Sarah Arthur returns to the podcast as "A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle, Author of A Wrinkle in Time" is arriving in stores. We laugh our way through episode #140 and back at episode #59. Sarah is the author of numerous books and resources on the intersection of faith and great stories. Her first book was the best-selli…

LINKS: Sponsor: United Faith Leaders Cohere Chicago Rabbi Riffs Open Dor Project ELI Talk: "Community IS Everything" Honi the Circle Maker Hebrew Union College Baltimore Hebrew University Indiana University InterfaithFamily/Chicago MORE: Founder of Cohere Chicago, Rabbi Ari Poster Moffic was ordained in 2007 from Hebrew Union College. She has an un…

Rev. Eric Jackson's quote from the Freedom New Hampshirewebsite jumped out at me. Perhaps it should not be outstanding that a pastor is firmly standing up for transgender people. As humans we shouldn't be surprised anymore that God surprises us with naturally occurring phenomena. It makes sense to be surprised at what the surprise isbut decreasingl…

Minister Lyvonne “Proverbs” Picou is a preacher, speaker, poet, educator, creative social entrepreneur, and an Emmy-award-winning media producer. A New York City native, Lyvonne is currently a part of the inaugural cohort for the Do Good X Startup Accelerator. Do Good X nurtures Christian social entrepreneurs who wish to do good in the world. She w…

Rabbi Patrick Beaulier is a co-founder of Darshan Yeshiva and PunkTorah. He is an author, speaker, pastor, seeker and facilitator. He is the rabbi for Bonay Kodesh, an independent, progressive Jewish community started south of Richmond, VA. Patrick has written or edited several books including Ahavah Rabbah, PunkTorah: The First Anthology and the N…

Micah Redding is the Executive Director of the Christian Transhumanist Association and producer of The Christian Transhumanist Podcast. Micah is from many places including Tulsa, Oklahoma. Today he lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his spouse. What's Christian Transhumanist, you ask? Micah is the right Christian to ask. (Full show notes with pictu…

Rev. Melanie Mullen lives her life in professional service to God and others as the Director of Reconciliation, Justice, and Creation Care at the Office of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. So this episode holds stories that connect her North Carolina roots, her time in Richmond, and certainly her time now in D.C., New York City, and ev…

Lisa Sharon Harper confirms here that one reason President Obama was able to create the DACA program was because of a broad coalition of evangelical Christians advocating for major immigration reform? From Ferguson to New York to Germany and South Africa, Lisa leads trainings and helps mobilize clergy and community leaders around shared values for …

Stephanie is the pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Formerly she was the Associate Pastor for Campus Ministry at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. She has also served other churches in Kentucky. She is married to Andy Wing, another Presbyterian minister. They have two boys, Isaac and Micah, 4 and 2 years old, respe…

The Rev. Dr. Patricia (“Tricia”) Lyons is currently serving on the Bishop’s Staff as Missioner for Evangelism and Community Engagement for the Diocese of Washington. For 17 years, she was a chaplain, religion teacher, varsity coach and JK-12 Director of Service Learning at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes (Episcopal) School in Alexandria, VA. She has also…

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg has her own ELI Talk with over 12,000 views, Twitter feed with over 18,000 followers, and is Rabbi-in-Residence at Avodah. She has also authored seven books "about the messy business of trying to be a person in the world, and how spirituality can transform that work." Married, mother of three, her latest book, Nurture the Wow…

Bethany Stolle is an interaction designer, curriculum developer, and entrepreneur with a ten years of experience. Bethany spent nearly a decade developing innovative, experiential curriculum for the non-profit religious publisher, Augsburg Fortress. Check out her work today at Stolle Creative. I saw Bethany lead a workshop for Virginia Theological …

Rev. Sarah Trone Garriott is the Coordinator of Interfaith Engagement for DMARC, The Des Moines Area Religious Council, from which we grabbed the following biography! "Sarah works with the diverse faith communities of the greater Des Moines area to support the mission of DMARC, while also creating resources and opportunities to support faith commun…

Dr. Marsha Foster Boyd has been a seminary president, seminary professor, and the Director of Accreditation and Leadership Education at the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. She is the Chief Catalyst at Catalyst Connections Global and a co-founder of The Bridge Collective with Matthew Abrams. Come find out why her …

Katie Amin is a Muslim, female firefighter/emergency medical technician with the Chesterfield Fire Department with a passion for volunteering. She has four older sisters and a younger brother. She was born in Jerusalem and lived there until she was 13. Katie has very graciously accepted our invitation to help us expand our interfaith friendships. W…

Reverend Amelia Fulbright is the founding minister at Labyrinth Progressive Student Ministry. Amelia went to Wake Forest University then studied Pastoral Care and Counseling at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. After seminary Amelia served for five years as an Associate Pastor at University Baptist Church in Austin, TX, before transitioning…

