The Christian Chronicle Podcast

For Christians who are Black, life in the Church of Christ in the United States is an experience that is formed by the experience of being Black. In other words, each human being encounters life (and church) through her or his experiences. Likewise, the world (and often the church) perceives human beings through the assumptions that form about certain groups of people. Barron Jones (host of the Unfiltered Crossroads Podcast and the preaching team at Holgate Street Church of Christ in Seattle, Washington) talks about why being Black in the Church of Christ in the United States is a unique experience that often leaves Christians who are Black feeling isolation and pressure among their own brothers and sisters in Christ. Jones makes the case that a relentless pursuit of the gospel and the truth will well serve all Christians now. Read Barron Jones's Christian Chronicle op-ed, "Stuck in the middle with Jesus: Why Black Christians in America feel alienated from cultural camps on either side - and what comes next" Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org Learn more about the new book, Why Aren't Christians More Like Jesus by Michael Clemens at whyarentchristiansmorelikejesus.com 52nd Annual Caribbean Lectureship in Barbados this July 13 - 16, 2025. Learn more and register at caribbeanlectureship.com. Freed-Hardeman University graduate degrees in New Testament or Old Testament at fhu.edu/chronicle.

In the United States, the mood about immigration carried a new administration to power in Washington, D.C. Since then, the news media has reported sensational stories of law enforcement arrests around, or in, faith-based ministries and houses of worship. How does this affect Church of Christ congregations and ministries that are active among immigrant neighbors in their communities? Do they have any reason to fear that law enforcement may target them and their own members and neighbors? What should they do when the law of the Christ and the law of the land seem to contradict each other? In this episode, immigration attorney Isaul Verdin, former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief counsel Paul Hunker and Bible professor and Church of Christ minister Dr. Jeremie Beller help church and ministry leaders understand the biblical mandate for immigrant care, the laws of the United States, and what to do when the Bible and law enforcement are at odds. Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org 52nd Annual Caribbean Lectureship in Barbados this July 13 - 16, 2025. Learn more and register at caribbeanlectureship.com. Freed-Hardeman University graduate degrees in New Testament or Old Testament at fhu.edu/chronicle.

In some congregations, you may find one member whose ministry is sending hand-written cards of congratulations to new Christians upon their baptisms. Imagine if that one member tries to send a card to every new Christian, not just in their own congregation, but in the entire world. Meet Lorraine Smith of Central Church of Christ in Dalton, Georgia. Inspired by a card her grandson received from strangers after his baptism, Lorraine set out to handwrite an encouragement card to every new Christian she can find. In the last two years, she's hand-written and sent cards to almost 7,000 new Christians from all over! In this episode, she talks about how (and why) she does it and what's she's learned about how God turns strangers into family. She also testifies about how God is adding to the church of Christ every day (though we are often too distracted by bad news to notice). And she talks about how the church can better come alongside new Christians when they come up out of the waters of baptism. Links from this episode: Calvin Cockrell's Christian Chronicle report on 37 Faulkner University football players submitting to baptism in one night (from August 2023) Christian Chronicle Podcast Episode 30 interview with some of the Faulkner University football players who submitted to baptism in August 2023 Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org 52nd Annual Caribbean Lectureship in Barbados this July 13 - 16, 2025. Learn more and register at caribbeanlectureship.com. Freed-Hardeman University graduate degrees in New Testament or Old Testament at fhu.edu/chronicle.

In 2 Corinthians 3:5, the apostle Paul writes: "Not that we are competent in ourselves...but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of the new covenant." Casey Coston is a veteran Church of Christ campus minister of more than 20 years. As he started his third decade in ministry, he took stock of his own "incompetence" and turned it into a book: Made Competent: A Story About Life in Ministry. In this episode, Casey touches on some of the biggest ministry challenges and shortcomings he's faced so far, including: Casey also uses his unique point of view working with emerging generations of believers and seekers to imagine: Links for this episode: Made Competent: A Story About Life in Ministry by Casey Coston Campus for Christ national Church of Christ campus ministry network Episode 72 featuring Chris Buxton and Casey Coston on campus ministry Discipling: The Multiplying Ministry by Milton Jones How might God educate, equip and empower you for ministry through a Freed-Hardeman University graduate program? Find out today at fhu.edu/chronicle.

