with compassion, can be an expression of love.We hope you enjoy this cozy Christmas conversation!From this episode:David’s articles on Jane AustenHaley’s books on Jane, etc.Haley’s Sister Seraphina MysteriesHaley’s podcastHaley’s SubstackFrom the ads:Shop Living Church ResourcesPastoral Ministrations of the PriestSubscribe to The Living Church magazineDonate to the Living ChurchAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What do wise and practical partnerships with immigrant communities look like?Today’s episode is from a conversation we co-hosted with The Episcopal Parish Network to explore how congregations can engage more faithfully and effectively with immigrant and refugee neighbors.We dip into a bit of theology here. But we concentrate on strategic application, legal context, and pastoral insights for building authentic relationships and deepening mission.We discuss:Legal landscapes around immigration—what’s true, what’s not true, how it affects ministry.Pastoral care that is culturally responsive instead of awkward or well-meaningly clueless.Cooperating with ethnic leaders to support and empower immigrants and their families.Practical tips to try.This conversation is about bridges across borders: discerning the opportunities God has put in front of you, making a solid plan, and accepting the time and help it takes to build bridges that last.Our guests today are: The Rev. Dr. Samira Izadi Page, founder and executive director of Gateway of Grace, Dallas, Texas.James Montana, Esq., principal and immigration lawyer at James Montana Law, Falls Church, Virginia.The Rev. Christian Anderson, vicar at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Stuart, Florida.The Rev. Jaime Briceño, rector at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Berwyn, Illinois.From this episode:Watch the videoList of recommended legal and ministry resourcesFrom the ads:Shop Living Church ResourcesPastoral Ministrations of the PriestSubscribe to The Living Church magazineDonate to the Living ChurchAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What can we learn from surprising encounters between Catholics and Pentecostals?In 1906, in a no-count Los Angeles storefront, a one-eyed preacher named William Seymour, son of former slaves, began leading services on Azuza Street.Azuza Street has gone down in history as the catalyst of the Pentecostal movement, one of the largest groups of Christians in the world today. But it’s also had deep impact on much older traditions, including the Roman Catholic Church. Charismatic Catholics owe much to brothers and sisters whose practices may make them scratch their heads. On the other hand, maybe you've noticed the—could we call it?— "revival" among free-church Christians in interest in liturgy, tradition, and the sacraments.This is just the generous way God works, giving us encounters we would never have found for ourselves, with him and one another, and helping us share our gifts and appreciate the gifts of others, across time, space, and difference.Today we’ll hear from a Roman Catholic missioner and a Pentecostal theologian who have been walking together this surprising road of Christian unity, and we’ll hear some of their stories.Nathan Smith serves as the Director of Ecumenism for Glenmary Home Missioners and as a consultant for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. In his ministry, he seeks to foster reconciliation between the Catholic Church, Evangelicals and Pentecostals. He also served with the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity at the 2024 Global Christian Forum gathering.The Rev. Dr. David Han is the Dean of the Faculty at Pentecostal Theological Seminary and is involved in various ecumenical activities such as the Global Christian Forum, the Wesleyan Holiness Connection, the International Pentecostal and Anglican Commission, and the Catholic and Pentecostal Dialogue in the United States.Now hold on to your rosaries. But stay ready to shout amen. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Ministries and dialogues we mention:Global Christian ForumGlenmary Home MissionersUS Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious AffairsDicastery for Promoting Christian UnityInternational Pentecostal and Anglican CommissionCatholic and Pentecostal Dialogue--Shop Living Church BooksAttend a Living Church eventGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How can decorating a Crèche draw us to a place of divine encounter?We are approaching yet another Advent season, a season of making space to wait on God.Maybe you’re good at making that space. Like a cat, you have no problem flopping down where you are, stretching your legs, and letting Jesus take the wheel.Or maybe you’re addicted—like most of us—to work, to control and productivity, to entertainment, perhaps even to podcasts!—and Advent feels like a struggle.Or maybe you’re working three jobs because you have to, and maintaining an interior grasp of God’s love, in the midst of the crazy, is what slowing down means for you.But sometimes being still is not something you choose. It’s thrust upon you. When you’re not able to go anywhere or do anything much, Advent is life, whether you ask for it or not.That’s where our guest today found herself. And in that long, involuntary long season of Advent, as she reflected on her life and grew a garden, the journey brought her to writing a little Advent book about nature, the seasons, and the tradition of manger scenes where she grew up in Provence, France, and how she found Jesus there.Our guest today is Sylvie Vanhoozer. Sylvie is a certified botanic artist, retired French teacher, and author of two books of nature sketches and meditations: The Art of Living in Advent: 28 Days of Joyful Waiting as well as The Art of Living in Season: A Year of Reflections for Everyday Saints. Here are some French words we use today: Crèche: manger sceneSantons: “little saints”; clay figurines based on ordinary people Terroir: a people’s land and all the life in itNow remind yourself where you’ve stored away your Nativity set. Because after this conversation you might want to get it out. Perhaps it will help you remember, receive, and share the gospel over the next few weeks.More from Sylvie:theartoflivinginseason.comThe Art of Living in Advent, discount code IVPPOD20 for 20% off plus free shipping!From the ads:Shop Living Church BooksGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

This bonus episode of the podcast responds to the launch of a Global Anglican Communion, which would be separate from the Anglican Communion as we have known it.There are Anglicans rejoicing over this news. Anglicans grieving over this news. Anglicans who don’t know what to think. And a lot of Anglicans who may not know what’s going on, or may not know what this has to do with them.Today, we explore some of these feelings and questions, and pose some questions of our own.On Oct 16, a communiqué email went out from a conservative, international fellowship of Anglican churches, representing several major Anglican provinces worldwide, known as GAFCON. (There are a lot of acronyms in this episode, but we will spell them out as we go.) This communiqué dropped into people’s inboxes with the title “The Future Has Arrived.” Here are a few introductory paragraphs:“The first Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) gathered in 2008 in Jerusalem to prayerfully respond to the abandonment of the Scriptures by some of the most senior leaders of the Anglican Communion, and to seek their repentance.“In the absence of such repentance, we have been prayerfully advancing towards a future for faithful Anglicans, where the Bible is restored to the heart of the Communion.