Leaders in Living Rooms

In this episode, Sean Morgan sits down with Josh Rhodes and Tim Haring to discuss the succession journey at Chestnut Ridge Church. After 40 years of ministry, founding pastor Tim reflects on preparing the church for life beyond his leadership, while Josh shares how their long-term relationship and shared heartbeat for reaching people made the transition possible. Together, they explore humility, outside counsel, and the intentional communication strategies that helped their church navigate succession with unity and hope for the future.Welcome to Episode 142 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSChestnut Ridge ChurchWhen God Walked Alone, by Tim Haringsean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS JOSH RHODES?Josh is the Senior Pastor at Chestnut Ridge Church in Morgantown, West Virginia. He grew up as a pastor’s kid in the northern panhandle town of Weirton and has always loved his home state — especially the pepperoni rolls, state parks, and WVU Mountaineer sports. He married his high school sweetheart, Hillary, and together they have four children — Sephora, Levi, Pierce, and Micah — and have been a licensed foster family since 2021. Since 2007, Josh has served in full-time ministry at Chestnut Ridge Church and LCBC Church in Pennsylvania, leading in student, college, and adult ministries. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies and Pastoral Ministry from Lancaster Bible College in 2005 and a Master of Theology from Biblical Theological Seminary in 2014. He also completed the Ridge ordination program and was affirmed as an ordained elder and pastor in September 2020. After a multi-year succession plan, Founding Pastor Tim Haring passed the senior pastor baton to Josh on September 29, 2024. Today, Pastor Tim and Josh enjoy serving alongside one another in this new season at The Ridge.WHO IS TIM HARINGTim Haring is the Founding Pastor of Chestnut Ridge Church and served as its Senior Pastor for 40 years before passing on his responsibilities to Pastor Josh Rhodes. During the 40 years of ministry, Chestnut Ridge Church eventually became the largest church in the state of West Virginia and has helped plant four additional churches in the state. Tim has a Pastoral Studies Degree, Greek Emphasis, from Moody Bible Institute and a Business Degree from the West Virginia University. He has been married for 37 years and has five children and three grandchildren. Tim is currently serving in a part time capacity at the church. He is also coaching other pastors, writing his second book and speaking at conferences.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.

Joel Thomas, lead pastor at Buckhead Church and director at North Point Ministries, shares his transformative journey in leadership. He emphasizes the importance of investing in young leaders and the nuances between turnaround and realignment strategies. Joel opens up about his experiences at Mission Community Church, tackling challenges that tested his leadership skills. He also discusses preparing for succession in large organizations, highlighting how self-awareness and effective team building play crucial roles in a leader's success.

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with author, counselor, and leadership mentor Chip Dodd to unpack the “Five Pitfalls of Leadership.” Drawing on decades of experience leading leaders and running the Center for Professional Excellence, Chip explores how work can become confused with worth, why performance often overshadows presence, and how leaders slip into isolation and secrecy. He unpacks the role of humility, healthy dependency, and vulnerability in sustaining authentic leadership—reminding us that leaders must remain learners to stay effective.Welcome to Episode 140 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSchipdodd.comLiving with Heart podcastThe Voice of the Heart and Needs of the Heart, by Chip Doddsean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS CHIP DODD?Dr. Chip Dodd has spent his entire career guiding thousands of professionals and their families through the struggles of their lives and into the lives they were created to have. In 1996, Dr. Dodd founded a treatment center in Nashville, Tennessee called The Center for Professional Excellence (CPE), and spent the next 22 years serving as its Executive Director. CPE was a powerfully effective treatment center that helped thousands get recovery of their hearts. Since selling CPE in 2017, Dr. Dodd has worked in private practice doing consulting, mentoring, speaking, counseling, as well as writing. He began Chip Dodd Resources in 2019. In 1991, Dr. Dodd developed The Spiritual Root System (SRS). It is a simple and effective way of seeing how we are made, and integrating how we are made into the lives we desire. The SRS’s foundational essence is based on the awareness that we are created as emotional and spiritual creatures, created to live fully through relationship with ourselves, others, and God. Dr. Dodd’s first book, The Voice of the Heart, was published in 2001. This seminal work teaches the importance of feelings as tools and gifts that can assist us in living fully. This book continues to impact people’s lives all over the world. All of Dr. Dodd’s books speak to our desire to live fully, love deeply, and lead well. Dr. Dodd attained an M.A. in English from the University of Mississippi in 1985. In 1990, Dr. Dodd completed his Ph.D. in Counseling at the University of North Texas. While living in Texas, he co-founded Bent Tree Counseling Center in Dallas and served as its Clinical Director before relocating to the Nashville area. Dr. Dodd married his high school sweetheart in 1983. They have two grown sons and two precious daughters-in-law. They currently live in Middle Tennessee.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.