"The Restoration Movement" refers to the 19th and 20th century stream of events, people and thinking from which the Church of Christ emerged. Church of Christ folks of a certain age imagine that they are restoring the first century church as they find it in the New Testament. But does restoration itself sometimes need to be restored? If so, how do Christians restore restoration? Matt Dabbs, a Church of Christ minister and scholar, offers his answers in his book, Restoring a Movement: A Hopeful Future for Churches of Christ. In this episode, Matt talks about the powerful trends that fed the rise of the Church of Christ in its 1950s "golden age" in the United States. He also explores the powerful trends that worked against the Church of Christ and led to its decline in U.S. congregations and members in recent decades. Most important, he testifies to the power and work of God that is already making a future for emerging generations...if they choose it. Links: Restoring a Movement: A Hopeful Future for Churches of Christ by Matt Dabbs Home Church Resources (Matt Dabbs's ministry to Christians and congregations who want to explore planting home churches) The Christian Chronicle's report on Matt Dabbs's "backyard church" that formed during COVID isolation Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org Learn more about graduate programs in Old or New Testament at Freed-Hardeman University. Visit fhu.edu/chronicle now.

What is Christian nationalism and what are its effects on the United States? Christians these days may choose to consume any number of blogs, books, cable news, podcasts, social media and talk radio shows that deal with those questions. In this episode, however, we address how Christian nationalism may effect the Church of Christ community in the United States. In other words, is it bad or good for the health, integrity and witness of the church and its members? Dr. Christina Littlefield, co-author with Dr. Richard Hughes, of Christian America and the Kingdom of God (University of Illinois Press) helps us unpack what "Christian nationalism" actually means and how the idea developed and manifested in the United States over 400 years. She answers questions like: Links to books and podcast episodes that appear in this interview: Christian America and the Kingdom of God: White Christian Nationalism from the Puritans through January 6, 2021, Updated and Expanded Edition (University of Illinois Press), by Richard T. Hughes and Christina Littlefield Myths America Lives By: White Supremacy and the Stories that Give Us Meaning, by Richard Hughes Reviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of Churches of Christ in America, by Richard Hughes Chosen Nations: Pursuit of the Kingdom of God and its Influence on Democratic Values in Late Nineteenth Century Britain and the United States, by Christina Littlefield The Christian Chronicle Podcast Episode 5 featuring Richard Hughes on The Grace of Troublesome Questions The Christian Chronicle Podcast Episode 64 featuring Brad East on why we need to stop talking about Christian nationalism The Christian Chronicle Podcast Episode 71 featuring Richard Hughes on how the founding of the United States influenced the Restoration Movement Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org Photo by Cody Otto on Learn more about graduate programs in Old or New Testament at Freed-Hardeman University. Visit fhu.edu/chronicle now.

It is a common narrative (assumption?) that Church of Christ congregations in rural and small town America are in decline. Perhaps that is a story that numbers (of congregations and members) might tell. But are numbers the whole story? Or even the most important one? Mike Cope believes it is not the whole story. In this episode, he talks about how the way we talk and think about rural and small town congregations needs to change and how those congregations enjoy spiritual gifts that make them rich and strong in things that matter. Mike also fills us in on how Pepperdine University plans to invest a $7.5 million Lilly Endowment grant to come alongside rural and small town Church of Christ congregations to position them for the growth in the kingdom of God. Link to The Christian Chronicle's coverage of the Lilly Endowment's grant to Pepperdine University Link to The Christian Chronicle's ongoing coverage of Church of Christ trends among congregations in rural and small town America Explore a master's degree from Freed-Hardeman University. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle. Attend the Fourth Annual Be1 Experience for Christian women. Learn more and sign up at be1experience.org.

It may be said that God does God's mightiest work in the unlikeliest places. Take South Sudan, a young nation where civil war has been the norm for generations. Conditions in that country are as poor as anywhere on earth, yet in just the last year 73 Church of Christ congregations formed and more than 2,400 South Sudanese were baptized into the kingdom of God. What is going on there? In this episode, Dennis Cady (Faith Village Church of Christ, Wichita Falls, Texas) of the Starfish Foundation, tells the story straight from South Sudan, where he has been ministering, preaching and traveling since 2011. Link to The Christian Chronicle's coverage of the Church of Christ in South Sudan Link to the Starfish Foundation Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org Cover photo by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145963320 Explore a master's degree in ministry from Freed-Hardeman University. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle. Attend the Fourth Annual Be1 Experience for Christian women. Learn more and sign up at be1experience.org.

