During the summer of 2017, Elder Matthew S. Holland — then president of Utah Valley University and now a General Authority Seventy, knocked on a door with a sign that read, “chaplain,” at Oxford University. Behind the door was Reverend Dr. Andrew Teal, an Anglican priest and theologian specializing in Christian church history at Oxford’s Pembroke College. Unbeknownst to either of them, that first meeting would bloom into a friendship beyond themselves and their faith. On this episode of the Church News podcast, the first in a two-part series, Elder Holland and Dr. Rev. Teal are joined by guest host Sheri Dew to discuss interfaith friendship and community building. Join us next week: Oxford’s Rev. Dr. Andrew Teal — Part 2: The repercussions of interfaith friendships with David W. Checketts and Deborah L. Checketts, London England Mission leaders.

The Church News Podcast is a weekly podcast that invites listeners to make a journey of connection with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the globe. Host Sarah Jane Weaver, reporter and editor for The Church News for a quarter-century, shares a unique view of the stories, events, and most important people who form this international faith. With each episode, listeners are asked to embark on a journey to learn from one another and ponder, “What do I know now?” because of the experience. Produced by KellieAnn Halvorsen.