In this episode, Sean Morgan welcomes back Aaron Brockett, Lead Pastor of Traders Point Christian Church, for a transparent and wisdom-packed conversation on leadership growth through seasons of ministry. Aaron shares candid reflections on lessons learned from church planting, staff alignment, team culture, and navigating organizational challenges. From culture as "the oil in the engine" to handling conflict with clarity and grace, this episode offers practical wisdom for leaders in any season. Whether you're transitioning, scaling, or seeking alignment, Aaron’s journey offers clarity and encouragement.Welcome to Episode 139 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSSTARS model, by Michael D. Watkinssean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS AARON BROCKETT?Aaron Brockett is the lead pastor of Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis. Since he joined the church in 2007, it has grown from 1,500 people in one location to more than 10,000 people in four locations, earning recognition as one of the fastest growing churches in the U.S.from Outreach Magazine. He is passionate about removing unnecessary barriers that keep people from Jesus, just as the men in Mark 2 “wrecked the roof” in order to get the paralytic to Jesus. “Jesus says, ‘I  will draw all men and women to myself.’ Therefore, He is the only one who can change anyone. “Our responsibility as a church is to get those people to Him and let Him do what only He can,” Aaron has said. Aaron has contributed to several books and articles and serves as a board member of the Orchard Group, a worldwide church-planting organization. He and his wife, Lindsay, have dedicated their lives to seeing people all over the world come to know, trust, and follow Jesus. They have four great kids and a silver lab named Winston.

In today’s episode, Sean sits down with Ted Coniaris and Dave Ferguson of COMMUNITY to explore healthy succession plans in church leadership. Ted, a former church planter turned lead pastor apprentice, shares his journey from Greek Orthodox roots to executive leadership. Dave, the founding pastor and now CEO of Exponential, reflects on stepping back, championing Ted, and why a leadership handoff rooted in humility, clarity, and trust works. Together, they reveal the intentional 18-month apprenticeship model they followed—complete with timelines, vision handoffs, and mutual respect. If you're navigating leadership transitions in your church, this episode is full of practical wisdom and encouragement.Welcome to Episode 138 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSExponentialCOMMUNITYHero Maker, by Dave FergusonBLESS, by Dave Ferguson@fergusondave@tedconiarissean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS DAVE FERGUSON?Dave Ferguson is the founding pastor of COMMUNITY, a multi-expression missional community that is passionate about “helping people find their way back to God.” COMMUNITY has grown from a few college friends to reaching thousands of people in Chicagoland and around the world. Dave is the CEO/President of Exponential; a catalyst for developing multipliers and church planting globally. He is an award-winning author of books that include The Big Idea, Exponential, On The Verge, Finding Your Way Back To God, Starting Over, Hero Maker and most recently B.L.E.S.S. 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World. Dave and his best friend Sue are parents to three adult kids they are crazy about. Feel free to email him with questions, ideas, or introductions at daveferguson@exponential.org Website: daveferguson.org. X: @daveferguson. Instagram: @fergusondave.WHO IS TED CONIARIS?Ted Coniaris is the Lead Pastor of COMMUNITY. He grew up in a second-generation Greek community in Minneapolis and first sensed a call to ministry within the Greek Orthodox Church. After transitioning to Protestant ministry, Ted served in various teaching and executive leadership roles before planting a new location through COMMUNITY. Over the past seven years, he’s taken on increasing leadership responsibilities—overseeing locations, expressions, and serving on the lead team—before stepping into his current role through an intentional 18-month apprenticeship process.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.

In this episode, Sean welcomes back Rev. Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World. Together, they unpack the complex reality of leading during the worst global hunger crisis in over 50 years. Eugene reflects on his unexpected entry into this season of leadership, the global challenges impacting food security, and the Church’s vital role in advocacy and compassionate engagement. He also shares personal rhythms for staying healthy, strategic, and spiritually grounded in high-capacity leadership.Welcome to Episode 137 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan.EPISODE LINKSInstagram: @eugenechohttps://www.bread.org/Email: eugenecho@bread.orgsean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS EUGENE CHO?Rev. Eugene Cho is President/CEO of Bread for the World, a collective Christian voice including individuals, churches, non-profits, and other partners, who work together to urge our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and around the world by changing the policies and programs that allow hunger to persist. Eugene’s passions involve leadership, justice, the intersection of faith and public life, and the pursuit of God’s Kingdom here on this earth. He travels throughout the world to encourage churches, non-profits, pastors, leaders, missionaries, and justice workers. Before coming to Bread for the World in 2020, Eugene founded and for 18 years served as senior pastor of Quest Church, an urban, multi-cultural and multi-generational church in Seattle, Washington. Eugene is also the founder and visionary of One Day’s Wages (ODW) — a grassroots movement of people, stories, and actions to alleviate extreme global poverty. The vision of ODW is to create a collaborative movement that promotes awareness, invites simple giving (one day’s wages), and supports sustainable relief through partnerships, especially with small organizations in developing regions. Eugene and Minhee have been married for nearly 25 years and have three children. Together, they live in Seattle, Washington and will be making a move to the Washington, DC area.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.