Almost as soon as Church of Christ missionaries entered Ukraine after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Christian Chronicle reporters entered the country as well. For more than three decades now, The Christian Chronicle has covered how the Ukrainian people embraced with joy the gospel of Jesus Christ. Few parts of Europe can match Ukraine for how the Church of Christ took root, sprang up, grew and spread. Russia's invasion and occupation of Ukrainian territory in 2014 and all-out war against its neighbor starting in 2022 has done great harm to the Church of Christ and its members in Ukraine. But not grave harm. In the face of death and destruction, Church of Christ congregations and members are rising up and showing how the love and power of God is greater than bombs and tanks. But recent events in the United States are leaving some Christians in Ukraine feeling betrayed by their brothers and sisters in Christ. In this episode, Jeff Abrams (executive director of Rescue Ukraine and former minister with Tuscumbia Church of Christ in Tuscumbia, Alabama) and Marina Noyes (a pillar in the Vinograder Church of Christ in Kiev, Ukraine) talk about how the Church of Christ and its members are holding out after three years of war in Ukraine. They also talk about how the changing political situation in the United States is affecting the Church of Christ in Ukraine. Link to Christian Chronicle CEO Erik Tryggestad's recent report on the Church of Christ in Ukraine at the third anniversary of Russia's second invasion Link to a full archive of The Christian Chronicle's coverage of the Church of Christ in Ukraine Link to Rescue Ukraine Link to College Hill Church of Christ in Richland Hills, Texas, which provides support for Vinograder Church of Christ in Kiev, Ukraine Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org Explore a master's degree in ministry from Freed-Hardeman University. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle. Attend the Fourth Annual Be1 Experience for Christian women. Learn more and sign up at be1experience.org.

More Christians in more parts of the world may sing Chris Tomlin's worship music ('Our God,' 'How Great is Our God,' 'God of Angel Armies') than any other artist alive today. A Grammy Award winner and two-time Songwriter of the Year with more than 7 billion global streams, Tomlin is branching out into film. He is executive producer for the new major motion picture The Last Supper, written and directed by Mario Borrelli and starring Robert Knepper, James Faulkner, and Jamie Ward. In this episode, he talks about what it is like to be caught up in a global worship movement and why The Last Supper is the right film for right now. Link to Chris Tomlin's website Link to The Last Supper film Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org

Marie Stroughter (Westside Church of Christ, Killeen, Texas) is an all-star "church mom" and "church wife," raising three kids (two adopted), supporting her elder/deacon husband, and volunteering in the life and programs of the church. And she does all of that while living with mental health challenges like obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic attacks. As many as one in four Americans deals with mental illness on some level at some time. As Marie says in this episode, that means that in a congregation with 100 members, there could be 25 members who are going through some mental health struggle at any given time. Living with mental illness gives Marie the compassion, empathy and understanding to come alongside other Christians who are living with mental illness challenges of their own. She started the MoMo ("Motivational Moments") 634 (as in Matthew 6:34) Podcast, a daily dose of affirmation and inspiration from Scripture for those who live with mental illness. Link to MoMo634 Podcast Link to 9-8-8 suicide crisis hotline Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org Explore a degree in pastoral counseling from Freed-Hardeman University. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle. Attend the Fourth Annual Be1 Experience for Christian women. Learn more and sign up at be1experience.org.

On March 7, 2025, eleven men from Gamma Sigma Phi (Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas) will push off on a cycling relay that will take them 1,400 miles across deserts, mountains, unpaved trails and Death Valley. Riding day and night, they plan to reach Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, in just five days. They're riding to raise money for Greater Than Three and the Pepperdine Strong Fund. In this episode, Gamma Sigma Phi Jackson Kulp and Carter Young explain why they're doing this and how. Link to the Bike to Pepperdine website. Click here to learn about the relay team and route, how they're preparing for the ride and their progress once they push off. You can also donate to their cause here. www.bikeridetopepperdine.org Link to Greater Than Three, one of the causes that the bike ride supports. Link to the Pepperdine Strong Fund, the other cause the bike ride supports. Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org Attend the Fourth Annual Be1 Experience for Christian women. Learn more and sign up at be1experience.org. Explore graduate and doctorate degrees in ministry and theology from Freed-Hardeman University. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle.

