Religion Desk

“Reuse, repurpose, and recycle” became more than just a slogan when hundreds gathered for last Saturday’s Earth Day Block Party at West Central Abbey. More than 50 donated bicycles were shared at the party by River City Youth, and the Mend It Cafe with Spokane Zero Waste was inside repairing party-goers’ clothing. Community groups staffed booths, and food and native plants were available. Kate Burke, Executive Director of River City Youth, and Elyse Hochstadt, Executive Director of Spokane Zero Waste, joined the Religion Desk Podcast from the block party to share about their work, the good things happening that day, and the importance of reusing. The episode also features music from Spokane’s Raging Grannies and Hannah Wynn.

Retired Religion Professor, Dr. Patricia O’Connell Killen, joined the Religion Desk to share insights on the changes in the religious landscape in the United States and how that has affected mainline congregations and denominations. You'll find the entire interview with Dr. Killen here.

In the middle of the last century mainline churches, the historical Protestant denominations, were a powerful force in American life and culture. Around half of the United States claimed membership in a mainline church in the 1950’s. Since then, these churches have seen a sharp decline in engagement and membership with many churches closing and an uncertain future ahead for the congregations that remain. Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church in Spokane Washington is a church that has seen these changes. They had more than 600 members in 1960. Now, they have 40 members. Despite the changes, they are still a vital church that is serving its neighborhood. The people at Lidgerwood opened their doors to the Religion Desk to tell their story. Pastor Mark Wheeler has been at Lidgerwood for 30 years, and he’s seen how the church has adapted to a new time and has expanded its outreach to its neighborhood. Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Inland Northwest, the Rev. Sheryl Kinder-Pyle, shared, too, on Lidgerwood Presbyterian and the churches she oversees. Retired Religion Professor, Dr. Patricia O’Connell Killen, joined the podcast to give perspective on why mainline churches have changed and what might be in store for their future. If you’d like to hear more from Dr. Killen, listen to the bonus episode that includes the whole interview with her.

Reporter Emma Maple joined the podcast for a brief interview about her recent article about Holden Village and their closure for the year because of recent landslides.

Many find silence uncomfortable, but the people of the Spokane Quaker Worship Group embrace it. When they meet at 8:30 AM on Sundays, they gather as an unprogrammed Quaker meeting which means they wait together in silence until someone is moved to speak. Some days a few will speak, but on many days the hour will pass in silence. Quakers, though, aren’t intimidated by the quiet gathering. They are shaped by the experience of being together in the silence and hearing, when something is shared, what they believe to be the inner light that resides in each person. Three members of the Spokane Quaker Worship Group, Alan Binnie, Claire Cushman, and Brian Martin, joined the Religion Desk Podcast to share about their group and their experiences as Quakers.The Spokane Quaker Worship Group meets at 8:30 AM on Sundays on the lower level of the Spokane Friends Meeting at 1612 W Dalke Ave, Spokane, Washington. You can find out more at spokanequakers.org.

As churches change, how they use their buildings change, too, and many times churches are left with more physical space than they need. North Hill Christian Church in Spokane, Washington has a space in their church building that, decades ago, was a children’s Sunday School room and since then has been used for storage. They’re partnering with Jewels Helping Hands, a non-profit that serves the unhoused population in Spokane, to make the unused space in the church into a shelter space to house LGBTQ+ individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Rev. Chris Snow, North Hill’s pastor, and Bill Jennison, a leader in the church, joined the podcast along with Samantha Merryman and Kylie Mahakam from Jewels Helping Hands, to explain the process of the church space becoming a shelter site.

The community of Spokane, Washington gathered at the Spokane Convention Center for the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Rally and March on January 19, 2026. Here are some of the sounds of the day.