PODCAST · religion
The Pastor's Table
by Northern Seminary
Corporate leadership systems focused on vanity metrics have left today’s church leaders weary and burnt out. The Pastor’s Table Podcast brings you conversations with local pastors working out deep theological convictions in their churches.Listen to the Pastor’s Table today to get a renewed perspective on how to integrate a robust theological vision with your ministry practices. Embrace the gift of serving in God’s Kingdom with Join Dr. Mark Quanstrom & Rev. Tara Beth Leach on The Pastor’s Table.Join the conversation at thepastorstable.com
Episodes
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Tending to the Table: A Word to Our Pastors 📢
What does it look like to practice wise pacing in ministry? In this brief update, Chaz Robbins (producer of The Pastor’s Table) shares a word of gratitude, reflection, and clarity as the podcast enters a short season of pause. After three years and more than 150 episodes, this moment is about...
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Staying Alive to God | Mindy Caliguire (Part 4 of 4) PT 47 [Rebroadcast]
Pastors have a tremendous blessing and opportunity to help their congregations stay alive to God. If this opportunity is to be fully realized, it requires pastors to know their people. God has invited pastors to be the guides on a journey of where God is taking the community. Forming the life of...
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Pathways of Formation for a Community | Mindy Caliguire (Part 3 of 4) PT 46 [Rebroadcast]
The people in your church are being formed by all sorts of sources. Cultural Idols Social Media News Media Work Demands and the list could go on … Mindy Caliguire gives clarity on how pastors can enhance the vision of a formed life after Jesus. The people who are suffering from a poverty of...
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From Self-Reflection to Formation | Mindy Caliguire (Part 2) PT 45 [Rebroadcast]
Pastor’s leadership is capped at our self-reflection. Pastors must tend to our own souls. Mindy Caliguire provides 4 different practices of page, person, plan & place to tend well to our souls as leaders. Page is the invitation to reflection. Person to be ruthlessly honest. Plan is a rule of life...
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A Foundation for Formation | Mindy Caliguire (Part 1) | PT 44 [Rebroadcast]
Loss is plaguing the church. Congregants are leaving. Pastors are burning out. Loss of all kinds is painfully present in the church. Many times people feel tending to a surrendered life of Christ is hard. Mindy Caliguire suggests that what is really hard is facing the pain of staying the same....
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How God Redeems Our Wounds: Mark & Tara Beth on Three Years of The Pastor’s Table | PT 152
What happens when the very institution that shaped your ministry turns around and wounds you? Can God take that loss and birth something new? In this deeply personal anniversary episode, Mark and Tara Beth look back on three years of The Pastor’s Table and the untold story of how it all began.…
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When Fear Comes to Church: Hector Alfaro on Pastoring Chicago’s Immigrant Congregations | PT 151
What does ministry look like when your people are afraid to leave their homes? In this heartfelt conversation, Pastor Hector Alfaro joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share what Hispanic churches in Chicago are experiencing as ICE activity intensifies. From families torn apart to…
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Prophetic Presence: Paco Amador on Immigration, Injustice, and Hope in Little Village (Part 2) | PT 150
How does a pastor guide a community facing real threats, real fear, and real need? In this powerful continuation, Pastor Paco Amador joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share how his congregation in Chicago’s Little Village is responding to the immigration crisis with courage, compassion,...
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The Immigrant Soul: Paco Amador on Calling, Culture, and Finding Home in Little Village (Part 1) | PT 149
What happens when the story of migration becomes the story of calling? In this episode, Pastor Paco Amador joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share his journey from Mexico to North Carolina to Chicago’s Little Village. With honesty and humor, Paco reflects on his encounter with Jesus as…
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Formation as Resistance: Nathan Hoff on the Rule of Life, Reconciliation, and Rooted Community (Part 2) | PT 148
What does it look like to live a life formed by grace and resistant to the pressures of the world? In this second conversation, Pastor Nathan Hoff returns to unpack the theology and practice behind The Rule of Life at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro. He joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark…
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Practicing Presence: Nathan Hoff on Stability, Community, and a Rule of Life in Los Angeles (Part 1) | PT 147
What if the cure for modern ministry restlessness is staying put? In this episode, Pastor Nathan Hoff joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share his story of 20 years at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro, California. From a childhood marked by constant moves to forming a residential...