“Today, that future has arrived.”Then follow 8 resolutions for establishing a Global Anglican Communion separate from the Anglican Communion and the Instruments of Communion.TLC editor Mark Michael and executive director Matthew Olver join podcast host Amber Noel to ask questions about the meaning and contents of this communiqué, its language and propositions, the history that led up to it, its timing in light of current leadership scandals in the ACNA, and what people who want to move forward with GAFCON might be risking, particularly leaders from the Global South, or what they may still need to know. We also direct specific questions to GAFCON leaders themselves.And we invite you to join us. If you are a leader in the Anglican Communion, in GAFCON, in the ACNA, or in the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans, and you have something you want to ask, share, or correct in response to this podcast, please get in touch: [email protected]. We have questions and critiques, but we also want to understand better what’s going on, and why, and how we can receive needed renewal and reformation together.Thanks for listening to this conversation. And if you have something to bring to the table, we hope to hear from you.From this episode:Resources from GAFCON:Oct 16 “The Future Has Arrived” communiquéThe Jerusalem Declaration (founding document of GAFCON)Bishop Paul Donison’s interview on the Stand Firm podcastBishop Laurent Mbanda's podcast interviewResources from The Living Church:Analysis: GAFCON Creates Global Anglican Communion‘You Have Broken My Heart’—A Letter to My Siblings in GAFCONPoggo Responds to GAFCON Communion LaunchThe Inside Story on GAFCON’s CommuniquéGSFA Leader Questions GAFCON CommuniquéPodcast: Who Cares About Communion? with Christopher WellsOther resources:Nairobi-Cairo Proposals (IASCUFO)Chemin Neuf’s “Prayer for Christian Unity”From the ads:Shop Living Church BooksGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What does faith have to do with fiction? Can romance teach us something about God's presence in imaginary worlds?Today’s episode is a conversation with novelist H.S. Cross, recorded live at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Savannah, GA, as part of their Sunday Night Sessions. We talk with Heather about 1920s Oxford; love stories and their theological significance; what it’s like to create and then watch your creations surprise you. We discuss the importance of play; why skipping the hard parts risks a story no longer feeling “real”; and the need to “Hold your nerve and not rush the ending.” And finally, since her novel is a messy and complicated romance, in some parts, as she puts it, “rated R" for sexuality, what does it mean, in this kind of story, to “tell the truth” or to get caught “writing while Christian”?H.S. Cross has been a tutor and a writer and is the author of three novels: Wilberforce, Grievous, and her latest novel, Amanda.Now rock your best Oxford bags and handkerchief hemline. We’re heading to the 1920’s where we’ll meet a couple of God-haunted lovers, the woman who created them, and discover what faith has to do with fiction. We hope you enjoy the conversation.From this episode:Watch this conversation on YouTubeAmanda and other books by H.S. CrossAssociate for Youth and Young Adults job posting at St. John’s Savannah (October 2025)Related podcast episodes:Christmas chat with Heather CrossMusic and ministry with Jon JamesonFrom the ads: Shop Living Church BooksAttend a Living Church eventOther events you might enjoy:Nashotah House intensive course on “The Prayer Book Tradition” (January 2026)The Anglican Way Conference (February 2026)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How does Nicaea speak to social and political life today?In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s Nicaea’s 1700th birthday party all year long. Theology, church politics, Christian unity, we’re here for all of it. This is one of two episodes this year focusing specifically on Nicaea itself. Our first one was in January: Learning from Nicaea with Lewis Ayers.Today, we'll learn how we live with Nicaea. We're joined by Catholic theologian Peter Casarella and Pentecostal theologian Daniela Augustine for an ecumenical chat about the council and its importance for the church and world today.We’ll consider time travel, uncover some things about Nicaea I never knew, explore political and social implications of the council, and make 1700th birthday speeches. And if you ever asked yourself what Nicaea has to do with the Bolshevik Revolution or American empire, today’s your lucky day.Dr. Daniela Augustine is Professor of Theological Ethics at Lee University and Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy, Theology, and Religion at the University of Birmingham in the UK.Dr. Peter Casarella is Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School and one of the founders of the Catholic Initiative at Duke.Now, whether you’ve been at this party a long time, or just coming in and wondering what it’s all about, we hope you enjoy the conversation.--Attend a Living Church eventGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Why read poetry? If poetry is esoteric, confusing, and time-consuming, why bother? Our guest today, Dr. Abram Van Engen, has a strong case for why poetry isn't esoteric at all, but extremely useful, concrete, relational, enjoyable, and meaningful, not just for you, but for the Church.His latest book is called Word Made Fresh, an Invitation to Poetry for the Church. Today we’ll discuss: the point of poetry and why anyone should bother reading it, how to read a poem, what it might mean that Scripture is full of poetry, what church leaders learn from the art of being apt, and what the heck a poem even is.Whether you're a "poetry person" or not, this conversation may just get you jazzed up about the ability of a poem to invite our attention in a special way, delight us, deepen us; even give us a little cross-training in the kind of attention we hope to develop in life with God.Abram is Stanley Elkin Professor in the Humanities, Chair of the English Department, and Professor of Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also the director of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics. His new book on poetry as spiritual practice, Word Made Fresh, won the 2024 Christianity Today award for art and poetry.Now whether you dislike it, or you believe poetry, like the world, "is charged with the grandeur of God" (a little Gerard Manley Hopkins for you), we hope you enjoy the conversation.Attend a Living Church eventCheck out Abram’s book. Use promo code LIVINGCHURCH40 for 40% off. (Through the end of 2025. Valid for books shipped to U.S. addresses only.)Give to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Today we're talking tea. Why? Well, we’re an Anglican podcast. Need we say more?Knowing how to share and make a good cup of tea translates around the globe. Whether it’s hospitality or work-life balance, tea has played a significant role in leadership, conversation, and parish life. Today we meet an amazing Christian woman who knows all about tea, why it's special, and how God can use tea time as an opportunity for ministry and leadership lessons. Her name is Jackie James.Jackie is a certified Tea Sommelier and founder at The London Tea Merchant. She’s also the former owner of the London Tea Room in St. Louis, Missouri.We’ll hear today about her journey from a Jesus Freak preacher’s kid in the U.K. to a businesswoman in midwest America.We'll learn a bit about the slow art, challenging business, and fascinating science of tea, and where she has found God at work in it all. How can we stop and share time? How do you run the show, and let things go? How can unlearning self-preserving habits with difficult staff members lead to strength, vulnerability, and grace?Now get your scones and Victoria Sponge cake ready, because we’re about to have a "jam" session on finding the Lord’s work in a hot cuppa.We hope you enjoy the conversation.SPECIAL discount code LTMSHOP for 5% off at the London Tea MerchantAttend a Living Church eventGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Before there were Protestants, there were Moravians.In 1415, a Roman Catholic priest named Jan Hus was burned at the stake in Prague for promoting a vernacular liturgy, clergy marriage, and the elimination of indulgences. If he had been born just a few decades later, he might have found a friend in Martin Luther. But instead we know him as the forerunner of a pre-Protestant reforming movement that became the Moravian Church.Moravians have a unique and robust culture, a fascinating history, and were some of the first and strongest voices for Christian unity, before the ecumenical movement even began.Who are the Moravians? What are they about? Why do they love Anglicans, and what can we learn from each other?Today’s episode is part of our Full Communion Partner series.You can find our other Full Communion Partner episodes here:https://livingchurch.org/podcasts/reformation-politics-and-friendship-with-matthew-riegel/https://livingchurch.org/podcasts/old-church-new-callings-with-magnus-persson/Our first guest is the Rev. Derek French, pastor of Nazareth Moravian Church in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and co-chair of the Moravian-Episcopal Coordinating Committee.And our second guest is the Rt. Rev. M. Blair Couch, bishop in the Moravian Church. She is also on the Lutheran-Anglican-Moravian Coordinating Committe in Canada and the Moravian-Episcopal Coordinating Committee in the U.S.Now pour yourself a German beer. We’re going to hang out with some Christians who from persecuted European beginings quickly found their place among the peacemakers. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Attend a Living Church eventGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Most Christians won't be part of a monastic community. But that doesn't mean they're not influenced by one.How do those who have taken the habit live their vocations from the monastery into the world around them? And what about the rest of us? What can we learn, whether lay or ordained, from the disciplines and wisdom of monastics? Today we’ll hear from three Anglicans whose vocations have been shaped by Benedictine monasticism in different ways. We'll learn about the 6th-century Rule of St. Benedict and how it continues to discipline and nurture Christian life in the 21st century. Our first guest is Sister Greta Ronningen. Sr. Greta is a co-founder of Community of Divine Love, an Episcopal monastery in the Benedictine tradition located in San Gabriel, California. She is also an Episcopal priest, prison chaplain, retreat leader, and writer, and the author of Free on the Inside: Finding God Behind Bars.Our second guest is the Rev. Canon Bryan Biba. Bryan is assistant rector at Christ Church Anglican in Savannah, Georgia, and canon for leadership for the Gulf Atlantic Diocese of the Anglican Church in North America. He is also an oblate of the Order of St. Benedict at St. John’s Abbey, a Roman Catholic monastery in Collegeville, Minnesota.Our third guest is Annie Hodges. Annie is a supply chain manager by day and an Episcopal podcaster by night. With her sister Kate Greer, she hosts The Average Episcopalian podcast, tackling the mystery of faith with reason and humor through the lens of the church they love.Whether you’re into wimples, cinctures, and Birkenstocks, or following Jesus without the telltale garments, here’s to holy habits of all kinds. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Attend a Living Church eventBook Bryan mentioned: Benedictine Daily PrayerBook Annie mentioned: St. Benedict's ToolboxGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How can church leaders pursue justice with discernment and theological depth? Pastors often find themselves in a frustrating place when it comes to pursuing justice in their parishes and communities. There's often a divide or at least a tension between two groups: those who do not want to overthink or "overtheologize" it until the moment to act is past; and those who feel wary of action without substantial, theological, and contextual discernment pieces to help.With respect to all the practical concerns here, this is a false divide. Hopefully, today's conversation might help us start to find a way across.We'll talk about leadership, Christian freedom, and political will; challenging presuppositions about authority and building and empowering community bit by bit; various angles and ways of being strategic; and a bit about Catholic social teaching that might help Anglican and Episcopal leaders get "unstuck" from fixed religious and politcal categories to discern more holistic paths of faithful action.Our guests are The Rev. Canon Natalie Arendse and Dr. Elisabeth Kincaid. Natalie is currently chaplain to Whitsunday Anglican School in Mackay, Queensland, Australia. She is honorary Canon in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and former head of St. John's Leadership Academy in Cape Town, a formation program for lay and ordained leaders. Elisabeth is director of Baylor University's Institute for Faith and Learning and Associate Professor of Ethics, Faith and Culture at George W. Truett Seminary. She's also author of the new book, Law from Below: How the Thought of Francisco Suárez, SJ, Can Renew Contemporary Legal Engagements.Now grab your thinking caps and your work boots as we discover a bit more about how prayer and politics, bible studies and social justice, can (and do) go together.Give to support this podcastRegister for a Living Church ConferenceAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

There's a powerful group of women who you may not know are in your church. They handle your prayer requests. They support your priest. They may help with Sunday school, coffee hour, or missions. And they are an inspiring example of the understated power of simple service. These women are the Daughters of the King. The Order of the Daughters of the King is a vowed order for women who are communicants of Episcopal Churches or churches in the historic episcopate. They currently include women around the world in the Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic traditions.Daughters take vows to obey the two Rules of The Order: the Rule of Prayer and the Rule of Service. They aid local clergy and parishes in prayer and evangelism, and do it while wearing a simple silver cross, the cross of The Order. Our guest today is Dr. Grace Sears, past president and archivist of the Order of the Daughters of the King, and past editor of its magazine, The Royal Cross. She is also past vice president of the board of The Living Church Foundation.We'll talk today about being taken by surprise by a calling, learning leadership, navigating controversial times, and what happens when the Holy Spirit falls in a business meeting.What can we take from a group of women who simply vow to pray and serve together, no matter their own season of life, or what's going on the life of the church or the world?Give to support this podcastJoin us at the Awe and Presence worship and arts conferenceLearn more about the Good Shepherds conference Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What do pilgrimage, tiny bridges, and time machines have to do with Christian unity?Today we'll be looking at the ministry of the Anglican Centre in Rome, a hub of ecumenical meeting, dialogue, and fellowship in the Eternal City.The Anglican Centre was founded in 1966, during the watershed of ecumenical engagement that followed the Second Vatican Council. It hosts lectures, exhibitions, special courses, and other public events that foster deeper understanding between Anglicans and Roman Catholics. It also works closely with the Catholic lay community St. Egidio, in projects that serve the poor and disadvantaged in Rome. We'll be hearing from its new Director, the Rt. Rev. Anthony Ball. Our conversation will cover his own journey into ecumenical ministry, the Anglican Centre's mission today, and what his own calling might bring to the Centre. We also talk about the importance of pilgrimage and imagine Christianity 100 years from now.Bishop Anthony is also Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See. He's served in many capacities, including as a diplomat, as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative to the Heads of the Orthodox Churches in Syria and Lebanon, as Rowan Williams's chaplain, as Bishop of North Africa, as canon steward of Westminster Abbey and as Archdeacon of Westminster.Give to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What do bluegrass, bourbon, and Bible have in common? How about a group of Hillbilly Thomists? Today, we share an episode from the Signal Award-winning podcast, No Small Endeavor. Produced by PRX and Great Feeling Studios, No Small Endeavor explores what it means to live a good life.In this episode, you’ll hear from the Hillbilly Thomists, the Billboard-charting bluegrass band made up entirely of Catholic Dominican Friars. They talk about their theology and vocation, as well as how they manage life on the road as priests who have taken a vow of poverty. Plus, they give live performances of some of their finest songs.When they are not contemplating, studying, and preaching, the Hillbilly Thomists are writing songs. They've released four albums includingHillbilly Thomists, Living for the Other Side, Holy Ghost Power, and Marigold. Marigold spent 3 weeks on the Billboard bluegrass charts, debuting at #2. The friars also have a Christmas album in the works.Proceeds from album sales, donations, and merchandise sales allow the friars to continue to produce and perform music, while providing ongoing support to the formation of friars at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C.Thanks to