The Living Church Podcast

The Living Church
  • 4.7 (31)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Monthly

The Living Church Podcast explores ecumenical topics in theology, the arts, ethics, pastoral care, and spiritual growth — all to equip and encourage leaders in the Episcopal Church, Anglican Communion, and beyond. A ministry of the Living Church Institute.

  1. Clergy at the Movies with Abby Olcese

    Jun 4

    Clergy at the Movies with Abby Olcese

    What are the best depictions of clergy in film? Today we swap Top 5 Clergy in Film lists with a celebrated film critic. A recipe for edification and entertainment! We all know of sloppy versions of the movie cleric—priests, monks, nuns, and pastors, either fanatical, evil, or milquetoast, lacking care or nuance on the part of those creating the role. But perhaps you’ve also seen thoughtful, even powerful, depictions of clergy that not only allow you to see a glimpse of yourself reflected sensitively onscreen, but even give you a glimpse of the kingdom. Today we explore depictions of clergy in film with writer, film critic, and erstwhile Episcopalian Abby Olcese. She and host Amber Noel share their Top 5 depictions of clergy in film, spill some behind-the-scenes tea on The Mission and Wake Up Dead Man, and generally have a really good time. They also share what they think Christian leaders might glean from spending time with onscreen clerics. SPOILER ALERT: Today’s conversation alludes to plot twists and endings, so if you’re averse to that, you have been warned! Abby Olcese is a writer and film critic based in Kansas City. She is the author of Films for all Seasons: Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies, the film editor for The Pitch Magazine in Kansas City, and contributes to publications including Sojourners Magazine and Rogerebert.com. In today’s bonus segment, we bring together some of the same themes of our film conversation—clergy, calling, suffering, and grace—by talking to one Pentecostal pastor about his own dark night of the soul and the dramatic and kooky interceptions of grace. The Rev. Chuck Noel is teaching pastor at RiverLife Church of God in Bradenton, Florida, and has served in pastoral and diocesan ministry in the Church of God for almost 50 years. His current research is in Pentecostal sacramental theology. (And yes, he is Amber’s dad.) From the episode Abby’s book, Films for All Seasons Amber’s review of First Reformed on Covenant Abby’s Top 5: 5. Calvary 4. The Bishop’s Wife 3. First Reformed 2. Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery 1. The Mission Amber’s Top 5: 5. Into Temptation 4. The Apostle 3. The Sound of Music 2. First Reformed 1. Calvary From the ads Register for Radiant Pages - Apply TLCPOD10 for 10% off! George Sumner’s book, In Season and Out  Join the mission at Saint Francis Ministries Give to support this podcast Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    55 min
  2. Where Are the Young Adults? with Allen Wakabayashi

    May 21

    Where Are the Young Adults? with Allen Wakabayashi

    The Episcopal Church is aging. Where are the young people? A campus minister gives his perspective. The average age of an Episcopal parishioner is now mid-60s. Older parishioners are vital. But where are the young people? How do we reach them? And what, exactly, are they looking for when it comes to church? Times are changing in terms of the race for cultural relevance, at least when it comes to ministry to young adults. Waning are the days when churches feel pressure to change style or personality in order to appeal to younger generations. Because what has worked for centuries to form God’s people keeps on working—sacraments; sacred spaces, vestments and vessels; time-tested prayers; bread and wine, water, oil, and incense; loving community—and there is no sign at the portals saying, “you must be 21 or up to enter” There’s also an element of blessed enchantment, or holy mystery, in these ancient Christian rites and practices, that’s maybe specially poignant for a disenchanted age. Today we speak with someone today who doesn’t try to solve the puzzle of why more young people aren’t flocking to Episcopal Churches, but who wants to point out some important pieces from his own 30-year experience as a campus minister. Today we talk about: His journey in ministry to young adults.Blind spots and opportunities for the Episcopal Church specifically.What he sees in the spiritual hunger of students.What he has learned from evangelicals along the way.How rootedness and tradition might give a real advantage when it is time for innovative mission.Our guest today is the Rev. Allen Wakabayashi. Allen serves as the Chaplain for The Episcopal Church at Princeton and as the Province II Coordinator for Young Adult Campus Ministries. He has also been a campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and has pastored in a diversity of Episcopal, non-denominational, and evangelical church settings. Today’s bonus segment takes us into our Books & Culture corner, where the Rev. David Beresford reviews the new film, A Great Awakening, about an unlikely friendship between Benjamin Franklin and itinerant preacher, George Whitefield. David is a retired priest who lives in Wilmington, Delaware. From this episode Books Allen mentions: Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future Leadership in a Shrinking Church David’s whole review of A Great Awakening davidberesford.net From the ads Give to support the Living Church Register for Radiant Pages Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    50 min
  3. Geography of Discipleship with Eleanor Sanderson

    May 7

    Geography of Discipleship with Eleanor Sanderson

    Mission and discipleship are connected at the root. Today we’re going to explore some of those connections, not only through our guest’s own life, but also through her experience with particular discipleship programs, as well as what she’s learned through a first career as a geographer and her husband’s career as a mechanic. Our guest today is the Rt. Rev. Dr. Eleanor Sanderson. Eleanor is Bishop of Hull in the Diocese of York and was previously the Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Wellington, New Zealand. She serves on the Anglican Communion Commission for Discipleship and Evangelism and has a passion for the renewal of God’s church through multiplying missional disciples and intentional communities. Today we talk about personal journeys: backpacking, bus rides, and the multifaceted adventure of coming to Christ. We also talk about helping guide others along the way, and how evangelism and community map onto the geography of discipleship and formation. We’ll also look at a practical apprenticeship model of discipleship she calls “discipleship coaching.” She suggests some excellent resources and describes their powerful but simple format, including Mustard Seed ministries and Discovery Bible Studies. And at the end of this episode, stay tuned for a new bonus segment! For today’s bonus segment, we chat with the Rev. Shahzad Gill, Senior Chaplain to the Moderator Bishop of the Church of Pakistan, and Presbyter in Charge of the National Church of Pakistan. With all the anxiety over Christian influence and power in politics and society in the U.S., what it’s like to be an Anglican in a place where Christians are hardly the majority? Shahzad tells a story about family and resilience. From this episode: Mustard Seed discipleship  Discovery Bible Studies  From the ads: Give to support the Living Church Register for Radiant Pages Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    49 min
  4. Newsdesk & Eastertide Treats

    Apr 23

    Newsdesk & Eastertide Treats

    Today’s Newsdesk episode covers developments in Gafcon’s Global Anglican Communion, a Rwandan bishop jailed for grazing cattle on church property, and a new, and possibly unique, church growth survey looking for “bright spots” in Episcopal ministry. We also enjoy a bonus segment at the end that includes some Eastertide treats, including book recommendations and recipes. See below for related articles, essays, and resources, including corresponding goodies from our bonus segment. Podcast host and Director of Programs Amber Noel is joined by the Rev. Mark Michael, Editor in Chief of The Living Church magazine, and the Rev. Dr. Matthew Olver, Executive Director and Publisher of the Living Church. For more, consider subscribing to The Living Church magazine, the only independent news voice covering the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion. From this episode: Gafcon, Global Anglican Communion, and Abuja Affirmation: (Award-winning podcast episode)  https://livingchurch.org/podcasts/questions-for-gafcon/ (Articles and essays) https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/heres-who-leads-the-global-anglican-communion/ https://livingchurch.org/covenant/abuja-series-1/ https://livingchurch.org/covenant/a-confessional-solution-but-what-about-the-nairobi-cairo-proposal/ https://livingchurch.org/covenant/the-abuja-affirmation-an-anglican-communion/ https://livingchurch.org/covenant/abuja-series-goddard-responds-to-avis/ https://livingchurch.org/covenant/a-fretful-future-gafcons-reordering-of-the-communion-part-1/ Rwandan bishop and cattle grazing: https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/jailed-rwandan-bishop-pleads-for-justice/ https://livingchurch.org/news/news-anglican-communion/jailed-rwandan-bishop-released/ New church growth survey: https://livingchurch.org/news/news-episcopal-church/churchwide-surveys-seeks-bright-spots-for-growt… Eastertide treats: Travel books by Patrick Leigh Fermor Lamb chop “lollipop” recipe Elderflower gin + tonic (Don’t forget to add lemon!) From the ads: Give to support this podcast Subscribe to The Living Church Register for Radiant Pages Join the mission at Saint Francis Ministries Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    45 min
  5. Personal Prayer and Leadership Lessons with John Sundara

    Apr 9

    Personal Prayer and Leadership Lessons with John Sundara

    What’s your school of prayer? Where did you learn to pray? How do you continue to deepen your prayer life? Whose prayer life do you want to have when you grow up? How do you want the example of your prayer life, or the fruits of it, to be a gift to others? Today’s conversation is about how prayer affects our leadership, and how our pastors’ prayer lives affect us. Whether you are the leader of a congregation, staff, or a person in the pew, our show today is a fascinating, and at times moving, analysis of how healthy leadership, staff culture, and church health are deeply intertwined with the prayer lives of the leaders. Our conversation isn’t based on formal research, but from the lived perspective of one priest and what he’s observed in the different churches and rectors he’s served. Our guest today is the Rev. John D. Sundara. John is vice rector at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. Previous appointments include St. Martin's, Houston, and Church of the Incarnation, Dallas. We’ll talk about things like: The importance of sharing your prayer life with the people you serve.Appropriate vulnerability and rejecting ego.How a culture of prayer creates room for discussion, disagreement, and decision-making.Ways that prayer nurtures a trusting and confident staff culture.The gifts and limitations of the prayer book for carrying us in a life of prayer. John also shares about his journey, and times when prayer has been agonizingly difficult. How does God show up when praying is the last thing you want to do? Now whether you are a newbie or long time student in the school of prayer; sailing along or bottomed out; charismatic, Catholic, evangelical, or somewhere else on the map; if you’re interested in what it can mean to lead from a place of prayer, this episode is for you. We hope you enjoy the conversation. From this episode: This episode is made possible in part by a special bequest from the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer. “Prayer Drives Congregational Growth” by John Sundara With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray From the ads: Give to support this podcast Join the mission at Saint Francis Ministries Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    50 min
  6. Archbishop Sarah: A Biography with Andrew Atherstone

    Mar 26

    Archbishop Sarah: A Biography with Andrew Atherstone

    Who is Archbishop Sarah Mullally? And what might we expect from her ministry? Augustine of Canterbury was sent by Pope Gregory in 597 on mission to re-evangelize Britain and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. Incase you haven’t heard, Anglicans have made world news for electing as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury the first woman to serve in the role, former Bishop of London, the Most Rev. Sarah Mullally.  Archbishop Sarah is coming into the role at a time of many tensions and possible changes within the Anglican Communion, including what the ABC's role should actually be and what shape the church might take under the continued pressures of disagreement over what it means to be faithful to the gospel today. Our editor in chief, the Rev. Dr. Mark Michael, sat down with Dr. Andrew Atherstone, who has just published the definitive biography of Archbishop Sarah called (very appropriately) Archbishop Sarah Mullally: A Biography. They talk about: Why she was the “dark horse” of the ABC race the bookies didn’t initially bet on.Why Andrew calls her a “trailblazer” and a “pioneer.”How 20 years in a south-side evangelical church and a 20-year career as a nurse shape her leadership.What we learn from a collection of her parish sermons.And how we might anticipate her role in the Anglican Communion’s approach to euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and other divisive issues. Andrew is Professor of Modern Anglicanism at the University of Oxford, and Tutorial Fellow and Latimer Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He is a prolific writer and biographer of the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. We hope you enjoy the conversation. From this episode: Archbishop Sarah’s website Archbishop Sarah Mullally: A Biography by Andrew Atherstone Archbishop Justin Welby: Risk Taker and Reconciler by Andrew Atherstone Ecclesiastical History of the English People and other books by the Venerable Bede Living in Love and Faith process From the ads: Advertise with TLC: advertising@livingchurch.org Livingchurch.org/resources Give to support this podcast Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    48 min
  7. AI and the Church with Arlie Coles and George Sumner

    Mar 12

    AI and the Church with Arlie Coles and George Sumner

    How should Anglicans feel about AI? But first: what the heck is it? Our guests today tackle one of the toughest topics of our time head on, from both a theological and technical perspective. What is AI? Is it unprecedented? What can AI currently, actually, do? Should Christians accept, or resist?  As Christians, it’s often hard to know whether to embrace new technology. If we get worked up or freaked out, is it about the right things? Where might we still need to fill in gaps in our knowledge or our discipleship? Are we living in The Matrix? Or can we let the robots help, sometimes, and still insist on fully human lives? Our guests today are Arlie Coles and the Rt. Rev. Dr. George Sumner. Arlie is a lay Anglican from the Diocese of Dallas who writes about modern Episcopal history and polity. She is also a machine-learning researcher serving on General Convention’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property and a reporter for the Living Church. Bishop George is retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and former Principal of Wycliffe Theological Seminary. The Rev. Dr. Matthew Olver, Executive Director of the Living Church, joins Amber Noel as co-host. We talk about: How AI taps into our instincts for communication, mystery, and relationship.How this both increases its usefulness and gives us the creeps.What AI is good for and not good for (spoiler, not writing sermons).Pastoral concerns about spiritual influence, addiction, and human dignity.Whether we need an Anglican “Prayer Before Using AI.”Why you might want to go full Star Trek and rename your Alexa “Computer” so you’re less likely to mistake a tool for a person.The forms and capacities of human tools are not neutral— a steak knife, an AR-15, and a Ouija board do not carry the same potential for moral or immoral use— but, like the idols of old, do AI tools, which have “screens but see not, algorithms but feel not,” receive the power and significance they have only from the power and significance we give them? One of the biggest dangers of AI comes from one of humanity’s greatest gifts: language and its use in relationships. We hope you enjoy the conversation. From this episode: Living Church articles on AI “AI as Normal Technology” by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth Interview with Paul Kingsnorth and Ross Douthat about AI Find Nathan Jennings’ 6-part preaching series on our online journal, Covenant From the ads: Advertise with TLC: advertising@livingchurch.org Email us with a proposed "Prayer Before Using AI": ambernoel@livingchurch.org Livingchurch.org/resources Give to support this podcast Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    57 min
  8. Neuroscience in the Pews with Rod Wilson

    Feb 26

    Neuroscience in the Pews with Rod Wilson

    In this episode, we learn from neuroscience to explore questions in theology and ministry. When we talk about the brain, we think of the intellect, private processes, perception—even as the center or source of the self. And the brain is one important place where “self” happens. But what if all our private, individualized function, in fact our very life, depends much more on exterior factors, like eye contact and physical touch? What if the center of what it means to be human, or even to be yourself, is not in your head but very much outside it? How can what scientists are learning about the brain open up theological anthropology, pastoral care, and how we read Scripture? Our guest today is Dr. Rodney Wilson. Rod is associate professor of psychology at Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA, with a specialty in clinical neuropsychology. He also works in hospitals and with patients who have dementia syndrome and their families, with one foot in the classroom and one in the clinic. We talk today about neuroplasticity and the “renewing of the mind”; how we’re never so much “in our heads” as in relationships; how the temperature of your coffee or the smell of a charcoal fire can affect your ability to know truth and build trust; and what the brain teaches us about our limits and the mystery of love. If this episode piques your interest, and you have further questions about the brain and Christian life or leadership, Rod welcomes you to get in touch with him. Please see the link to his website below. Now hold on to your hats, and we hope you enjoy this enlightening conversation. From this episode: Curt Thompson’s books Dan Siegel and interpersonal neurobiology Get in touch with Rod to learn more or with any questions From the ads: Livingchurch.org/resources Give to support this podcast Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    43 min
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4.7
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31 Ratings

About

The Living Church Podcast explores ecumenical topics in theology, the arts, ethics, pastoral care, and spiritual growth — all to equip and encourage leaders in the Episcopal Church, Anglican Communion, and beyond. A ministry of the Living Church Institute.

Information

  • Creator
    The Living Church
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    178
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 The Living Church
  • Show Website
    The Living Church Podcast

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