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Sealed in Grace: Katie Langston on Baptism, Law, and the God Who Won’t Let Go (Part 2) | PT 146
What happens when grace rewrites your story from the inside out? In this second conversation, Pastor Katie Langston joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share how the gospel of grace led her from Mormonism to the waters of baptism and into the freedom of ministry. Katie opens up about her...
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Worthy Enough: Katie Langston on Mormonism, Scrupulosity, and Discovering Grace (Part 1) | PT 145
What happens when religion becomes a system for proving your worth? In this powerful conversation, Pastor Katie Langston shares her journey from growing up Mormon to discovering the freeing power of grace. With honesty and humor, she describes life in a worthiness-based system, her battle with...
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Sent, Not Stationed: Benji Van Fleet on Itinerancy, Humility, and the Beauty of Being Placed (Part 2) | PT 144
What if you didn’t get to choose where you served, but trusted the Spirit and the Church to send you? In Part 2 of this conversation, Pastor Benji Van Fleet joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to unpack the Methodist system of itinerancy and what it teaches us about obedience, humility, and...
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The Sheepdog and the Shepherd: Benji Van Fleet on Calling, Conviction, and the Church That Belongs to God (Part 1) | PT 143
What happens when your theology of calling collides with your understanding of ownership in the church? In this episode, Pastor Benji Van Fleet joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom from Abilene, Texas, to talk about his journey from architecture student to Methodist pastor, how cancer and...
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When the Wounded Take the Mic: Tara Beth & Mark on Pain, Platforms, and Pastoral Discernment | PT 142
What happens when personal pain becomes public platform? In this candid conversation, Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom reflect on Tara Beth’s widely shared Substack essay, When the Wounded Take the Mic. They explore the rise of “wounded influencers,” the temptation for pastors to preach from...
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From Anger to Mercy: Sarah Hinlicky Wilson on Healing, Ecclesiology, and the Cross (Part 3) | PT 141
What happens when ministry wounds you so deeply that you wonder if you’ll ever serve again? In this conversation, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share how a decade away from the pastorate became a season of theological reflection, healing, and rediscovery of…
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Called Back by Surprise: Sarah Hinlicky Wilson on Healing and Pastoring in Tokyo (Part 2) | PT 140
What happens when God calls you back into ministry after deep wounds? In Part 2 of her story, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson reflects on moving from disillusionment in New Jersey to surprising renewal in Tokyo. With honesty and humor, she describes serving a fragile, English-speaking congregation during...
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The Weight of Nostalgia: Sarah Hinlicky Wilson on Ethnic Churches and the Struggle to Be the Church (Part 1) | PT 139
What happens when ministry doesn’t go as planned? In this riveting conversation, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson shares her story of growing up in a third-generation pastoral family, wrestling with her call as a woman, and stepping into a church full of both history and heartbreak. From dollar-priced...
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When the Dream Dies: Chaz Robbins on Church Planting, Closure, and God’s Faithfulness | PT 138
What happens when your call to ministry feels buried, but never really dies? In this special episode, the tables turn as Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom interview their producer, and now executive pastor, Chaz Robbins. From a childhood shaped by faithful mentors to an RV road trip with his...