No Small Endeavor for sharing this episode with us.For other episodes like this one, follow No Small Endeavor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app.Learn more about the Hillbilly ThomistsLearn more about No Small EndeavorAttend a Living Church conferenceGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What can Christians on the right and left continue to learn about the experience and discipleship of trans people and those with gender incongruence?Today we'll be looking into some of the tough questions of transgender anthropology and pastoral care. But instead of debating directly over the questions (Should we use preferred pronouns? What is just legislation? How do we talk to kids? To affirm, or not to affirm?), we concentrate on how to care for people.Our two guests today, while not in substantial theological disagreement about trans topics, bring to their different experiences, approaches, and relationships lots of much-needed nuance, and some timely new questions, to a conversation grounded in traditional Christian theology.Can we question aspects of trans-anthropology as needed, or question current rhetoric or practices, but in the cause of charity, honesty, and human flourishing rather than against it? How do the right and left get caught in echo chambers here? How do we affirm the flawed gifts of the human body, while engaging its most painful experiences? How can we learn better to love and trust people?Our guests today are Dr. Abigail Favale and Pieter Valk. Abby is a writer and professor in the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. She has an academic background in gender studies and feminist literary criticism, and now writes and teaches on topics related to women and gender from a Catholic perspective. Her latest book is The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory. Pieter is a sought-after author and speaker on discernment, vocational singleness, and LGBT+ topics. Pieter is also the Founder and Director ofEquip, the leading coaching and training solution for theologically-traditional churches aspiring to be places where LGBT+ people thrive according to God's wisdom. He is also a teacher and diaconate explorer in the Anglican Church in North America.Pieter's Christianity Today article with stats from the Us Versus Us reportAbby's websitePieter's websiteRegister for a Living Church conferenceGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Today is a conversation between a pastor and a farmer. What might working the land, protecting local economies, and nurturing Christian communities have in common?We'll be speaking with Mary Berry, executive director of the Berry Center, and daughter of poet, farmer, and essayist Wendell Berry. My fellow interviewer today is the Rev. Clint Wilson, rector of St. Francis in the Fields, Harrods Creek, KY, not far from the Berry Center. We talk about joy of hard work, and hard work that is good work. Growing up with Wendell Berry as a dad. Faith and farming. Decisions to live with or against a given landscape. What is home? How do you make a home and dedicate yourself to it? The thick fabric of a place, and how work might be interwoven with neighbors, family, and seasons.What does it mean to actually "Love your neighbor as yourself"? We'll also touch on special challenges the suburbs pose to meaningful life together.Mary Berry, Executive Director of The Berry Center, grew up at Lanes Landing Farm in Henry County, KY. She has farmed for a living in Henry County, and started The Berry Center in 2011 to continue the agricultural work of John Berry, Sr. and his sons, author Wendell Berry and former Kentucky state senator, the late John M. Berry, Jr. The Berry Center focuses on issues confronting small farming families in Kentucky and around the country.Hear Mary speak at the Living Church conferenceLearn more about the Berry Center or Home Place MeatGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

With the death of Pope Francis, today's bonus episode is a reflection on his ministry, particularly as it relates to Christian unity.Fr. Matthew Olver and Amber Noel chat with Fr. Martin Browne, who serves at the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Christian unity. Martin shares his first impressions of the pope and what it was like working for him. We discuss the pope's choices and charisms, his passion for shared leadership with other Christians, his inability and refusal to fit into a political box, and the fruit this has borne in personal relationships and the global scene, as well as some of the hype, frustration, and bewilderment in the wake of Francis' leadership style and its very public preference for the poor. We'll also chat a bit about the movie, Conclave, and what it might get right and wrong about how the new pope will be selected.The Rev. Martin Browne, OSB, is a Benedictine monk of Glenstal Abbey in Ireland. He currently lives at the Primatial Abbey of Sant' Anselmo in Rome, and serves as an official in the Western Section of the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. In the Dicastery he is the desk officer for relations with the Anglican Communion and the World Methodist Council. He is also responsible, in collaboration with the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, for the preparation of the prayers and reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. He serves as the Catholic Co-Secretary of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) and the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commision for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM).A brief note on when we recorded this: it was just after the pope's death and before his funeral. So take any details or speculations about the funeral proceedings with a grain of salt.TLC Podcast: Dispatch from RomeArticle: "Pope Francis and the Power of the Symbolic"Give to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How can Christian leaders face the "overwhelm" of our times, in politics and national life, in personal life and relationships, and in ministry? We live in an age of what our guest today calls "polycrisis." Issues interconnect, pile on, and come hard and fast, faster than we can fix or, often, respond to in a thoughtful or Christian way.How do we avoid either inaction or anxiousness?We'll seek what our guest today calls "apocalyptic clarity." And we'll ask, "How do we recognize what's true, despite appearances, resist what's false, and participate joyfully in what God is doing?" This turns out to be a helpful window to perspective and practical decision making in a 21st-century Christian life. Our guest today is the Rev. Dr. Jesse Zink, principal of Montreal Diocesan Theological College and canon theologian in the Diocese of Montreal. And we'll be discussing his latest book, Faithful, Hopeful, Creative: 15 Theses for Christian Witness in a Crisis-Shaped World. He's also the author of four books about Christian history and global Christianity, as well as an introduction to theology and mission in the Episcopal Church called A Faith for the Future. Jesse's bio and booksStudy guide for Faithful, Creative, HopefulBook Jesse mentioned: What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of MarketsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How did a Swedish Pentecostal find himself called to the beauties, benefits, and dangers of an institutional church? Today we join the Rev. Magnus Persson of the Church of Sweden, which is a Full Communion Partner with the Episcopal Church. We discuss the "Three streams" of Swedish Lutheranism and it's intersections with Anglicanism, how God led Magnus away from charismatic success to priestly divesment, the painful transformations of grace, and saunas and the Holy Spirit. Finally, we talk about the place of the Swedish Evangelical Mission (EFS), the organization Magnus is a part of, within the larger Church of Sweden, and what it's like to work patiently and cheerfully for change from within an ancient institution.Magnus is an ordained minister in the Church of Sweden and works as a pastor for the Swedish Evangelical Mission. He is also the network co-ordinator of Re:formera, a network and think tank for reformational whole-churchism, and he's the host for its weekly podcast (which Amber appeared on as a guest).Whether you're struggling to serve in an older institution, wondering whether God might be calling you to a vocational leap of faith, or if you just enjoy a good story, we hope you enjoy the conversation.More about the Swedish Evangelical Mission (EFS)Magnus's book, Reclaiming the ReformationAmber on the Re:formera podcastEpisode with Matthew Riegel (ELCA)Living Church eventsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Executive Director of TLC, the Rev. Dr. Matthew S.C. Olver, interviews the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Sean Rowe.Presiding Bishop Sean has been in office now for a few months. We talk about his priorities for his term, and what slimming down some of the structures and programs of the Episcopal church might look like. We also ask what he'd say to Episcopalians who disagree about same-sex marriage, what Christian unity means, and what he most wants the Anglican Communion and the Anglican Church in North America to know about him.From TREC to the Nairobi-Cairo Proposals, this conversation should perk the ears of Episcopalians, but will be of interest to anyone in the Anglican family, or any Christian curious about institutional work and hope in a divided Church.More about Presiding Bishop SeanNairobi-Cairo Proposals and IASCUFOJoin a Living Church conferenceGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