Kyle Oliver is living in NY, NY. He is in the Communications Media and Learning Technologies Design Program at Columbia University's Teachers College in pursuit of a doctorate. Kyle studied nuclear engineering and engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is married and an Assistant Priest at St. Michael's Episcopal Church. I w…

Dr. Amir Hussain is Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses on world religions. His own particular speciality is the study of Islam, focusing on contemporary Muslim societies in North America. His academic degrees (BSc, MA, PhD) are all from the University of Toronto where he received…

A few months ago I had the opportunity, along with 1500 others, to hear Dr. Takiyah Nur Amin on a panel discussion representing BLUU, Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism. Our Unitarian Universalist denomination is courageously discussing its past and present participation, along with the rest of America and religion, in white supremacy. BLUU is c…

Dying is part of America's null curriculum. Even in many Christian congregations, denominations, and seminaries, death and dying are rarely discussed. Today's guest is an author, speaker, and professor of religion at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, Dr. Deanna Thompson. Like all our listeners, she's living. But like only some of our liste…

Getting 30 minutes with Rev. Jeanne Pupke this particular week was an honor and nearly miraculous since there are just seven days left in her 18-month presidential campaign! Rev. Jeanne will be in New Orleans this week for the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association. In exactly one week, Saturday June 25th, 2017, all three candid…

Rev. April Blaine lives in Columbus, Ohio and is the Lead Pastor at Hilliard United Methodist Church. She went to Hendrix College and Methodist Theological School in Ohio. She is married with kiddos and is a passionate advocate for the enneagram. Babes, blessings, and bathtubs - that's what we're talking about today with April. If you think we're b…

The Rev. Dr. Paula Owens Parker is a Presbyterian minister and senior program developer of Roots Matter. Though Roots Matter’s approach to generational healing is rooted in the traumatic experience of chattel slavery and the African American spirituality created out of that experience, it has a deep and powerful connection with other groups and cul…

Let's go now to our Real World Correspondent, Sarah Langford Berger! Sarah is a hospice nurse with Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care. She has her Bachelor of Science from National American University. She's married to Chris Berger with two gorgeous kiddos. Make sure you listen to hear who Sarah met unexpectedly when she went to church! This sho…

Teresa Pasquale Mateus lives in Chicago, IL where she is a student at Chicago Theological Seminary. She is a a trauma specialist, a contemplative, a speaker, hails from Bogotá, Columbia, and is the author the books Sacred Wounds and Mending Broken. Her third book is forthcoming with the working title, Going Naked: The Art of Spiritual Shedding. Ter…

Sarah Are is about to graduate from Columbia Theological Seminary near Atlanta, Georgia and relocate to Dallas, Texas! Sarah's courage to move as she answers her calls brought her through my own Richmond, Virginia for a summer while she completed her Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and where she reconnected with her undergraduate alma mater, Virg…

Grace Aheron is a force of nature all unto herself. She is wise, courageous and full of faith. Her stories include advocacy for others, leaps of faith, and living into her own being. I took some time at the beginning of our conversation to make relationship connections. Being introduced to Claire Hitchins and Taylor (Poindexter) Devine helps all of…

Rev. Dr. Lisa Cressman is the Founder and Steward of Backstory Preaching. She is the Assisting Priest at Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Houston, Texas. Her Doctor of Ministry is from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana, and her Master of Divinity is from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California. Lisa al…

Sushama Austin-Connor has degrees from Emerson College, Fisk University, and Harvard Divinity School. Today she is part of the Princeton Seminary Continuing Education staff where she directs the Black Theology and Leadership Institute. She worships with her husband and two boys in the United Church of Christ and appreciates coffee from Dunkin' Donu…

Hello, friends. I'm Father Cathie. I'm an Episcopal priest in North Carolina, serving congregations and people with the freedom to go where I am called. That's why my ministry is called Free Range Priest — instead of serving one church or group, I serve in many places and many ways. Through teaching and discussing Christian practice in everyday lif…

Colber Prosper and I met at the inception of the Wild Goose Festival's LEAD NOW! program in 2015. We both returned as contributors in 2016. LEAD NOW! applied his teaching and leadership skills while I joined the first-ever GooseCast, a stage dedicated to podcasters. Colber is an author and the founder of Prosper & Partners. Colber's first book, No …

According to Mr. Rogers, Leslie Boyd has a very important job - telling the truth. "Truth-telling is a ministry and it's a joy to be able to do it," Leslie says. And Mr. Rogers is not the only famous reverend to encourage Leslie's truth-telling. Rev. Dr. William Barber, II seems to lend a microphone to Leslie every chance he gets. To learn more of …