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Pour Out and Fill Up: Ben Cachiaras on Rest, Boundaries, and Holy Ambition (Part 2) | PT 137
How do pastors pour themselves out for others without losing their own soul? In Part 2 of this conversation, Ben Cachiaras reflects on the dangers of achievement addiction, the symptoms of ministry at an unsustainable pace, and the practices that helped him and his staff find a healthier rhythm…
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Made for This: Ben Cachiaras on Calling, Longevity, and Evangelism That Sticks (Part 1) | PT 136
What does it look like to serve a 200-year-old church that’s still bursting with life? Pastor Ben Cachiaras of Mountain Christian Church has spent nearly three decades leading with holy ambition, holding together the call to discipleship and evangelism. His story is one of clarity, perseverance,...
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Sacred Starts: Why Mornings and Boundaries Matter in Ministry | PT 135
How do pastors actually “do it all”? In this lively, behind-the-scenes conversation, Mark Quanstrom and Tara Beth Leach pull back the curtain on their rhythms of ministry, family life, writing, and rest. From the myth of busyness to the art of batch working, they share practical ways to sustain...
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Staying Power: What Sustains Long-Term Ministry | PT 134
Ministry can be both deeply rewarding and painfully exhausting. In this conversation, Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom open up about what keeps them in pastoral ministry after decades of challenges, transitions, and spiritual fatigue. From the support of their spouses to the importance of...
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The Gift of Waiting: Faith Eury Cho on Trust, Provision, and Friendship with God (Part 2) | PT 133
What if God’s invitation isn’t to act—but to wait? In this episode, Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom continue their conversation with pastor and author Faith Eury Cho. Together they explore how a season of uncertainty, silence, and scarcity became fertile ground for trust, surrender, and a…
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Friendship with God: Faith Eury Cho on Friendship, Presence, and Planting in the Pandemic (Part 1) | PT 132
Author, pastor, and Honor Summit founder Faith Eury Cho shares her remarkable journey from spiritual curiosity as a child to church planting during a global pandemic. With warmth and honesty, Faith reflects on her evolving intimacy with God, how motherhood reshaped her theology of presence, and…
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The Courage to Lament: Aubrey Sampson on Grief, Ministry, and Sacred Sorrow (Part 2) | PT 131
What if we stopped fearing lament in church, and started embracing it as holy? In this powerful follow-up conversation, pastor and author Aubrey Sampson joins Tara Beth and Mark to talk about leading while grieving, pastoring through pain, and creating sacred space for sorrow in the church. 🎙️…
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Leading While Grieving: Aubrey Sampson on Calling, Church Planting, and the Cost of Ministry (Part 1) | PT 130
What if your calling was never modeled for you—and your grief hit harder than your training ever prepared you for? In this episode, pastor and author Aubrey Sampson joins Tara Beth and Mark to share the winding, beautiful, and painful road of planting a church while navigating personal loss,...
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Redefining Identity: Elizabeth Bair on Navigating The Temptation of "Proving" (Part 2) | PT 129
What happens when your gender, age, and relationship status seem to speak louder than your call? In this episode, Pastor Elizabeth Bair returns to The Pastor’s Table to reflect on the quiet tension of pastoral identity, learning to relax into the authority God has given, and why she's not chasing...
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Lonely But Called: Elizabeth Bair on Ministry and Loneliness (Part 1) | PT 128
What happens when you follow your calling, only to find yourself profoundly alone? In this episode, youth pastor Elizabeth Bair opens up about stepping into ministry at age 22, navigating life in rural Michigan, and wrestling with loneliness as a single, young woman in a church leadership role.…
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From Burnout to Belonging: Paul Dazet on Vulnerability, Healing, and the Slow Work of God (Part 2) | PT 127
What if the secret to church health isn’t strategy, but vulnerability? In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Pastor Paul Dazet opens up about pastoring through cancer, exhaustion, and loss. He found these limitations became a surprising gateway to renewal. With honesty and humility, Paul...
