The Parsonage Files

Richard Birk

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.

  1. 3월 24일

    Missionaries vs. Monsters

    Missionaries vs. Monsters | The Parsonage FilesThe best monster stories aren't on Reddit. They're buried in old missionary reports — tucked between crop notes and prayer requests. Nobody looks there. Which is exactly why the stories are so good.Tonight, Pastor Rick and his brother Rob dig into three real accounts from church missionaries who ran into something they couldn't explain. A congregational missionary in 1840s Oregon documents giant, rock-throwing creatures the Spokane people called the Men Stealers — more than a century before Bigfoot had a beef jerky deal. A Norwegian Lutheran pastor off the coast of Greenland in 1734 watches something rise out of the sea to the height of his ship's mast. And a Catholic missionary doctor in 1949 Tibet encounters a hairy wilderness healer connected to the Yeti tradition. But that last story takes a turn nobody expected.Three missionaries. Three remote places. Three moments when ordinary ministry collided with something strange.TIMESTAMPS0:00 – Introduction1:25 – Welcome to The Parsonage Files2:30 – Story 1: The Men Stealers — Pacific Northwest, 1840s5:03 – Elkana Walker's mission among the Spokane people6:56 – Giant tracks, bad smells, and three whistles9:42 – Story 2: The Sea Monster — Greenland, 173410:11 – Hans Egede and the lost Norse settlements11:48 – Something rises from the Davis Strait13:28 – What was it? Modern theories15:07 – Story 3: The Healing Yeti — Tibet, 194916:52 – Francis Xavier Eickinger's encounter18:16 – The Naked Lama20:41 – When the real monster isn't the creature22:10 – ClosingNew episodes weekly. Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss one.#ChurchHistory #Bigfoot #SeaMonster #Yeti #MissionaryStories #ParsonageFiles #CryptidHistory #PacificNorthwestBigfoot #Greenland #Tibet #WeirdHistory #MonsterStories #FaithAndHistory

    24분
  2. 2월 24일

    The Church Trip That Got Sasq-Watched

    Christians Keep Running Into Bigfoot | The Parsonage Files A youth group hikes into the Marble Mountain Wilderness and captures something on camcorder they can't explain. A Baptist pastor in Florida grabs an axe and charges toward an 8-foot-tall hairy figure. A church camp in Washington State wakes up to hundreds of massive footprints and a 30-foot tree knocked flat.These are real reports from real church folks — pastors, camp counselors, youth groups — who went into the woods expecting nature and got something else entirely. On this episode of The Parsonage Files, Pastor Rick and his brother Rob dig into documented Bigfoot encounters involving Christians. From a kayaking church outing on Ohio Brush Creek that turned creepy fast, to a 1977 chainsaw-wielding reverend who chose fight over flight, to a terrifying night at Camp Timberlake that ended a church camp session early — these stories are wild, funny, and a little unsettling. No one gets hurt. No one finds definitive proof. But the question lingers: why would ordinary church people put their names on reports like these? Join Pastor Rick and Rob every week as they explore the odd, funny, and mysterious stories from the world of faith and church history.🕐 TIMESTAMPS0:00 – The Marble Mountain youth group encounter3:35 – Intro: Christians meeting Bigfoot4:12 – Welcome to The Parsonage Files6:08 – Pastor Elaine's kayak trip on Ohio Brush Creek12:42 – Reverend S.L. Watley vs. Bigfoot (Florida, 1977)19:32 – Camp Timberlake: church camp terror in Washington State26:04 – So what do we make of all this?28:27 – Closing thoughts🔗 Groveport United Methodist Church: [insert link]📺 Subscribe for new episodes every week👍 Like this video if you enjoyed it — it helps more people find us#Bigfoot #Sasquatch #BigfootSighting #ChristianPodcast #ParsonageFiles #ChurchStories #Paranormal #Cryptids #BFRO #FindingBigfoot #ChurchCamp #PastorStories #BigfootEncounter #Ohio #FaithAndMystery

    30분
  3. 2월 2일

    Did a Pope Really Have a Baby? The Legend of Pope Joan

    Pope Joan, a female pope, and a baby born in the streets of Rome. Did a pope really have a baby, or is this Catholic Church legend pure fiction? If it is fiction, why did church writers insist it was true? In this episode of The Parsonage Files, Pastor Rick and his brother Rob tell the Pope Joan story and then stress-test it. The legend says Joan disguises herself as “John Anglicus,” rises through the church in Rome, and gets elected pope after Pope Leo IV dies. Then the story hits its famous moment. A procession. Labor pains. And the pope giving birth in front of a crowd. Then we ask the questions that make historians squint. Could a pope hide a pregnancy while surrounded by attendants. Did popes even ride horseback in public. Why do the first written accounts show up about 400 years later. And what about the “proofs” people point to, like a procession route that avoids a street or the chair with a hole in it. You will also hear where the legend collides with real history and Benedict III. Timestamps 0:01 A papal procession and a shocking birth 3:11 Welcome to The Parsonage Files 4:19 Joan’s origin and why she disguises herself 7:55 “John Anglicus” arrives in Rome 9:50 The legend’s fast track to cardinal 11:57 Pope Leo IV dies and a new pope is chosen 13:08 The reign length claim and the hidden pregnancy 14:23 Could anyone miss it for nine months 15:49 Did popes ride horses in public 16:35 The 400-year gap and the first written accounts 18:18 What the legend says happened next 20:04 The chair story and other “proofs” 20:51 Matching the legend to real papal history 23:21 Closing and invitation

    25분

예고편

소개

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.