Church and Main

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Church and Main is a podcast at the intersection of faith and modern life. Join Pastor Dennis Sanders as he shares the stories of faith interacting with the ever-changing world of the 21st century.

  1. The Good News vs. the Good Work with Jackson Campbell Walker | Episode 279

    5D AGO

    The Good News vs. the Good Work with Jackson Campbell Walker | Episode 279

    Many progressive and moderate Christians are passionate about justice, inclusion, and showing up for their neighbors. But what if in pursuing all the right causes, we've quietly set aside the message that makes us Christian in the first place? Jackson Campbell Walker knows this tension firsthand. As a gay pastor who has navigated both conservative evangelical and progressive Baptist spaces, he has watched well-meaning churches slowly replace the grace of God with the works of people.  Jackson and Dennis get honest about what it feels like to be clergy who love both the gospel and justice, and why those two things should never have to compete. They talk about the quiet crisis of trust underneath it all — how, when we stop believing God is at work, we scramble to fill the void with programs, politics, and causes.  This is a conversation for anyone who has ever felt caught between their faith and their convictions — and wondered if they had to choose. Shownotes: Trading the Cross for a cause (Jackson's article)   Donate to Church and Main Church and Main Substack Join the Church and Main Email List churchandmain@substack.com Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Website | YouTube

    44 min
  2. Unpacking Romans 13 with Chris Nye | Episode 278

    APR 17

    Unpacking Romans 13 with Chris Nye | Episode 278

    What does it mean to "submit to governing authorities" — and does that command require Christians to accept whatever their government does without question? I sat down with Chris Nye, lead pastor of Imago Dei Community in Portland, Oregon, to take a closer look at one of the most frequently cited — and frequently misused — passages in political discourse: Romans 13:1. From immigration enforcement to protests in the streets, this text keeps resurfacing, often wielded as a call for unconditional obedience to whoever holds power. Chris argues that reading Romans 13 in isolation misses the point entirely. Placed within the sweep of Paul's letter — and alongside 1 Peter — a richer picture emerges: one built on a higher law of God, a coming judgment, and a vision of the church as a holy nation that transcends any political order. Shownotes: Chris Nye's website   Donate to Church and Main Church and Main Substack Join the Church and Main Email List churchandmain@substack.com Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Website | YouTube

    1h 4m
  3. When the Cross Becomes a Brand with Andrew Donaldson | Episode 277

    APR 10

    When the Cross Becomes a Brand with Andrew Donaldson | Episode 277

    In this candid and wide-ranging conversation, I sat down with my friend and media commentator Andrew Donaldson to wrestle with one of the most uncomfortable questions facing American Christianity today: Is the public display of faith we're seeing from figures like Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth genuine witness — or just performance? This is a conversation about our failings, the danger of chasing validation over transformation, and what it really means to live out your faith when no one is looking. Shownotes: Heard Tell (Andrew's Substack)   Donate to Church and Main Join the Church and Main Email List churchandmain@substack.com Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Website | YouTube

    1h 21m
  4. Can America Change Course? with Jerry Mitchell | Episode 276

    APR 10

    Can America Change Course? with Jerry Mitchell | Episode 276

    Jerry Mitchell comes to the podcast to discuss his Christian Chronicle article. Jerry argues that America's deepest crisis isn't political — it's spiritual. From the erosion of humility and kindness to our growing inability to honestly confront our own sins, Jerry makes the case that the nation is sliding toward collapse for one simple reason: we have traded godliness for gaslighting, and piety for partisanship. Shownotes: Can America change its course before it’s too late? The answer is up to us (Jerry Mitchell)   Donate to Church and Main Join the Church and Main Email List churchandmain@substack.com Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Website | YouTube

    54 min
  5. Hunting for Heretics: America's Polarization Problem with Michael Baharaeen | Episode 275

    MAR 28

    Hunting for Heretics: America's Polarization Problem with Michael Baharaeen | Episode 275