For a topic that's truly "on pointe," our guest today reminds us of the joys and rewards of freedom and discipline, just in time for Lent: ballet dancer and choreographer Silas Farley.We discuss his early journey in discipleship and liturgical dance, holy coincidences that connected him with his Russian ballet hero, how discipline can lead to freedom in the Spirit both in dance and liturgical life, and understanding the meaning of "grace."We hope you've done your work at the barre, because Silas will stretch our imaginations for worship and discipleship, and even what's possible when it comes to dance in church. Hold on to your leotards. Silas is Armstrong Artist in Residence in Ballet in the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He's been a teacher and choreographer at places like the New York City Ballet, the Guggenheim, the Washington Ballet, the Met, and all over the world.More about SilasJoin a Living Church conferenceGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Poet Christian Wiman said of today's guest: “She has a rare ear, a keen mind, and a vivid spirit. Like the faith that is her chief subject, her poems cut and console in equal measure.” What Wiman says about her poetry is true about her conversation, too.Today's episode features a chat with writer Kate Kilcup Marsh. Kate is a poet, priest's wife, and mother, and is working on a memoir. Her story is one of continual surprises with God, incuding a head over heels Eastern Orthodox conversion, followed by a call to enter the Anglican world. We talk about how Jesus finds us, how to be with kids in church, sobriety and asceticism, and what Eastern and Western Christians learn from each other. This is one woman's journey into the church, into a clergy marriage, into an Episcopal community and now motherhood — a dialogue delightful and instructive.Kate is a poet and essayist. She's also served as a Russian linguist for the U.S. Army, a janitor, a firefighter, an editor, a farm hand, and a factory worker, among other things. Kate’s writing addresses matters of faith, addiction, motherhood, mental illness, work, gender, and prayer. Her yet-untitled memoir will be published by Eerdman's in 2026. You can keep up with her work and news on her websitekathleenkilcup.com. Now brush off your Chrysostom and your Augustine. We're going East and West on a journey of healing. We hope you enjoy the conversation.More about Kate and her writingSubscribe to the Living Church magazineJoin a Living Church conferenceGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What hath Martin Luther to do with Thomas Cranmer? This episode explores a fascinating shared history between Anglicans and Lutherans. These two Reformation-born groups were not only finding their feet at the same time, they were also interested in friendship from early on. We'll also be learning what it means to be Lutheran, and what Anglicans and Lutherans continue to do together and learn from each other today.We talk about Lutheran "distinctives"; how politics can be a way of holiness; how Henry VIII was asked to sign the Ausburg confession; and why the Lutherans are asking for an 8th ecumenical council (which might put them out of a job).This is part of our series on Episcopal Church Full Communion Partners. You can warm up to these conversations by listening to our interview with Christopher Wells, "Who Cares About Communion?," Episode 129.Our guest today is Lutheran Bishop, Reformation scholar, and motorcycle man, the Most Rev. Matthew Riegel. Matthew is Bishop of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. As a scholar, his primary research interest is the sanctification of ecclesiastical politics. Matthew serves on the West Virginia Council of Churches’ Civic Life and Faith Task Force, and in a previous life has worked as a park ranger. Who Cares About Communion? with Christopher WellsWittenberg articles of 1536Fraternal Appeal to the American ChurchesLiving Church EventsGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Ever wonder how we got to "this moment" as a country, as a church? Many people are thinking about these questions. Many of them are evangelicals, who stand out in American culture as a group of incredible influence: lots of sucess growing churches, and, as our politicians know, lots of power in the polls.Among the evangelicals thinking, "How did we get here?", is Mike Cosper. You may know Mike from the Christianity Today podcast, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Today we discuss his new book, The Church in Dark Times: Understanding and Resisting the Evil that Seduced the Evangelical Movement. This isn't an episode to pile on to evangelicals, but to learn together from mistakes Christians might, with God's grace and wisdom, learn better to recognize and resist. We talk about dangerous ideologies in politics and church, how they work their way into leadership, and what we might learn more broadly from church leadership downfalls. Then we pivot: what makes churches and communities healthy? What might renewal look like? Can American Christians live for the long game instead of worshipping hype and shortcuts?Mike Cosper is a Louisville-based writer and podcaster focused on faith and culture and Senior Producer of Podcasts at Christianity Today. Along with The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, he has hostedCultivated: A podcast about faith and work and the weekly “news and issues” podcast, The Bulletin, to name a few. He is also a music producer and author of several books including The Church in Dark Times. The Church in Dark Times: Understanding and Resisting the Evil that Seduced the Evangelical MovementThe Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcastMore from Mike CosperLiving Church EventsGive to support this podcast.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Happy birthday, Council of Nicaea! She was born in 325 AD and was the biggest gathering of Christian leaders of that time, and still known as the foundational meeting of Christians to make decisions about doctrines of the faith after the time of the apostles.Today we are celebrating the 1700th birthday of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, who is looking incredibly good at her age.At today's kickoff birthday bash we welcome two very special guests: The Rev. Dr. Matthew Olver is Executive Director of The Living Church and Affiliate Professor of Liturgics and Pastoral Theology at Nashotah House Theological Seminary.Prof. Lewis Ayers is McDonald Agape Distinguished Chair in Early Christian Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, also known as the Angelicum, and Professor of Catholic & Historical Theology at Durham University. His books include Nicaea and Its Legacy: An Approach to Fourth Century Theology and the Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology (co-editor). We're also airing this episode in anticipation of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This special week offers an invitation to enter more deeply into the faith and fellowship that unites all Christians.Participate in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.Give to support this podcast.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