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When Church Growth Breaks Down: Paul Dazet on Cancer, Burnout, and Rethinking Success (Part 1) | PT 126
What if success in ministry is what’s breaking you? In Part 1 of this compelling conversation, Paul Dazet joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to reflect on his unexpected path to faith, his climb through the ranks of church leadership, and the moment it all came undone. From a picnic table...
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Hospice, Presence, and Pastoral Tenderness: A Conversation on Sacred Moments | PT 125
Read Tara Beth's substack here: https://substack.com/home/post/p-163159975 How do pastors hold space when words fall short? In this deeply personal and reflective episode, Tara Beth Leach reads from her Substack essay, “The Sacred Threshold That is Hospice,” sharing the journey of walking with…
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Let’s See Where This Goes: Ivan Ramirez on Trusting God, Cultural Tension, and Pastoring Across Difference (Part 3) | PT 124
What happens when God leads you somewhere you never imagined—but you say yes anyway? In Part 3, Pastor Ivan Ramirez reflects on his transition from the city streets of Chicago to leading a small-town church in Wisconsin. With humor, vulnerability, and pastoral wisdom, Ivan shares how cultural...
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From Solitary to Seminary: Ivan Ramirez on Freedom, Calling, and Preaching with Scars (Part 2) | PT 123
What happens when freedom finds you before a courtroom does? In Part 2 of this gripping conversation, Pastor Ivan Ramirez shares how he left gang life, survived trial, and discovered God’s call through unlikely mentors, a Moody dorm room, and a courtroom bench. From early ministry mistakes to a...
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From Inmate to Pastor: Ivan Ramirez on Finding Jesus in Solitary (Part 1) | PT 122
How does a gang-involved teenager from Chicago become a pastor in Wisconsin? In Part 1 of this gripping conversation, Ivan Ramirez shares his remarkable story of searching for belonging, spiraling into despair, and encountering Jesus while facing a murder charge in solitary confinement. What…
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Confession, Connection, and the Fight for Identity: Scott Moore on Ministry Beyond Metrics (Part 2) | PT 121
Pastor Scott Moore returns for a vulnerable, soul-level conversation on what happened after his breaking point. From a life-changing fishing trip with strangers to a tearful reconnection with his family and church, Scott reflects on the slow work of reintegration. With honesty about the setbacks...
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When Ministry Breaks You: Scott Moore on Burnout, Isolation, and Holding On (Part 1) | PT 120
What happens when ministry feels less like a calling and more like survival? In this raw and courageous conversation, Scott Moore shares his story of stepping into a conflicted congregation, facing impossible expectations, and slowly losing himself in the isolation of unacknowledged burnout. 🎙️…
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Sacred Rest: Why Pastors Feel Empty After Easter and Why That’s Okay | PT 119
Why do pastors feel so disoriented the day after Easter? In this honest, unscripted conversation, Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom reflect on the emotional and spiritual aftermath of Holy Week. From packed services and buffet lunches to depression dips and pastoral guilt, they name what…
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Conviction Without Mimicry: Church, Politics, and the Power of Particular Places (Part 2) | PT 118
What does it mean to lead with conviction—without copying someone else’s model? In Part 2 of their candid host recap, Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom reflect on the pressures pastors face to mimic big-box ministry models or speak out on every cultural issue. From franchise churches to the...
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Why We’re Still Here: Redemption, Resilience, and the Heart Behind the Podcast (Part 1) | PT 117
Why do pastors keep showing up when ministry gets hard? In this honest and vulnerable host recap, Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom revisit the origins of The Pastor’s Table and unpack the convictions that continue to drive the show. From painful memories to surprising grace, this episode...