    Dennis Sanders sits down with Michael Baharaeen, chief political analyst for The Liberal Patriot, to explore the growing crisis of political polarization in America. Drawing on data, history, and his own experience working in national politics, Baharain examines how Americans have increasingly sorted themselves into politically homogenous communities, fueled by the decline of shared public spaces, the rise of social media, and a two-party system that leaves little room for nuance. The conversation covers the real dangers this polarization poses to democracy — from eroding trust between neighbors to the risk of sustained political violence — while also offering practical paths forward. Shownotes: Growing Tribalism Threatens the American Experiment (Michael Baharaeen) How everyday Americans can help pull their democracy back from the brink (Michael Baharaeen)   Donate to Church and Main Join the Church and Main Email List churchandmain@substack.com Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Website | YouTube

    57 min
  6. Gen Z's Spiritual Awakening: Revival or Something New? with Rob Myallis | Episode 274

    MAR 21

    Gen Z's Spiritual Awakening: Revival or Something New? with Rob Myallis | Episode 274

    In part two of his conversation with Lutheran Pastor Rob Maialis, host Dennis Sanders turns the lens toward the youngest generation entering adulthood. Is there a genuine religious revival happening among Gen Z, or are we measuring the wrong things? Together, they explore what it might look like for mainline churches to truly meet Gen Z rather than simply wait for them, and how an unlikely partnership between the oldest and youngest generations in the pew might be exactly what both groups need.   Shownotes: Gen Z's Religious Revival Likely Escapes Notice (Rob's Article) Lectionary Greek Blog   Related Episode: The Church and the Three-Quarter Life Crisis with Rob Myallis | Episode 273   Donate to Church and Main Join the Church and Main Email List churchandmain@substack.com Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Website | YouTube

    49 min
  7. The Church and the Three-Quarter Life Crisis with Rob Myallis | Episode 273

    MAR 14

    The Church and the Three-Quarter Life Crisis with Rob Myallis | Episode 273

    What happens when the people who built your church — the ones who carried it through lean years, chaired every committee, and showed up faithfully for decades — start to feel like the ladder has been taken away from them? In this episode, I welcome back Lutheran pastor and Rob Myallis to explore what Rob calls the "three-quarter life crisis": the profound emotional, physical, and spiritual transition many people face in their mid-to-late seventies. Shownotes:  The Three-Quarter Life Crisis (Rob's Article) Lectionary Greek Blog   Related Episode: Luther Seminary and the Future of Mainline Protestantism with Rob Myallis | Episode 239   Donate to Church and Main Join the Church and Main Email List churchandmain@substack.com Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Website | YouTube

    39 min
  8. The Quiet Christian Resistance to America's Refugee Crackdown with Emily Belz | Episode 272

    MAR 6

    The Quiet Christian Resistance to America's Refugee Crackdown with Emily Belz | Episode 272

    When the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation PARRIS in January 2026, thousands of legal refugees in Minnesota suddenly found themselves targets of ICE arrests and detention — despite having followed every rule required of them. In this episode, I sit down with Emily Belz, senior staff writer at Christianity Today, to unpack how this shocking crackdown unfolded and how faith communities responded. Shownotes: Emily Belz- Refugees Disappeared. Churches Prayed and Lawyered Up.  Emily Belz- Excerpts from a Judge’s Ruling in Favor of Minnesota Refugees Arrive Ministries Facebook Page Related Episodes: A Theology of Protest with David Swanson Why Minneapolis Needs Potlucks with Rachel Pieh Jones Renee Good and Minnesota ICE with Eric Elkin   Donate to Church and Main Join the Church and Main Email List churchandmain@substack.com Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Website | YouTube

    1h 1m
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Church and Main is a podcast at the intersection of faith and modern life. Join Pastor Dennis Sanders as he shares the stories of faith interacting with the ever-changing world of the 21st century.

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