The clips at the top of this episode are from (in order) the preaching of Andrew Hairston and James Maxwell, two "giants" who worked for decades to build for the kingdom of God. Andrew Hairston stood in the pulpit at Simpson Street Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia, for more than 50 years. Not only did he preach, he was a practicing attorney and judge and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Hairston worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his peaceful campaign for equal rights for all Americans. Hairston went to his rest on January 14, 2025, at the age of 92. James Maxwell was a preacher's preacher and professor's professor, who served for half a century in the administration and faculty at Southwestern Christian College, the only HBCU with roots and ties in the Church of Christ. While leading and teaching at Southwestern Christian, Maxwell stood in the pulpit every week in Church of Christ congregations in Kansas, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. Maxwell also went to his rest on January 14, 2025, at the age of 86. In this episode, their fellow minister and friend, Billy Curl (Crenshaw Church of Christ, Los Angeles, California) talks about why every Christian needs to know Hairston and Maxwell because their work contributed to building the Christian community and culture in which we live and minister today. Link to Christian Chronicle coverage of Andrew Hairston's life, work and celebration of life Link to Christian Chronicle coverage of James Maxwell's life, work and celebration of life Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org Attend the Fourth Annual Be1 Experience for Christian women. Learn more and sign up at be1experience.org. Explore graduate and doctorate degrees in ministry and theology from Freed-Hardeman University. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle.

Lauren and Owen Mitchell drop in to talk about what they've learned about building a great marriage -- from being Marriage Dynamics Institute facilitators for more than 25 years and by practicing marriage together for more than 28 years. In this conversation, they focus on how the small things often make the biggest difference in how partners experience marriage. This one is full of practical pointers that even the busiest and most stressed-out couples can start using today. Click here for a link of upcoming ReConnect Weekend marriage retreats (referenced in the interview) Link to article about Owen Mitchell's recent national championship win on the senior pickleball circuit Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org Attend the Fourth Annual Be1 Experience for Christian women. Learn more and sign up at be1experience.org. Explore graduate and doctorate degrees in ministry and theology from Freed-Hardeman University. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle.

Jonathan Skrmetti (Harpeth Hills Church of Christ), attorney general for the state of Tennessee, is the defendant in what the national media argue is the biggest case of the term for the United States Supreme Court: United States v. Skrmetti. In question is a 2023 Tennessee state law that prevents healthcare professionals from providing gender transition procedures to minors. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Biden administration brought suit against Tennessee for violating the 14th Amendment rights of three teens who seek gender transition procedures. In this episode, Abilene Christian University professor (and practicing attorney) Dr. Kenneth Pybus asks Skrmetti to explain the "what," the "how," and the "why" of his defense of the Tennessee state law. Skrmetti also talks about how practicing the law is a ministry, the best way (and not best way) to go about that ministry and how he uses his office to protect the rights of ordinary citizens (such as when he takes big companies to court for making products that harm their users). Skrmetti shares how he came to become a member of the Church of Christ and why he still prioritizes taking his entire family to Wednesday night Bible class every week. Link to Bobby Ross Jr.'s The Christian Chronicle article about United States v. Skrmetti (December 2024) Link to Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) case referenced in the interview Link to the Cass Review (2020) referenced in the interview Link to news report on the United Kingdom's ban on puberty blockers for minors (referenced in the interview) Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org Attend the Fourth Annual Be1 Experience for Christian women. Learn more and sign up at be1experience.org. Explore graduate and doctorate degrees in ministry and theology from Freed-Hardeman University. Learn more at fhu.edu/chronicle.

