Dale Sellers and Joseph Bennett launch the Renewed Pastor Podcast, sharing why 95 Network became The Renewed Pastor and how the new Renewed Pastor Pathway helps pastors get healthy in life, leadership, and legacy. This is the first episode of the Renewed Pastor Podcast, formerly the 95 Podcast. Dale Sellers and Joseph Bennett use the launch conversation to explain a significant transition: as of September 1, 95 Network has officially become The Renewed Pastor. Dale Sellers walks through the ministry's history. 95 Network was founded in 2014 by Jim Powell, a pastor in Peoria, Illinois, who led a large church but carried a deep burden for smaller congregations. The name reflected the statistic that roughly 95 percent of American churches were small or midsize. Dale joined the board in 2016, and in late 2017 Jim handed leadership to Dale and a group of pastors. Dale became executive director on July 1, 2018, and has led the ministry for eight years. The conversation then turns personal. Dale describes the isolation he experienced as a pastor, including a board member who literally put a hand up at a restaurant table and said he did not want to hear about his pastor's struggles. Years of internalized stress, a devastating church split, and a culture that expected pastors to appear invincible contributed to quadruple bypass surgery at age 53. When Dale asked his surgeon how it happened, the answer was blunt: hypertension and high blood pressure caused by his vocation. That crisis launched a decade-long journey of inner work that eventually produced his book, Stalled. Dale also names the shift he has watched unfold in the church world. Pastors no longer need more content; content is everywhere. What they lack is relationship, mentoring, and honest community. Denominations, seminaries, and networks often repackage old approaches instead of making the changes pastors actually need. After more than a year of prayer, conversations with leaders, and a two-day retreat with Jesse Barnett of The Message Clarity Company, the team landed on a new name, a new focus, and a new offering. That offering is the Renewed Pastor Pathway™, a one-year, research-informed coaching track built around four quarters: Soul Care, Identity and Calling, Mission and Vision, and Leadership Development with Succession planning. It includes twelve sessions, a monthly call, and an on-site day with the church's leaders. Dale explains why soul care must come first: an unhealthy soul produces an unhealthy congregation, and a pastor who cannot take a Sabbath is functionally saying that everything depends on him. The vision behind the rebrand is a goal Dale believes God gave him: help one thousand pastors get healthy over the next ten years. With the average pastor now between 62 and 64 years old and more than 100,000 expected to retire in the next decade, the leadership pipeline problem is urgent. The Renewed Pastor exists to serve pastors of any church size who genuinely want help, with scholarship dollars available for those who cannot afford the full cost. Support the show