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The Church Is Not a Metaphor: Jason Micheli on Suffering, Sacraments, and Preaching That Promises (Part 2) | PT 116
Is the Church more than a symbol? In Part 2, Jason Micheli returns to explore what it means to preach the gospel when life itself feels fragile. He shares how cancer reshaped his theology, why the Church must reclaim its sacramental identity, and how sermons should declare—not just instruct. 🎙️…
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When a Pastor Gets Cancer: Jason Micheli on Suffering, Storytelling, and Trusting the Church (Part 1) | PT 115
What happens when the preacher becomes the patient? In this vulnerable and deeply pastoral episode, Rev. Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom welcome Jason Micheli, United Methodist pastor, author, and writer of The Tamed Cynic. Jason shares his unexpected call to ministry, his battle with…
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A Theology of Place: Ryan & Danny Quanstrom on Pastoring with Presence (Part 2) | PT 114
What does it mean to pastor with presence in a world that prioritizes efficiency, technology, and disconnection? In this episode, Rev. Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom continue their conversation with Ryan & Danny Quanstrom, digging into the theological convictions that shape their...
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Faith, Family, and Calling: Ryan & Danny Quanstrom on Pastoral Ministry (Part 1) | PT 113
What’s it like growing up in a pastor’s home—and then becoming a pastor yourself? In this special family edition of The Pastor’s Table, Rev. Tara Beth Leach takes the lead, sitting down with Ryan & Danny Quanstrom, both senior pastors in Michigan and the sons of co-host Dr. Mark Quanstrom. This...
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Shaping Culture in Churches with Randy Frazee (Part 2) | PT 112
What makes a church healthy—not just successful? In this episode, Rev. Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom continue their conversation with Randy Frazee, exploring how culture—not just strategy—determines a church’s future. Randy shares how his leadership philosophy has shifted over the...
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Wisdom in Transition: Randy Frazee on Succession, Identity, and Leaving Well (Part 1) | PT 111
What does it take to leave well as a pastor? In this episode, Rev. Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom sit down with Randy Frazee, Pastor Emeritus of Westside Family Church, to talk about his intentional journey of succession, the emotional weight of stepping away, and what it means to let go...
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Ritual, Renewal, and the Spirit: The Transforming Power of the Sacraments with Derek Vreeland (Part 2) | PT 110
What happens when the sacramental, the charismatic, and the evangelical converge? In this episode, Tara and Mark continue their conversation with Derek Vreeland, diving into how these seemingly distinct streams of faith are coming together in a new movement of worship and discipleship. Derek…
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Embracing Mystery and Sacramental Transformation with Derek Vreeland (Part 1) | PT 109
What if following Jesus meant rethinking everything you were taught—without ever walking away? In this episode, Rev. Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom sit down with Derek Vreeland, discipleship pastor at Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri. Derek shares his journey from a Southern...
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From Donuts to Discipleship: Laura Tarro on Church Planting and Trusting God (Part 2) | PT 108
What if success in ministry isn’t about speed, numbers, or strategy—but about trusting God’s timing? In this episode, Rev. Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom continue their conversation with pastor and church planter Laura Tarro, exploring how patience, trust, and a few unconventional worship...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Corporate leadership systems focused on vanity metrics have left today’s church leaders weary and burnt out. The Pastor’s Table Podcast brings you conversations with local pastors working out deep theological convictions in their churches.Listen to the Pastor’s Table today to get a renewed perspective on how to integrate a robust theological vision with your ministry practices. Embrace the gift of serving in God’s Kingdom with Join Dr. Mark Quanstrom & Rev. Tara Beth Leach on The Pastor’s Table.Join the conversation at thepastorstable.com
HOSTED BY
Northern Seminary
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Pastor's Table have?
The Pastor's Table currently has 157 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Pastor's Table about?
Corporate leadership systems focused on vanity metrics have left today’s church leaders weary and burnt out. The Pastor’s Table Podcast brings you conversations with local pastors working out deep theological convictions in their churches.Listen to the Pastor’s Table today to get a renewed...
How often does The Pastor's Table release new episodes?
The Pastor's Table publishes regularly with 157 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Pastor's Table?
You can listen to The Pastor's Table on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Pastor's Table?
The Pastor's Table is created and hosted by Northern Seminary.
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