The Parsonage Files

Richard Birk

5.0 (1)
Christianity
Updated Weekly

The Parsonage Files is all about bringing the fun back to church! Each week, twin brothers Rick and Rob Birk share fascinating, funny, and sometimes surprising stories from church history, along with quirky and uplifting news from the world of faith. From inspiring moments to unusual tales you’ve probably never heard, it’s a joyful mix of laughter, learning, and a fresh look at the church you thought you knew.

2d ago

What Happened At Sea?

The Mary Celeste Mystery: What Really Happened to the Ship That Vanished at Sea? A ship drifts empty across the Atlantic with the food still aboard, the cargo untouched, and not a single sign of a struggle. The Mary Celeste should have been on a routine crossing, but instead it became one of history’s most enduring mysteries—and this episode digs into the clues that made it legendary.On December 4, 1872, sailor Oliver DeVaux boarded the drifting ship and found Captain Benjamin Briggs, his wife Sarah, their two-year-old daughter Sophia, and all seven crew members gone without explanation. From the ship’s history to its last known navigation entry near the Azores, the story builds toward the questions that have fueled speculation for more than a century.In this episode, we explore: Why the Mary Celeste’s condition was so unsettling, even though the hull was sound and supplies remained aboardWhat investigators found in Gibraltar, including the infamous red stains and the sword that fueled early theoriesWhy mutiny, murder, and piracy seemed plausible—and why each explanation has serious gapsHow stories of sea monsters, aliens, and Atlantis transformed a real disappearance into a cultural legendWhat the crew’s reputation, the family’s letters, and the ship’s cargo might tell us about the most realistic explanations We also examine the roles of Captain Briggs, Sarah Briggs, the crew, and the Dei Gratia sailors—and how assumptions about friendship, guilt, and salvage claims shaped the case.If you’re fascinated by unsolved history, maritime mysteries, or the point where evidence and folklore collide, join us as we investigate the Mary Celeste. More than 150 years later, the ship’s final voyage still leaves one haunting question: what happened at sea?#MaryCeleste #UnsolvedMysteries #MaritimeHistory #HistoryMystery #TrueHistory #TheParsonageFiles
Aug 31

Ohio’s Skinwalker Ranch? Bigfoot, UFOs & Shadow People

At 2:00 in the morning, Robert’s dog was crying and desperately trying to crawl under a push mower. When Robert aimed his flashlight toward the barn, he said a huge, hairy creature with glowing red eyes was standing less than 30 feet from his back door. That was only the beginning. During the summer of 1981, a family in Rome Township, Ohio, became convinced that something strange was surrounding their farmhouse. Before long, they were spending nights on the roof with guns, flashlights, and coffee, watching the fields and woods below. The story eventually included Bigfoot-like creatures, strange tracks, dark human-shaped figures, and UFO sightings over rural Ashtabula County. The case became known as the Rome, Ohio Nights and was documented in the booklet Night Siege. United Methodist pastor Rick and his brother Rob take a close look at the original story, newspaper reports, the investigators involved, and quite a few details that don’t add up. Along the way, they also have to ask why nobody managed to get a decent photograph during weeks of alleged paranormal activity. Something clearly frightened this Ohio family in the summer of 1981. How much of what followed should we believe? Was this really Ohio’s version of Skinwalker Ranch? Give the story a listen and make up your own mind. SEO KEYWORDS: Rome Ohio Nights Rome Ohio Bigfoot Night Siege Bigfoot 1981 Ohio Bigfoot Ohio Bigfoot sightings Ashtabula County Bigfoot Rome Township Ohio Bigfoot Ohio UFO sightings Bigfoot and UFO sightings red eyed Bigfoot Ohio paranormal stories Ohio cryptid sightings true Bigfoot encounters Bigfoot eyewitness accounts Ohio high strangeness
Aug 7

Aliens Steal Her Bible!

In 1967, Betty Andreasson reported a strange night involving unexplained lights, small beings, missing time, and memories that would remain hidden for nearly a decade. What later emerged under hypnosis included an alien examination, a glowing blue book, a copied Bible, and a message Betty believed may have come from God. In this episode of The Parsonage Files, Pastor Rick Birk and Rob Birk examine the Andreasson Affair, one of the most unusual UFO abduction stories ever reported. They follow the case from the Andreasson family’s conscious memories in South Ashburnham, Massachusetts, through fourteen hypnosis sessions conducted in 1977. Betty described gray beings in blue uniforms entering her home, taking her aboard a craft, and leading her through a series of disturbing examinations and strange visions. Her account eventually moved beyond a familiar alien encounter. A burning bird, a mysterious voice, references to Jesus, and warnings about humanity made the experience sound more like a religious vision. Rick and Rob also examine the serious problems surrounding hypnotic regression, recovered memories, missing physical evidence, and the ways stories can change over time. Betty may have sincerely believed everything she described. Sincerity, however, cannot establish that every recovered memory happened as a physical event. The conversation then turns toward Christian discernment. Using Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience, Rick considers whether Betty encountered extraterrestrials, angels, a powerful inner vision, or something that still cannot be identified. Something unusual may have happened at the Andreasson home. The harder question is whether the famous story came from that night in 1967 or from the hypnosis sessions ten years later. PRIMARY SEO PHRASE: Betty Andreasson alien abduction SECONDARY SEO PHRASES: Andreasson Affair, Betty Andreasson UFO encounter, alien abduction and Christianity, aliens and the Bible, hypnosis and recovered memories, UFO religious experience, angels or extraterrestrials, Christian response to UFOs TAGS: Betty Andreasson, Andreasson Affair, alien abduction, UFO encounter, UFO documentary, aliens and Christianity, aliens and the Bible, Christian UFO discussion, recovered memory, hypnotic regression, UFO hypnosis, paranormal podcast, unexplained mysteries, religious visions, angel encounter, gray aliens, alien examination, The Parsonage Files, Pastor Rick Birk, UFO skepticism
Jul 12

Did a UFO Deploy Robots Against a Hunter in the High Sierra?

Did a UFO Deploy Robots Against a Hunter in the High Sierra?The Cisco Grove UFO CaseHe had three arrows and a few matches. And one choice: jump into the ravine, or stay in the tree while the white vapor rose.That was Donald Shrum's night in 1964 — a bow hunter stranded after dark in the Tahoe National Forest near Cisco Grove, California. He said something landed nearby. He said figures came out of the dark and circled him until sunrise. An elaborate hoax, a freezing man's hallucination, secret Cold War activity, or one of the strangest close encounters in UFO history?In this episode of The Parsonage Files, we will take you through the story Shrum told — and what happened when it reached the United States Air Force. The investigators who interviewed him came away calling him steady and consistent. The conclusion in the Project Blue Book file made the case stranger.Watch to the end, then decide for yourself.Subscribe for more true UFO cases and strange history.The Parsonage Files — because faith isn't boring.#UFO #AlienEncounter #ProjectBlueBook #CiscoGrove #TheParsonageFiles
Jun 16

The 1965 Alien Encounter That Left a French Farmer Paralyzed

Lavender Field UFO Encounter: The 1965 French MysteryDescription:A French farmer walks into his lavender field to catch a thief.What he finds is a small, dark, rounded craft sitting in the lavender, two strange little figures, and a mystery that still has people scratching their heads nearly sixty years later.In this episode of The Parsonage Files, Pastor Rick Birk and his brother Rob dig into the 1965 Valensole Incident. Maurice Masse said he saw a strange craft sitting in his field. He said two beings were taking his lavender. Then one of them pointed a small device at him, and he froze in place.The police investigated. The field had marks. The lavender died. The French government later called the case unidentified.And here’s where it gets even stranger. Masse later saw a drawing from the Lonnie Zamora UFO case in Socorro, New Mexico. His reaction was chilling: “Someone else has seen my UFO.”This episode explores one of the strangest UFO cases in France. We talk about the trace evidence, the official investigation, the strange little figures, the silent craft, and the way encounters like this can change the people who experience them.The Parsonage Files is a fun, strange, and thoughtful podcast from Groveport United Methodist Church. Pastor Rick and Rob explore odd church history, paranormal cases, unexplained mysteries, and the big spiritual questions hiding underneath them.Learn more about Groveport UMC at www.groveportumc.org.Sound Bites:“A small, dark, rounded craft sitting in the lavender.”“They are basically your stereotypical gray alien.”“The craft lifted off silently, without smoke or noise.”Chapters:00:00 — Setting the Scene: A Lavender Field at Sunrise02:20 — The Humor in the Situation: Lavender and Stereotypes03:48 — Conclusion: A Unique Encounter in Southern France08:10 — Encountering the Unknown: Maurice’s Close Call with Aliens08:39 — The Aftermath: Maurice’s Transformation and the Investigation11:18 — Evidence in the Field: The Lavender Crop and Its Secrets13:31 — Official Recognition: France’s UFO Office and the Valensole Case16:53 — The Profound Impact: How UFO Encounters Change LivesResources Mentioned:French UFO Investigation Office — GEPAN/GEIPANJacques Vallée — UFO researcherAimé Michel — UFO researcherKey Topics:The 1965 French lavender field UFO encounterTrace evidence and physical marks left behindOfficial investigations by French authoritiesThe impact on Maurice Masse’s life and beliefsConnections to other UFO sightings around the worldGovernment and scientific inquiry into UFO reportsThe psychological and spiritual effects of strange encountersThe cultural significance of UFO storiesTakeaways:A respected farmer reported seeing a mysterious craft and two strange figures in his field.Police and researchers documented physical marks and unusual trace evidence.The French government later classified the case as unidentified.The encounter deeply affected Maurice Masse and changed the way he understood the world.Similar sightings in other countries raise questions about patterns in UFO reports.Encounters like this can leave witnesses shaken, changed, and searching for meaning.The Valensole Incident remains one of the most unusual and well-documented UFO cases in French history.Keywords:UFO, alien encounter, France 1965, Maurice Masse, extraterrestrial, paranormal, UFO investigation, French government, mysterious craft, alien communication, Valensole Incident, lavender field UFO, GEIPAN, Jacques Vallée, Aimé Michel, The Parsonage Files, Groveport UMC
May 27

