We’ve always heard that the two things we don’t talk about at the dinner table are religion and politics, but in this episode of The Ferment we are going to talk about them both and how we navigate them as a unit…or don’t. Featuring conversations with 8 different pastors spanning gender, racial, cultural and political divides, we hear the perspectives of just about every ideology that exists amongst people who study the Bible and love Jesus deeply.

Up first is Shane Claiborne, a prominent speaker, activist and best-selling author who founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia and worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta. He is followed by David Englehardt, pastor of Kings’ Church NYC in Manhattan and founder of Englehardt Law, and Rose Madrid Swetman, who is currently the Regional Leader for Vineyard USA in the Northwest Region and an Adjunct Professor and Moderator for the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. Next we hear from Montel Richardson, who pastors a 172-year-old historically black church in Campbellsville, KY and founder of the H.O.P.E. Project, which seeks to be of service to the community in practical ways. Parker Frey is a pastor at the Oxford Vineyard Church in Ohio, and Jason Coker is the Lead Pastor at the Oceanside Sanctuary in California, as well as a member of the Human Development faculty at Cal State San Marcos. Finally, we wrap up with Melody and Bud Winderweedle, pastors of Ekklesia Vineyard in Chattanooga, TN.

With such a diverse group of pastors, the conversations cover topics of pro-life vs. pro-birth, moral hierarchies and how they affect our priorities as Christians, the value of face-to-face conversations, how we navigate racial unrest and the beauty of practicing lament. This episode provides valuable opportunity for developing empathy and learning to love our brothers and sisters in Christ during an extremely polarizing season.

Shane Claiborne’s website: https://www.shaneclaiborne.com

David Englehardt’s church – Kings’ Church NYC: https://www.kcnyc.org/team

Rose Madrird Swetman’s website: http://rosemadridswetman.com/

Montel Richardson’s website: https://montelrichardsonministries.org

Parker Frey’s church: https://www.oxfordvineyard.com

Jason Coker’s website: https://www.jasoncoker.net/about

Melody and Bud Winderweedle https://ekklesiavineyard.com