Rev. Dr. Mark Achtemeier is a minister, author and theologian of the Presbyterian Church (USA). He is well known for his biblical research regarding same-sex marriage and having argued just as passionately against same-sex marriage as he argues for it today. This son to prestigious old and new testament seminary professors presents his case in The …

AmyBeth Willis is the Director of Children and Youth at Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona and an organizer with the national sanctuary movement. AmyBeth comes to the sanctuary movement as an ally and to this podcast with lots of wisdom. AmyBeth and I met at an event at Richmond Hill organized by Lana Heath de Martínez and the Virgini…

Katie Hays and I had church. Church happened. And it's happening now, as you read these words. And it will happen again when you hit 'play.' Katie told us about church moments beyond the church hour and walls. She told us about the random moment when a cell phone interruption identified church happening in her living room. Katie didn't recognize ch…

As an expert on immigration, Dr. Ellin Jimmerson's conversation was a fun, meaningful, and timely. Jimmerson's movie, The Second Cooler, narrated by Martin Sheen, was released in 2013. It has won many awards and been screened at many universities, fund raisers, theaters, and other venues across the US. While we were conducting our interview rallies…

Experience New York City, The United Nations, Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University, immigration, and 9/11/2001 through the lens of Lenka Opalena. She is from the former Czechoslovakia and is at the tail end of her Master of Divinity program at UTS in NYC. Acquainted rebellion in her own maturation, Lenka walks with others surviving post-…

This special episode preceded the special election that took place January 10th, 2017 for a State Senate seat in Virginia. Our special guest is Delegate Jennifer McClellan! This is a special election to fill a vacancy created by Donald McEachin who won a seat in the U.S. Congress November 8th. Please join us on this episode and, more importantly, j…

Sarah Stonesifer is the Digital Missioner and Learning Lab Coordinator at Virginia Theological Seminary. Maybe you'll want to bring Sarah and a VTS e-Formation boot camp to you. She is also the youngest president ever elected to the Episcopal Diocese of Washington Standing Committee! In this episode you'll learn what these things are and maybe glea…

Irene DeMaris referenced everything from Genesis and Matthew to Donald Trump and abortion. Tying a bow on recent discernment and graduation from Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry Irene is available for hire! She is serious about ministry, discernment and faith without losing her happiness and joy. Personal mission statement: She is…

Come enjoy Baptist Theological Seminary of Richmond professor of ethics and theology Beth Newman's personal stories. They are interwoven with a theme of 'unity in the Church' because today is the 499th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. As a Baptist professor at St. Mary's Catholic College in Indiana Dr. Newman truly lived a 12 year struggl…

Rev. Katy Cuthill Steinberg is the pastor of a creative church plant in Florida called Missing Peace. She studied at Columbia Theological Seminary, The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, and The University of Florida. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Katy previously served as the Children's Minister at Port Orange Presbyterian Ch…

In her words, Jory Micah is, "a Christian, an evangelist, and a feminist, in that order." You can find her online with @BreakingTheGlassSteeple and tag her with #BreakingTheGlassSteeple. This girly-girl professor, writer, speaker enjoys setting the world on fire with her words for Jesus and social justice, especially for women and girls. She recent…

A Jew and a Gentile Walk into a Bar ... Mitzvah, that's the name of the podcast hosted by Charles Bretan (The Jew) and Chris Henson (The Gentile). Their friendship has developed because of shared interests in God, cigars, humor and mental health. Read their blog - surf their galleries - swim in their web pages - they are living out rough, messy, un…

The Coffeepot Fellowship is happy to further introduce the supremely kind and intelligent Marina Ghaly. Marina is a 2nd year student at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond. She's taken classes at Liberty University and says, "I love Jesus, I love music, I love the Middle East and I love sports." Get the Marina experience right here.…

My guest today is not Amy Butler, the senior pastor at The Riverside Church in NYC. This episode is unusual because I'd like you to hear from a guest who is not here. The time I'd like you to spend with Amy Butler today will, true to our Coffeepot Fellowship tradition, involve her sharing personal stories and, also true to our tradition, it will be…

Elle Dowd is a founding member of the #decolonizelutheranism movement. She is a wife and mother. Elle also recently transitioned from being the Youth Missioner for the Diocese of Missouri to being a first year student at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Rev. Tom Baynham Jr. brought his kind, gregarious personality back to Richmond. Now catch what's news today, right here on Tom's first full interview on The Coffeepot Fellowship Podcast. He had been on a previous show of mine but it was before he finished his masters in Sacred Music and Hymnody at Boston University's School of Theology. Tom is just…

You may know Frank Schaeffer for his most recent book, New York Times best seller Why I'm an Atheist Who Believes in God: How to Give Love, Create Beauty and Find Peace or as the subject of the 2016 movie Let Me Be Frank. You may also know him as the heir apparent to influential fundamentalist, evangelical parents Francis and Edith Schaeffer. When …