The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast

What does it take to have a MindShift and move from being a negative, cynical person to a person of positivity? This involves far more than just "putting on a happy face" and pretending that everything is fine. It's a MindShift...a complete transformation of your mental awareness and thought-processes, which is extremely difficult. Lisa and I talk about how hard it is to become a "person of positivity." This means on the one hand, not living in denial; on the other hand, avoiding over-spiritualizing your life. At times, it may involve even removing extremely negative people from your life. Will your circumstances change? Most likely, no. But the way you perceive them will change. It's not necessarily what happens to us that ultimately matters; it's how we respond to it that makes all the difference.

In the second half of my conversation with Bishop Mike Royal, the conversation pursues the question: "Is the church relevant today?" We explore this question from the point of view of the election and presidency of Donald Trump; the recent Grenfell Tower fire; and speaking out as a Christian, confronting the injustices and inequalities in society. Bishop Mike Royal is a committed social activist, a passionate black theologian, biblical scholar, health worker and leader of a Pentecostal church in Birmingham, England. You won't want to miss this episode--speaking truth to power and seeking to make the church relevant in our society today.

Much of current theology and biblical studies, despite the multi-global and multi-ethnic makeup of our society and churches today, still tends to be predominantly white, Euro-centric, male and Protestant. In this landmark show--number 30 on The Preacher's Forum podcast--I'm excited to bring you the first half of my conversation with Bishop Mike Royal, recorded recently in Birmingham, UK.  Bishop Royal represents a black, British, African theological and biblical point of view, which is sorely needed today. What Bishop Royal brings to the table, then, is a new and fresh perspective on the Bible, the relevance of the church today, Jesus and his subversive message, and social activism. This is an interview you don't want to miss!

In the second half of my conversation with Mike Nimz of the Anabaptist Network UK, Mike shares his difficult experience as the pastor of a Mennonite church in Canada. If you're a pastor or church leader, then you need to listen in to his story! This is helpful because now, more than 3 years after burning out in ministry, Mike is able to reflect critically on his experiences. We also talk about preaching, Pauline theology, mission, and attending the Pride Parade in Birmingham from a perspective of theological reflection. Don't miss this episode!

What exactly is an Anabaptist, or a Mennonite? What's the relationship between those two traditions? Do you have to become an Amish person in order to join such a church? Mike Nimz and his wife Cheryl are part of the Anabaptist Network in the United Kingdom. Originally from the US and Canada, they now live in Birmingham, England, and are devoted to promoting the Anabaptist and Mennonite core values all over the country. In this first half of our conversation, Mike and I discuss Anabaptist history, unique core values, and how that relates to the concept of mission for Christians today, in light of those values.

Does a person have to believe a set of theological doctrines in order to belong to a church? Or is it more of a priority for someone to belong first, and worry about beliefs later? Most churches and leaders would say that belief comes before belonging. And beyond that, what is the purpose of the church? Is it about attracting people into a building, or is about going out into the community? How do you "think strategically" and maximize your efforts, and those of your people, if you're a church leader or pastor? In this second half of the conversation with Dr Ash Barker, we explore further the concept of "incarnational living in the neighbourhood." What does that mean, how do you go about it, and what does it look like? Dr Ash Barker and I explore this in more detail, and he explains more of his philosophy of ministry and mission and incarnational living: "Discipleship is a by-product of the love we have for people."

This episode is Part 1 of an amazing conversation I had in Birmingham, England, with Dr Ash Barker. He is an "immersed urban Christian activist", originally born in Australia, now living in Birmingham. Prior to moving to the UK, he and his family spent 12 years living in one of Bangkok's poorest slums. Ash is the author of 3 books, which discuss their experiences in Bangkok, and reflect on the realities of urban theology and mission in our current multi-cultural, increasingly ethnically-diverse, and globalized world of today. Ash has an amazing story to tell, and in this episode we talk about God, mission, theology, the church, and so much more. Be sure and listen in--you won't want to miss this episode, or Part 2 next time!

If you are a Christian, and attend church regularly (or even semi-regularly), why do you go? What is the purpose of church, anyway? Does church exist to serve the people that attend, or do the people serve the church--and maybe get to be involved in some ministry on the side?  If these questions resonate with you, then be sure and listen in to the second half of my conversation with Ryan Warren. We get into these topics and more in this episode of the "British Accents" series on The Preacher's Forum Podcast.  

How do you understand your own identity? Is it from your accomplishments in life, and the the skills and abilities you have? And where do you gain a sense of value? Is that found in what you do--or who you are? Do you judge people on their appearance and belief systems? Or can you learn to "see beyond the veil of humanity?" In this and the next episode of my podcast series "British Accents," I'm bringing you the first half of a great conversation I had recently with a good friend: Ryan Warren. The founder of the DadsApp resource for dads who want to be better fathers to their children, Ryan is a person who is above all else a servant who not only cares deeply for people, he seeks to serve them in a wide variety of ways. These are some of the topics we get into in this first half. Be sure and tune in next Friday for Part 2, where we discuss things like Ryan's experiences of church, God, and spirituality.

"If I go down a blind alley, it's only because I went there looking for more of God. If I don't find him, I'll come back out and keep going!" Wise words from Mr Gary Hayes, describing what it means to have a "theoclasm." Listen in to Part 2 of our conversation, where Gary describes his transition out of a cult-like fundamentalist church experience in London--where he was one of the leaders, no less--and into new and challenging understandings of God, theology, and Christianity.