The way Christians think about and use sex is changing. For example, a recent study by Barna Group and Pure Desire Ministries shows that Christian porn use is almost equal to porn use by the general public. And an increasing number of Christians believe that it is OK to look at porn. At the same time, fewer and fewer congregations are addressing the issue from the pulpit, in recovery groups or in small groups. Meanwhile, Adventures in Missions (AIM), a popular missionary training program at Sunset International Bible Institute discovered that is missionaries-in-training needed to talk about sex. Not only because of how sex often becomes an issue on the mission field, but because too many future missionaries are themselves victims of sexual trauma. In this episode, Holly and Steve Holladay of Ultimate Escape talk about why sexual dysfunction and sexual sin are so prevalent in the church today...and how churches can (and should) address this head-on (instead of avoiding it or pretending it's not there). Link to Bobby Ross Jr.'s Christian Chronicle report on "sex education" at Adventures in Missions Link to Barna Group / Pure Desire study on porn use among Christians Link to Ultimate Escape Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate The fourth annual Be1 Experience celebrates and encourages unity among Christian women. Learn more and get early bird discount admission at be1experience.org.

The way Christians think about and use sex is changing. For example, a recent study by Barna Group and Pure Desire Ministries shows that Christian porn use is almost equal to porn use by the general public. And an increasing number of Christians believe that it is OK to look at porn. At the same time, fewer and fewer congregations are addressing the issue from the pulpit, in recovery groups or in small groups. In this episode, Rodney Wright talks about the reasons that Christian attitudes about sex are changing, why the church seems to be retreating from the subject and what Christians and congregations can (and should) do. Link to Barna Group / Pure Desire study on porn use among Christians Link to Pure Desire Ministries Link to How to Talk with Your Kids About Sex Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org The fourth annual Be1 Experience celebrates and encourages unity among Christian women. Learn more and get early bird discount admission at be1experience.org.

Christian Chronicle Podcast partner Freed-Hardeman University sponsored this special episode on a crisis that is emerging under our noses: screen addiction. In this conversation, Freed-Hardeman University president David Shannon shares some of the latest research on how (much more) young people are using devices and how dramatic increases in "screen time" over the last few years correlates to a rise in anxiety, depression and suicide among emerging generations in and out of the church. Shannon offers insight on how churches, educators, ministers and parents can respond with better awareness and and greater habits and practices. He also shares how Freed-Hardeman University is working to make an environment where its faculty, staff and students are putting healthier screen habits into practice. Link to The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (referenced several times in the interview) Link to the 2024 World Happiness Report (referenced in the interview) Link to research on the correlation of anxiety, depression and suicide to smart phone and social media use among young people Learn more about our sponsor for this episode, Freed-Hardeman University

The new film, Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin (Angel Studios) is drawing Christian audiences around the world, but does it get the depiction of its title character right? Dr. Myles Werntz (professor of theology at Abilene Christian University) says it does not...and that Christians should view the movie with caution. In this interview, Werntz talks about the critical review he published about the film (perhaps the most widely read and quoted review out there). He also talks about the real Dietrich Bonhoeffer and where Christians can look for the most accurate and insightful information about him. Link to the Marc LiVecche film review (and critique of Werntz's review) from World Magazine (quoted in the interview) Links to Bonhoeffer resources that Dr. Werntz recommends: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Biography by Eberhard Bethge From Isolation to Community: A Renewed Vision for Christian Life Together by Dr. Myles Werntz The Bonhoeffer Phenomenon: Portraits of a Protestant Saint by Stephen R. Haynes Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Charles Marsh Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906 - 1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance by Ferdinand Schlingensiepen Dietrich Bonhoeffer: An Introduction to His Thought by Sabine Dramm and Thomas Rice Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org The fourth annual Be1 Experience celebrates and encourages unity among Christian women. Learn more and get early bird discount admission at be1experience.org.

Dr. Bill Pink, a Church of Christ lifer (and outstanding song leader) is president of 10,000-student Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. In this episode, he talks about how he practices Christianity while being a faithful public steward of a secular, tax-funded university where all faiths (and no faiths) have a place. Dr. Pink: Link to Bobby Ross Jr.'s profile of Church of Christ member Ryan Walters, superintendent of public instruction for the state of Oklahoma, referenced in this interview Find more news and stories at christianchronicle.org Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to podcast@christianchronicle.org The fourth annual Be1 Experience celebrates and encourages unity among Christian women. Learn more and get early bird discount admission at be1experience.org.