In Good Faith

Lieutenant Colonel Ruth Segres wasn’t looking for a ministry. In fact—as a child of the 4th generation of preachers in her family—she was looking elsewhere, but when ministry came calling, she finally answered that call and found herself completely at home in a place she had never imagined, as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force.  You’ll love her spirit, her commitment to the men and women she serves, and be inspired by her preparations for her daily walk with God among his children as a carrier of God’s presence. And here’s an acronym to listen for; her mission to save a S. O. L. E.

Author and activist Dr. Eboo Patel is nationally and even internationally known for his interfaith work on college campuses as the founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core, but as a young man, religion wasn’t even on his radar.  In this interview we’ll follow his path back to faith and to interfaith work, and why he feels it’s important enough to devote his life to it. If you’ve ever wondered what interfaith work is or why it should matter to you, please take a listen. The interview is followed by a panel discussion with four Chaplains who serve people of all faiths or no faith, in college, hospice, prison, and a police department, and how they have seen interfaith relationships strengthen people and communities.  There's also a link below to a video of Dr. Patel’s recent address at BYU on the purpose and the history of interfaith work in the US. Click the link to watch the video of Dr. Eboo Patel speaking on interfaith work at BYU conference. He is introduced at 21:12 into the video.

Whether it's in her books, her podcasts, or her online articles, Elissa Bjeletich finds ways to make her Orthodox Christian beliefs more than Sunday-only events, and to live them out with her family and in her private moments throughout the week as well.

Bob Greiner serves as a Deacon at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Boston, and works as an administrator at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, where he spoke with me about his faith journey through several denominations, on receiving his call to ministry at an age when most people are retired, and how he feels connected to God through service. (Photos: Top, Deacon Bob Greiner. Bottom, Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston, Massachusetts, where the interview took place.) Deacon Robert Greiner St. Paul's Cathedral Church in Boston, Massachusetts

Rev. Elizabeth McVicker, Pastor at First United Methodist Church and Centenary United Methodist Church, shares her family's journey from China to Burma to the US, and how her call to ministry unfolded bit by bit. And, she'll tell us why she considers herself a "utility pastor." Rev. Elizabeth McVicker

Dr. Dale Coulter, Associate Professor at Regent University School of Divinity in Virginia Beach, shares his faith as a Pentecostal member of the Church of God. He talks about combining faith and scholarship for a broader view of each, and about the experiential nature of Pentecostal worship. "I've come to the conclusion that we're shaped today by the prayers that were uttered by our ancestors 100 years ago. Not because they knew how those prayers would shape us, but because the God to whom they uttered them knew." In this episode of In Good Faith Dr. Dale Coulter talks about his faith journey, including how his brother's suicide helped him develop more empathy towards everyone around him. Dr. Dale Coulter

Mike Hampton, from Christ United Methodist, talks about the turning points in his faith journey, and the ways he sees the hand of God in his life.

Dr. Steve McKinion, from the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, talks about his own turning points--including whether he'd commit himself to what he believed, and about the way real faith in God doesn't just prepare us for heaven, but teaches us how to live with each other here and now. Dr. Steve McKinion

It was a simple childhood prayer for her father's healing from mental illness that set Leide Lessa on a path of physical and spiritual healing in her faith. She shares how God speaks to each of us in a way we can understand, and how as a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship, she does her "real job" of expressing love whether it's speaking to a group or with an individual. Leide Lessa

At a certain point in her life, Jennifer Ristine, a Consecrated Woman of the Catholic order Regnum Christi, found herself drawn to Mary Magdalene, and asking to have a heart like Mary's was; faithful even to the foot of the cross. It was years later she received an unexpected answer to that prayer when she found herself sent to the excavation of ancient Magdala--the city of Mary Magdalene--on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, for several years of service, learning, and eventually writing about what she had learned. Join us as Jennifer shares her faith journey and beautiful insights from the life of a unique disciple of Jesus--Mary Magdalene. Jennifer Ristine Find information on Jennifer Ristine's book "Mary Magdalene, Insights from Ancient Magdala" at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K4VYPRS/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb Book cover Mary Magdalene