The real miracle of Christmas is not the title of a Hallmark movie. And it's not very cozy. We indulge in some cozy chat today (Cambridge at Christmas time!), but the heart of our conversation is about the Incarnation in the arts, and how music, painting, poetry can help to unstick us, to remind us who our Incarnate Lord really is, in all the puzzling and startling smallness of his Nativity.The Rev. Dr. Jeremy Begbie is the Thomas A. Langford Distinguished Research Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School, and McDonald Agape Director of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts. He is Senior Member at Wolfson College, Cambridge, and an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Music at the University of Cambridge. He's the author of several good books, books including Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music (Baker/SPCK) and Abundantly More: The Theological Promise of the Arts in a Reductionist World (Baker). Now get yourself a mug of something, crank up the fire, crack out the mince pies, but don't get so cozy that you neglect to be discomfited by Christmas. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Jeremy Begbie's booksRecipe for mince pieGive to support this podcast.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

There are people who tend to be on the fringes in church: the unhoused, those with mental illness, teens and kids, single people, those with dementia, and those with no family. But all of these folks are in the center of church life at St James the Less, Pimlico, in London. Today we'll speak with the rector, the Rev. Lis Goddard, about how this came about, and how it works.This is a conversation about radical hospitality. Maybe you've used that phrase; maybe your denomination does. What does that mean? The word "family" is key. Much about a healthy family is being able to share safe space. If baptismal water is truly thicker than blood, how does that require radical hospitality, maybe especially, with those who are vulnerable? And how can it also invite parishioners into a deeper, rather than more tenuous, sense of security?Today we'll be talking about open doors and open homes, as well as the boundaries and practical policies that make radical hospitality possible. We'll learn about Sabbath, how saying no is an invitation to mutual honor, and ways to equip volunteers for joyful service. The Rev. Lis Goddard has been Vicar of St James the Less, Pimlico (London), since September 2010. Other ministry roles have included university chaplain and Tutor for Ministerial Formation at Wycliffe Hall, and Assistant Minister at St Andrew’s Church in North Oxford. She leads missions, mentoring, and spiritual direction initatives, and was the Chair of Awesome/The Junia Network, a network of ordained women evangelicals. She is now Cochair of the Church of England Evangelical Council and is co-author of The Gender Agenda, a book of charitable debate on women's ordination.When you get off at Pimlico station, be sure to mind the gap. And maybe become more aware of how we can help close the gaps between God's beloved people. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Give to support this podcast.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Today we'll be talking about the material of worship. The literal material. We sat down with Robert Hoare, the managing director of vestment maker, Watts & Co, to talk about its venerable and sometimes quirky history, and the ancient and unbelievable craftsmanship of the chasubles, cassocks, copes, surplices, maniples, mitres, stoles, and humeral veils Christian clergy wear today, to lead the people of God into the presence of God. And this episode isn't just for people who know what a maniple is. Anyone interested in history, art, sustainable industry, English stuff, or a good yarn will also enjoy this episode.We'll hear about commissions for the royal family, the formidable women of Watts & Co, the flood that took out several centuries of hand embroidery, secrets of the craft, how vestments might be attracting young people to church, and our longing for beauty in a world of technologized homogeneity. Robert Hoare and his sister, Marie-Severine de Caraman Chimay, are fifth-generation owners of Watts.Is this a conversation about art and worship, or a sales pitch for beautiful vestments? We hope we thread that needle. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Watts & Co websiteOpus Anglicanum needleworkSubscribe to The Living Church for $9.95.Give to support this podcast.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How are Anglicans persevering in ministry and life together in the face of climate change?The Bishop of Puerto Rico, the Rt. Rev. Rafael Morales Maldonado, has a passion for creation-care ministries, outreach, and evangelism. What's up in ministry in Puerto Rico? And especially how are they integrating concern for climate change into ministry there?Bishop Rafael is the diocesan bishop of Puerto Rico, currently provisional bishop in Cuba, and bishop advisor on the Virgin Islands. He is the president of Episcopal Health Services, Inc., which includes the island's most significant home care and hospice service, as well as president of the Episcopal Funeral Services. Bishop Rafael has also been a key leader in responding to natural disasters that have affected Puerto Rico in recent years.Today we'll talk about: how the island is finding their place in the Lambeth Call on the Environment, saying prayers before planting trees, why good weather reports are a ministry, stepping up mental health services for the voiceless, and learning from St. Francis. This is a joyful conversation on creation and loving the neighbor. The Lambeth Call on the Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentPrograma REDESGive to support this podcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Today we'll be touching down in Kansas, Japan, Africa, China, and the middle east, for some global lessons in leadership.How are Christians formed as effective leaders, and how do they in turn form effective leaders? How do we learn leadership from beyond our home turf to serve in fearlessly contextualized ways?My guest today is Dr. Mary Ho. Mary is an expert in strategic leadership, and she is the International Executive Leader of All Nations International, a global Christian missions training and sending organization. She is currently co-teaching a 3-year class on leadership in the global Christian context at Gordon Conwell. Mary is also the author of a number of articles that I'll link today in the show notes including, "When Leaders Drink Tea Together," "The Transcendent Culture of Servant Leadership," and "Growing Global Women Leaders from the Majority World." Are there Western leadership models that can be exported elsewhere? When and why?How do we lead with vision, or even with a charismatic personality, while building nurture rather than going toxic?What can global north organizational leadership learn from global south Christianity?And what are some benefits and limits to reading leadership books? Take off that leadership cap for just a second. Sit back, relax. Maybe have a cup of tea. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Check out these articles by Mary Ho:Global Leadership for Global MissionsThe Transcendent Culture of Servant Leadership: Principles for 21st Century Global MissionsWhen Leaders Drink Tea Together: A Critique of Western Christian Leadership in Light of Global TrendsGrowing Global Women Leaders from the Majority WorldGive to support this podcast.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Two bishops in Bermuda give us a glimpse at a gesture of Christian unity that's making a difference in a diverse community.We'll hear today how the Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops of the island both found their call into island ministry, how their friendship started, and some of the fruit it's bearing in their dioceses in sweet and surprising collaborations. We'll also hear some advice on how to make friends with other Christian leaders in your own community, across divides of history and tradition.The Rt. Rev. Nicholas Dill has been the Anglican Bishop of Bermuda since 2013. Bishop Nick started as a barrister in London, then became a priest, before accepting a call as bishop of his home island of Bermuda. He is looking to see where God is leading the Church, but knows it includes a greater emphasis on work with Christian brothers and sisters of every denomination.The Most Rev. Wiesław Śpiewak has been the Roman Catholic Bishop of Bermuda since 2015. A native of Poland, Bishop Wes first served there at a seminary, before teaching and serving in Rome, then serving as Provincial of the Polish Province before coming, unexpectedly, to Bermuda. Hang on to your mitres and your mai tais. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Give to support this podcast.Videos of Bishop Nick and Bishop Wes:(20+) Video | Facebook , (20+) Facebook, (20+) FacebookAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What or who are angels? Why does it matter? Some of you may be coming to today's episode with some skepticism or at least curiosity. Why are we talking about angels and demons? Should we bother thinking or talking about invisible creatures? Is it possibly to not be scary or weird about it?As we'll discover today, Christians have always been concerned with angels, because angels are deeply concerned with us — with our wellbeing and our journey toward — or away from — the love and likeness of Christ.Fear not: today will not include impressive or spooky stories, or anecdotes of spiritual experiences. Instead, we focus on the goodness of God, the hospitality of heaven, and how the holy angels help us along the way. And little about how the naughty angels try to trip us up, how we can catch them at it, and the gifts God gives us to resist their tricks. No campfire stories. Just some good doctrine, simple advice, and a lot of Thomas Aquinas.Our guest today is the Rev. James Dominic Brent, OP. Fr. James is a Dominican Friar who lives and teaches at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. He is the author of The Father’s House: Discovering Our Home in the Trinity. He frequently lectures for the Thomistic Institute, and appears on their YouTube series Aquinas 101 as well as on the Dominican podcast Contemplata, A Podcast for Contemplative Souls.You can find more of his work on Soundcloud. Now forget your harps and halos for just a second. From the Desert Fathers to alcoholic's anonymous, we're going to find out about those blessed creatures who were made to be busy for God on our behalf. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Give to support this podcast. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

With election season heating up in the U.S., many Christian leaders feel the extra strain. With churches and nations dealing with painful divisions, how might Christians — and anyone else — learn to enjoy and share life together? What does that take?Today it takes us to the virtues, ways to live at peace with ourselves and others through the exercise of certain habits.The cardinal virtues are four specific means and wisdoms for flourishing that God makes available to humans universally, to discern "the good" and experience some of that goodness in our social and material lives.How do humans share life across divides? How do we make the life of grace visible, and how does God make it visible through us, and accessible to others, even in tricky times? And how are the cardinal virtues a time-tested paradigm for knowing and sharing, through prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude, God's goodness in our life together?Dr. Elisabeth Rain Kincaid is our guest today. She is the Director of the Institute for Faith and Learning at Baylor University, where she also serves as associate professor of ethics, faith, and culture. Her first book, Law From Below, was recently published with Georgetown University Press. Her research interests include questions at the intersection of theology, business, and law, as well as natural law theory, virtue ethics, socially responsible investment, Anglican and Catholic Social Teaching, and questions of human flourishing.We hope you enjoy the conversation. Read Elisabeth's book.Register for The Human Pilgrimage conference, where Dr. Elisabeth Kincaid will be one of our keynotes.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How can poetry teach us to read Scripture?Everything within creationSpeaks of Jesus’ Incarnation.Likewise too, his saving PassionIs shown forth in all that’s fashioned.The Word God spoke before all agesCan be traced in Scripture’s pages.The Bible tells one vast narrationfrom Genesis to Revelation.So begins "Figural Graffiti," a delightful instructional poem by theology professor Joe Mangina. "Figural Graffiti" is sincere and playful, and it's a little ditty on the method and gift of reading scripture figurally. We discuss today this ancient and lively method of reading Scripture, what we lose when we lose the knack of figural reading, and what freedom figural reading gives us as disciples and Christian leaders.Dr. Joseph Mangina is professor of theology at Wycliffe College, Toronto. His scholarly interests include ecclesiology, ecumenism, sacramental theology, and theological interpretation of Scripture. For several years in the 2000s he served on the Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue commission for Canada. Among other books, he's written two on Karl Barth, the Revelation commentary for the Brazos Theological Commentary series, and most recently, he's co-edited a book called Figural Reading and the Fleshly God: The Theology of Ephraim Radner.Read "Figural Graffiti" on the Living Church's free online journal, Covenant.Check out Joe's new book.Register for the Living Church's upcoming conference.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Clergy couples: How do they work? Where are the tensions and the graces? Even highly functional, loving, clergy marriages can look so different. Knock, knock – can we come inside your marriage for a peek?In this episode, host Amber Noel gets really nosy. Here are three couples willing to come on the podcast and talk honestly about their clergy couple marriages – what makes them tick, what ticks them off, and how they've learned to value differences, protect each other, and learn grace in community.In this episode we'll hear from:The Rev. Tish Harrison Warren and her husband, the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Warren Pagán. Tish is a priest in the Anglican Church in North America. She is the author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life and Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work, or Watch, or Weep. She’s written for The New York Times and Christianity Today. Jonathan is planter and rector of Immanuel Anglican Church in Austin, Texas. Together they cowrote the book, Advent: The Season of Hope.The Rev. Dr. Lilian and the Rt. Rev. Given Gaula: Bishop Given has been Bishop of Kondoa, Tanzania, since 2012. Mother Lilian serves in various roles in the diocese of Kondoa, including teaching at the theological college and running a ministry for women’s empowerment.The Rev. Melissa and the Very Rev. Randy Hollerith. Melissa has 30 years of ordained ministry under her belt, much of it serving schools. For the past two years, she has been the upper school Chaplain and teacher at St. Albans School in Washington. Randy has served as the Dean of Washington National Cathedral since 2016, and was rector of St. James’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia, for 16 years.We hope you enjoy the conversation.If you haven't yet, register now for TLC's Human Pilgrimage Conference.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What is Christian Communion? And who cares? If you listen to this podcast, you probably do. Today we're not talking about the Lord's supper, but the longing for and practical work toward Christian unity. What does this have to do with the average Christian? Or the average pastor trying to focus on local ministry? How do Anglicans care about (and struggle with) Christian unity especially? What the heck is a Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral?Joining us to discuss is Dr. Christopher Wells. Christopher is Director of Unity, Faith and Order for the Anglican Communion. He oversees the Communion’s ecumenical relations and serves as secretary of the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO). For 13 years, Christopher was executive director and publisher of the Living Church Foundation.Here are some key terms we'll learn about today, answering some of our questions above:The ecumenical movement or ecumenism The Lambeth Conference Lambeth Conference 1920 Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral Vatican II Primate Today we'll learn how any ecumenical work must serve the life of the average Christian, or it's no good. We'll find out why ecumenical work is putting Christopher more in touch with his evangelical side. And we'll ponder why "Anglican" exists in the first place. Is it to tickle our "via media" fancies, or to become another religious option? Or might we learn to serve Christian unity so well that one day, maybe, Anglicans work themselves out of a job?We hope you enjoy the conversation. Read the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral.A few other cool documents on Christian unity: http://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/en/news/2024/2024-06-13-il-vescovo-di-roma-nuovo-documento-dpuc.htmlhttps://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/06/13/bishop-rome-study-document-dicastery-promoting-christian-unity-248153https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-06/rethinking-the-primacy-in-an-ecumenical-sense.