The Flatwoods Monster: The Alien That Brought The Stink

What if the strangest part of one of America’s most famous UFO stories wasn’t the monster… but the smell? In 1952, witnesses in Flatwoods, West Virginia reported a towering creature, glowing eyes, burning throats, swollen eyes, and a rotten-egg stink so bad people started blaming each other. Yes, this may be the only alien story where the first question is, “Who farted?” In this episode of The Parsonage Files, twin brothers Rick and Rob dig into the Flatwoods Monster case, including the Strange Creek sighting, the sick witnesses, the dead dog, the strange marks on the hillside, and the Air Force explanation that it was all just a meteor and an owl. Maybe it was an alien. Maybe it was a military experiment. Maybe it was the world’s worst-smelling owl. Whatever happened, this strange West Virginia UFO story has lasted more than 70 years for a reason. Pastor Rick is also the pastor of Groveport United Methodist Church in Ohio. If you enjoy strange history, UFO stories, cryptids, ghosts, church legends, and weird true events, welcome to The Parsonage Files. #FlatwoodsMonster #UFO #Paranormal #Cryptid #AlienEncounter #WestVirginia #TrueStory #HighStrangeness #TheParsonageFiles
May 11

The Most Credible UFO Case Ever? The Lonnie Zamora Incident

Here is the revised Spotify-friendly description: In April 1964, New Mexico police officer Lonnie Zamora chased a speeding car into the desert and came back with one of the strangest UFO reports in American history. He said he saw a white, egg-shaped craft sitting in a dry arroyo near Socorro. He saw two small figures in white coveralls. He heard a roar, saw flames, and later found burned brush and landing marks in the dirt. The Air Force investigated. So did the FBI. Dr. J. Allen Hynek, the Air Force’s own UFO consultant, looked for a normal explanation and couldn’t find one. Project Blue Book eventually marked the case “Unidentified.” In this episode of The Parsonage Files, Rick and Rob walk through the Lonnie Zamora incident, the Socorro landing site, the mysterious red symbol on the craft, the military testing theories, and the reason Zamora’s credibility still makes this case hard to dismiss. And near the end, there’s one more strange detail. Days after Zamora’s encounter, someone else may have seen the same object moving across the New Mexico desert. Whether you believe in UFOs or not, this is one of those stories that refuses to go away. The Parsonage Files tells strange history, UFO cases, hauntings, religious oddities, and unexplained stories with curiosity, humor, and a little brotherly skepticism.
Apr 27

The Wizard Clip Haunting

What if you heard something in your house…and knew it wasn’t anyone you could see? In this episode of The Parsonage Files, we tell the true story of The Wizard Clip Haunting, one of the strangest paranormal stories from early American history. In the 1790s, in what is now Middleway, West Virginia, a dying stranger asked for a Catholic priest. He never got one. Then the Livingston family started hearing it. Clip… clip… clip. Clothes, sheets, and curtains were found cut with the same strange crescent-shaped marks. No one saw who did it. And it went on for years. This is a story about fear, faith, strange history, and what people do when something happens that they cannot explain. Subscribe for more true stories from The Parsonage Files. Keywords: Wizard Clip Haunting, Middleway West Virginia, Cliptown, true ghost story, paranormal podcast, haunted history, religious mystery, early American haunting.

The Parsonage Files is all about bringing the fun back to church! Each week, twin brothers Rick and Rob Birk share fascinating, funny, and sometimes surprising stories from church history, along with quirky and uplifting news from the world of faith. From inspiring moments to unusual tales you’ve probably never heard, it’s a joyful mix of laughter, learning, and a fresh look at the church you thought you knew.

Creator

Richard Birk
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

36
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Richard Birk
Show Website

The Parsonage Files