In Part 2 of the team momentum series, Sean Morgan talks through the essential topic of alignment—what it looks like, why it matters, and how leaders can cultivate it within their teams. Drawing from real-life leadership challenges, Sean outlines three core causes of misalignment and offers practical strategies to bring clarity, prioritize what matters most, and install or improve systems that support team momentum. Plus, he shares a bonus insight on dealing with people who are misaligned and how to address it with both courage and care.Welcome to Episode 136 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSsean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS SEAN MORGAN?Sean started out in ministry serving in a San Francisco area church plant as their Executive Pastor. He went on to help coach and consult with church leaders across the country and eventually founded The Ascent Leader, a first-of-its-kind organization focusing on relational leadership development for local church pastors. He also hosts the Leaders In Living Rooms podcast. Sean recently retired from a 26-year career as a KC-10 pilot in the US Air Force Reserve. His favorite titles are “Stacy’s husband” and “Kaylee and Ayden’s dad.”SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.

In this solo episode, Sean Morgan explores the foundational steps of building and maintaining a high-horsepower team that drives momentum instead of losing it. Drawing from personal leadership reflections and ministry insights, Sean unpacks five key practices that separate stagnant teams from thriving ones. Whether you're leading a church staff, a volunteer crew, or an executive board, these principles will challenge and equip you to lead with clarity, courage, and purpose. This is part one of a two-part series on building momentum.Welcome to Episode 135 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSsean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS SEAN MORGAN?Sean started out in ministry serving in a San Francisco area church plant as their Executive Pastor. He went on to help coach and consult with church leaders across the country and eventually founded The Ascent Leader, a first-of-its-kind organization focusing on relational leadership development for local church pastors. He also hosts the Leaders In Living Rooms podcast. Sean recently retired from a 26-year career as a KC-10 pilot in the US Air Force Reserve. His favorite titles are “Stacy’s husband” and “Kaylee and Ayden’s dad.”

In this episode, Sean Morgan talks with Randy Frazee, a seasoned pastor with over 36 years of ministry experience. They explore the challenges and opportunities of pastoral transitions, from overcoming the fear of identity loss to finding purpose beyond the pulpit. Randy shares insights on building a healthy church culture, maintaining a strong marriage in ministry, and setting up a successful succession plan. If you're navigating a leadership transition or preparing for a new season in ministry, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom and personal stories to guide you.Welcome to Episode 134 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSrandyfrazee.comhttps://www.westsidefamily.church/sean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS RANDY FRAZEE?Randy Frazee is a pastor, author, coach, and consultant. He is the architect of The Story and Believe Bible engagement campaigns and has published numerous books including, The Heart of the Story, What Happens After You Die, His Mighty Strength, and The Joy Challenge. Randy has been married to Rozanne, his high school sweetheart for over forty years. Together they have four grown children and five grandchildren and counting. To learn more about Randy’s work, check out randyfrazee.com.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.

In this episode, Sean sits down with Danny from Three Crosses Church to explore how God births fresh vision in the heart of a leader—and what happens when that vision begins to take root. Danny reflects on the evolution of his leadership after seven years as lead pastor, the sabbatical that created space for new direction, and the spiritual and strategic clarity that followed. Together, they discuss the tension between patience and boldness, the challenge of stewarding legacy churches with missional urgency, and the dream of seeing 35 new gospel expressions across the Bay Area by 2035. Whether you're wrestling with vision, longing for renewal, or wondering if it's time for something new, this conversation will stir your soul.Welcome to Episode 133 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKShttp://www.3crosses.churchsean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS DANNY STRANGE?Danny Strange leads 3Crosses Church in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he has been serving as Senior Pastor since 2019. His journey with 3Crosses began much earlier—he was saved there as a high school student in 1997 when classmates prayed for him daily and persistently invited him to youth group. Danny heard God's unexpected call to ministry while applying to business school at UC Berkeley, and he hasn't looked back since. After joining the 3Crosses staff in 2000, Danny served in various capacities including 10 years in Student Ministries before transitioning to Family Pastor and Executive Pastor roles. His education includes a BA in Sociology from UC Berkeley, a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a DMin from Western Seminary, where his dissertation merged the fields of Story Formation with Expository Preaching—research inspired by a lead storyboarder from Pixar who attended his church. Danny and his wife Jessica have been married since 2003 and are raising six children together: four biological boys ranging from middle school to college age, and twin girls they adopted through the foster care system in their county.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.