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2RbXk-L3mXpkT9WZKyqQF3HbsPaG-nKdSsWQosOMSe18VOSpCazmy3u1o_aem_p7a_pInr-MDXSnjpgtFhJARegister for the Human Pilgrimage conference. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Ever run out of preaching material for a major feast day? May today's episode inspire you.It's funny how the gospel unveils and then veils itself to us in seasons of our ministry and preaching. There are so many times when there's more than we can capture. And then other times it feels lilke the well runs dry on the same passage we've come to for years. But this "dryness" may just be an invitation to dig in a new direction or to a new depth.Today we've got a fascinating dispatch from the Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, a Lutheran pastor in Tokyo who got tired of trying to find something new to preach about the Transfiguration. Sarah trusted the abundance of God's word to not return void, and kept digging, and that digging turned into a whole book about what she found: Seven Ways of Looking at the Transfiguration.Turns out, the Transfiguration is the center point of the Gospel of Mark. Turns out, St. Paul is very interested in the Transfiguration, and the Transfiguration is very interested in Jewish pilgrimage festivals and the end times. And the Gospel of John might keep the Transfiguration on the DL for a very good reason. Today we'll learn why we've got two of these feasts a year, where apples and grapes come in, and a little about ancient laundering practices — all just in time, maybe, to give you some inspiration for you own festal sermon.Sarah is Associate Pastor at Tokyo Lutheran Church and the Founder of Thornbush Press. She has written, edited, and contributed to numerous books of both theology and fiction and has published hundreds of articles. She hosts the podcasts Queen of the Sciences, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson Stories, and The Disentanglement Podcast, and writes the e-newsletter Theology & a Recipe. They may not be "whiter than a fuller could bleach them," but get ready for some brilliant insights nevertheless. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Today we've got live music in the studio, reminding us of God's faithfulness in conflict and pain, and why beauty, the arts, and artists are so vital to and for the Church. Singer-songwriters Leila Way and Ryan Flanigan join us from Resurrection South Austin to play some new tunes for us and talk about the intersections of music with church life, family life, and life with God.Between sets we'll chat about the stories behind the songs, and about what art might teach ministry, especially about inviting others into the pain and the gift of faith in Christ.Leila Way is a songwriter in Austin, Texas, writing and recording songs for the Church. She likes to set Scripture and heartfelt prayers to music.Ryan Flanigan serves as music director at Resurrection Church South Austin and as theological artist-in-residence at Baylor University. Ryan is also the founder of Liturgical Folk, which seeks to create beautiful and believable sacred music for the Church and the world. Leila's songs are from her new album, You Don't Carry It Alone, and Ryan's are from his new collaboration with musician Jon Guerra, Three Gifts.Set list: "You Don't Carry It Alone" - Leila "Walking On" - Leila "Faith" - Ryan "Hope" - Ryan "Prayer for Unity" - Leila "Be Still My Soul" - Ryan and Leila We hope you enjoy the conversation, and the music. Special thanks to Michael Way and Resurrection South Austin for their technical assistance on this episode.Read Ryan's interview with Leila.Visit Leila's website.Visit Ryan's website.Join us at the God at 'I' Level photography exhibit.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Listen to our first Conversation Across Difference, Episode 102. Join us at the God at 'I' Level photography exhibit. Progressive and conservative: do ever the twain meet? What are safe spaces across current divides on topics that matter? And, when we do talk across divides, how do we get below the surface?Today's Conversation Across Difference is about a hot topic in the Episcopal Church, and nearly every church right now: human sexuality and marriage. How do we engage a topic in which each side believes this isn't just about difference of opinion, but, as one of our guests points out today, also about sin. Can say what we really believe and stay at the same table? If we don't condone one another's beliefs, even about self, love, or family life, can we still love and respect one another? If so, what are the difficulties? And what unexpected discoveries might be made if we keep talking?The Episcopal Church has a Communion Across Difference Task Force that talks about these things, prays together, and takes action to preserve safe spaces for these diagloues within the church. Two guests join us today, both priests in the Episcopal Church, members of the task force, and friends. The Rev. Dr. Jordan Hylden is our guest who affirms Christian marriage as the union of male and female, and the Rev. Kelli Joyce is our guest who affirms Christian marriage regardless of gender. They join us today to describe their work together.Wherever you're coming from, I hope this episode helps you to have more fruitful, honest relationships with others with whom you disagree. The Rev. Kelli Joyce is a priest of the Diocese of Arizona, currently living and ministering in the Diocese of Tennessee. She is a candidate for the Ph.D. in Theological Studies at Vanderbilt University.The Rev. Dr. Jordan Hylden is vice rector at Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Lafayette, Louisiana. Jordan has served churches in South Carolina and Texas, and also as canon theologian and vocations director for the Diocese of Dallas.Our executive director, Matthew Olver, also joined us as co-host.We hope you enjoy the conversation.Listen to our first Conversation Across Difference, Episode 102. Join us at the God at 'I' Level photography exhibit. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What's the proper scope of Christian politics?Should Christians be politically active, and if so, how? Is the political sphere and its options a place of anxiety and ceaseless activity that should be avoided? Is it a place of possibility to "bring heaven to earth"? Does it have value as a place of failure and limitation? And what do politics have to do with loving neighbors, worshipping God, or writing letters to our children? Much -- perhaps. And maybe most effectively in the spheres that are smallest, least ambitious, and closest to home. Today we talk with the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner about his new book, Mortal Goods: Reimagining Christian Political Duty. We'll discuss how our daily, imperfect lives and the mortal goods that make them up can help us define and limit the scope of Christian political vision and action. If our hope does not rest in this world, how are we then freed to take care in this world, and take care of this world, with sobriety, joy, and thankfulness? Ephraim is professor emeritus of historical theology at Wycliffe College, Toronto. His range of ministerial experience includes ministry and teaching in Burundi, Haiti, inner-city Cleveland, Connecticut, and Colorado. He's the author of several books including Mortal Goods, which we discuss today, A Time to Keep, A Brutal Unity, and The End of the Church. He is married to the Rev. Annette Brownlee and they are the parents of Hannah and Isaac.Hold that NPR newsfeed for just a minute. We're going to step back to ancient Israel to remember what exactly God asks of human beings. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Register for The Human Pilgrimage conference. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands