Pastor to Pioneer

Pastor to Pioneer
  • 5.0 (25)
  • Christianity
  • Bimonthly

The Pastor to Pioneer podcast is an honest conversation with pastors and former pastors who are exhausted from existing church structures and are seeking a simpler way of being the church and making disciples like we see in scripture. This podcast is a space to consider the question many are afraid to ask, "Could these things look differently?"

  1. 17h ago

    Episode 109: Having Heart Knowledge- Brandon Spain

    Brandon Spain joins us as the guest this week and we interview him as he shares his journey from traditional ministry to pioneering a heart-centered, relational approach to discipleship and church community. He discusses the importance of living out of the heart, embracing paradoxes, and cultivating authentic relationships with Jesus and others.

  2. Oct 21

    Episode 108: The Unrefined Podcast- Britton Smith with Brandon Spain and Lindsy Waters

    In this unique episode, we are sharing Britton's interview on the Unrefined Podcast with Brandon and Lindsy to share his journey from traditional church leadership into simple church and disciple-making movements—and the deeper transformation he discovered along the way. Britton opens up about the personal cost of leaving the institutional model, the impact on his marriage and identity, and the realization that simply changing church structures and discipleship tools doesn't necessarily change the heart. The conversation explores performance-based Christianity, relational discipleship, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and the difference between doing the right things and actually becoming more like Jesus. Britton also shares a powerful supernatural encounter from his years in ministry and explains why true pioneering begins with what God is doing within us.to share his journey from traditional church leadership into simple church and disciple-making movements—and the deeper transformation he discovered along the way. Britton opens up about the personal cost of leaving the institutional model, the impact on his marriage and identity, and the realization that simply changing church structures and discipleship tools doesn't necessarily change the heart. The conversation explores performance-based Christianity, relational discipleship, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and the difference between doing the right things and actually becoming more like Jesus. Britton also shares a powerful supernatural encounter from his years in ministry and explains why true pioneering begins with what God is doing within us.

  3. Oct 7

    Episode 107: It's Not Crazy, It's Divine- Corbin Kinsey

    Britton Smith talks with recent former pastor Corbin Kinsey about leaving traditional vocational ministry to pioneer a simpler, home-based church community in Northwest Arkansas. Corbin shares how he and his wife felt called to relocate with their five children despite having no job or permanent home lined up. The conversation follows their leap of faith, the unexpected support they received, and Corbin's search for meaningful work while building new relationships in their community. He encourages pastors wrestling with similar questions to pursue honest discernment, seek candid community, and follow where they believe God is leading.

  4. Sep 23

    Podcast Episode 106: Are We Ripe for a Bad Movement?- Neal Karsten

    In this episode, Britton Smith and Neal Karsten explore the future of church models, the importance of repentance in reforming church practices, and the cultural shifts driving interest in simple and house churches. They discuss the risks of superficial movements and the need for deep, heart-level change to foster healthy, faithful communities.   Contact Neal at N.Karsten@big.life

  5. Aug 26

    Episode 104: Burn the Ships, Build the Kingdom- Joe Kimmell

    Joe Kimmell shares his journey from growing up as a pastor's kid in Oregon to leading a traditional church for over 20 years, and the painful decade of loss, tragedy, and personal failure that eventually led him to question the sustainability of the conventional church model. After years of discernment, prayer, and studying disciple-making movements, he and his church walked through a costly two-year transition — losing most of their congregation — to move away from Sunday services toward simple, reproducing house churches focused on making disciples who make disciples. That shift has since opened an unexpected door into jail and prison ministry, where he's watched incarcerated men and women come to faith, get discipled, and start multiplying churches behind bars across multiple facilities. Joe closes with a challenge to pursue "faith that risks" — the kind of all-in obedience that leaves no option but for God to show up.

  6. Aug 12

    Episode 103: Leister and Sons- Josh Leister

    In this episode, Josh Leister shares his journey from traditional pastoral ministry to pioneering a disciple-making movement in Kenya and the US. He discusses the challenges, breakthroughs, and lessons learned along the way, emphasizing the importance of relational discipleship and simple church models. He brings in two of his sons in the second half of the episode to share their experience making this transition.

  7. Jul 29

    Episode 102: Sitting in the Swell- Brian Thompson

    In this episode, Brian Thompson — a former pastor and lifelong surfer — shares how he stepped away from ten years of formal pastoral ministry after the weight of licensing requirements, congregational expectations, and carrying others' burdens began stealing his peace and joy. He describes returning to surfing in his fifties , and how that return unexpectedly became a spiritual practice and a new context for quiet, judgment-free faith conversations. Brian reflects on wrestling with guilt and the fear of disappointing God by giving up his title, ultimately concluding that his calling to reach the lost never required a license or institutional role to fulfill. The conversation closes with Brian describing an emerging, informal faith community he's starting with friends outside the church, built around open discussion rather than top-down teaching.

  8. Jul 15

    Episode 101: Reimagining Family as a Team on Mission- Jeremy Pryor

    In this episode, Britton talks with Jeremy Pryor, co-founder of Family Teams and founder of 1000 Houses (1KH), about reimagining family life around a biblical model of household rather than the modern isolated nuclear family. Jeremy shares his journey from traditional pastoral ministry through seminary and multiple churches, into bivocational work after starting an e-commerce business, which eventually freed him to volunteer in ministry while supporting his family. He explains the concept of "oikos"—the first-century household as a multi-generational team with an economic, spiritual, and missional core—and how his own family has lived this out across four generations, businesses, and a house church.

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5
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

The Pastor to Pioneer podcast is an honest conversation with pastors and former pastors who are exhausted from existing church structures and are seeking a simpler way of being the church and making disciples like we see in scripture. This podcast is a space to consider the question many are afraid to ask, "Could these things look differently?"

Information

  • Creator
    Pastor to Pioneer
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Pastor to Pioneer

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