Park Street Dialogues

We extend our compassion to our sisters and brothers at Congregation Lion of Judah, whose beloved pastor of 40 years, Dr. Roberto S. Miranda, passed away suddenly into the Lord’s presence on May 21, 2022. While we grieve this tremendous loss to the Boston Christian community, we give thanks for the power and love of God that touched many through this beloved servant of Jesus.We're re-releasing Episode 9, Mark's conversation with Roberto from 2021 for those who might be interested in hearing Roberto's story.

Dave Searles serves at Central Assembly of God Church in East Boston where he lives with his family. The multi-cultural nature of the neighborhood is reflected in Central Assembly of God Church, and in this final episode for Season 1 of Park Street Dialogues, Dave and Mark discuss that diversity, the importance of being present in the neighborhood of the church, and what it looks like to join in with what God is doing instead of pushing a new agenda. Central Assembly of God Church Simon Institute Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team East Boston Peace Walk 

Enoch Liao has been on staff at the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church (BCEC) for 20 years, and he currently serves as an Assistant Pastor at their Chinatown campus, overseeing their English-speaking ministry. BCEC has campuses in both Chinatown and Newton, and they offer services in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. Much of Enoch and Mark’s conversation is about diversity in the church and how churches and Christians can engage their communities. Boston Chinese Evangelical Church Emmanuel Gospel Center 

Ruth Wong serves as the Director of the Boston Education Collaborative (BEC) at the Emmanuel Gospel Center. The BEC aims to encourage and support partnerships between churches and schools in greater Boston. In addition to sharing about how she got into this kind of ministry, Ruth reflects on the needs of students and on what healthy church-school partnerships can look like. Ruth and her husband also serve as leaders in InterVarsity with the Asian Christian Fellowship at MIT. Boston Educational Collaborative Emmanuel Gospel Center Church and School Partners Boston Higher Education Resource Centers Gordon College Claredon Honors Program  “Behold, I am Doing a New Thing” blog post by Ruth Wong Contact Ruth at rwong at egc dot org 

Dave Hill, pastor of Abundant Grace Church of Boston, talks with Mark about the history of gathering pastors and churches to pray in the city. Dave also shares the story of how he and his wife came to Boston in 1989, in response to God’s call, to plant a church. Dave and Mark discuss the life of prayer, and Dave shares several lessons about prayer from his own experience. Abundant Grace Church of Boston Francis Frangipane’s The Three Battlegrounds 

Hugh Halter lives in Alton, IL, where he and his family are doing what they can to help the town in Jesus’s name. Hugh has written several books about the missional church, and for the past fifteen years he has helped churches and church planters to think creatively about loving their neighbors. Hugh and Mark talk about Hugh’s method for mission and ministry that was shaped out of personal suffering, and Hugh shares several powerful stories of how God has worked through his life to make God’s Kingdom tangible in the lives of others.  hughhalter.com Post Commons The Tangible Kingdom Other books by Hugh Halter Common Thread – Birmingham, AL Underground – Tampa Bay, FL 

Ray Hammond is the Pastor of Bethel AME Church in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. Ray and his wife, Gloria, started Bethel AME in their dining room in 1988. They were both trained as medical doctors and served in that capacity prior to planting Bethel. Ray tells the story of following God in a life of service for the past three decades, and he reflects on the church’s role in the community. Mark and Ray also discuss the racial tension of the past year and how the church can be helpful in facilitating understanding in this conversation.  Bethel AME Bethel Social Justice Institute BMA TenPoint 

Roberto Miranda is the Senior Pastor of Congregation Lion of Judah, a Spanish/English speaking church in the South End which has had a tremendous impact in the city of Boston. Roberto shares the story of his own calling into pastoral ministry and about the dream that led to Congregation Lion of Judah’s move into the city. He and Mark discuss the way in which Lion of Judah has expressed the gospel through social and community work, and Roberto talks about the attractive nature of a church that stands firm on gospel convictions.Congregation Lion of JudahEmmanuel Gospel CenterPrison FellowshipBoston Higher Education Resource CenterLion of Judah ALPHA

Arva Byron works at the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, where she supports adolescents, and as the Youth Minister at Roslindale Baptist Church. She and Mark discuss these vocations as well as her radio program, “Live with Arva J.” Arva and Mark consider the questions that teenagers are asking and what it means for followers of Jesus to be present in the lives of youth. Arva shares some great parenting advice as well.   Live with Arva J on Boston Praise Radio/TV Home for Little Wanderers Gordon College Massachusetts Department of Children and Families 

Christian and Mary Grant are seeking to bring the gospel of Jesus to teenagers in the TNT neighborhood of Dorchester in Boston. They’re doing this through a partnership between The Boston Project and Young Life. In this conversation with Mark, they share how they came into this ministry, and they explain the ministry approach of both The Boston Project and Young Life. They share their perspectives on the hearts and needs of teenagers, and they reflect on how we, as the people of God, can best serve and reach young people with the gospel. The Boston Project Young Life Boston Young Life National/International Northpoint Bible College (formerly Zion Bible College)