The space between life and death is the space that Shea Collins was called too.  She has had 15 years of experience working with children, youth and their families in the Hospice setting.  She is an ordained Elder within the United Methodist Church and is now working at Hospice of Cabarrus County in North Carolina.  In our conversation, we talk about how to deal with these situations and places of grief.  She gives amazing insights and recommendations to clergy and laypeople alike.  

Donna is the pastor of Mount Vernon Place UMC in Washington, DC.  When she arrived in 2005 it was a completely different church than it is now.  It was a dying congregation.  However, through Donna's leadership, a ton of time, and even more prayers, they have turned this congregation around.  Along with Roger Owens, she has now authored a new book about this journey, "A New Day in the City."  It is a powerful testimony to urban church renewal and the work God has done in and through them.

Christine Burkett is a speech-pathologist by trade and a pew sitter by profession.  She teaches guides and coaches young preachers on this art form they have been called by God to do.  She has incredible insights into language, crafting sermons and how to make them stick.  She has taught at Duke Divinity School for over 20 years, helps lead the Institute of Preaching, and is a sought-after speaker for preachers. 

Steve Cheyney is the Executive Director of the Cooperative Christian Ministries at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC), Central Piedmont Community College and Johnson and Wales. His main focus is as the Campus Minister at UNCC. There, with the help of students, he runs Niners United. We talk about his ministry with the next generation and how college years can be extremely formative.

Carter Ellis is the lead pastor of The Walk [Faithwalk], a reconciling congregation in Gibsonville, NC.  We sit down and talk about what it means to be a reconciling congregation and the implications have on the lives of her members and community she serves in.

Mark has just finished his first year as a DS and we talk about his adventure in this new appointment.  For those who don't know a DS is someone in charge of a District within an Annual Conference.  The DS's main job is to build up, encourage and help congregations and clergy in their district.  They are the ones called in when there is a congregational or clergy crisis and are part of the cabinet, which makes the appointments for the conference. We discuss this and more in our conversation.  

Trip Lowery helps Annual Conferences within the United Methodist Church help young people hear their call into ministry.  In our conversation we talk about what that work is like, some of the successes of the millions of dollars in grant money that has gone out with the Young Clergy Initiative, and also another one of his passions, Surfing for Autism.

In this conversation, I talk with the author, illustrator, and creator of the online comic, "The Wesley Bros."  In this weekly comic, Charlie, shares history and heritage of these founders of the United Methodist denomination.  With wit, snark, and cutting commentary, Charlie has captivated the hearts of many people through the faces of John and Charles Wesley. You can find his comic at www.wesleybros.com and you can find out more about him in the show notes at www.adventuresinrevland.com.

In this second episode of season 2, I have the privilege of sitting down with Robin Fitzgerald, the pastor of Prospect and Mount Pleasant UMC in East Bend, NC. In this honest conversation, Robin opens up about what it was like to be in ministry and to go through a divorce. I greatly appreciate her willingness to share and found a ton of grace, peace, and comfort in her story. I hope it speaks to you as well.

Brad Hopper is one of the pastors at Matthews United Methodist Church in Matthews, NC. One of his ministry concentrations is missions. We talk about some of the mission work he has been involved with from living on a boat to clergy leadership development in Muslim countries. For more information please visit the show notes at adventuresinrevland.com

Kara Cooper is the Chaplain for Lancaster University in Lancashire, England.  Kara and I graduated together from Duke in 2002.  The year after that we both accepted an appointment in the British Methodist Church.  Kara hasn't come back to the United States but is now an ordained clergy of the British Methodist Church and a British citizen.   Doing ministry overseas is an art.  In a more secular society with a national church, it is a lot different than ministry here in the "colonies."  Yet,...

Wes Smith is a co-pastor with his wife, Toni Ruth, at Harrisburg UMC in Harrisburg, NC.  He is also fascinated with theology.  For the last three years, he has had a small group meet in his basement to discuss theology.  Our conversation walks through Wes falling in love with theology, explaining it to youth and now in his ministry at Harrisburg.

In this episode, I have a conversation with John Isley, the assistant director at Camp Tekoa.  We talk about the impact that camp has on someone's spiritual life and what it is like to do ministry in such a location.  John has had many years of experience in different aspects of ministry and has found a deep connection with the work, ministry, and people of Camp Tekoa.  He served on staff there in college and now is training, leading and encourage the next generation of staffers and campers....

Innocent Justice has one of those stories you cannot believe is true.  He has survived, lived through, and experienced so much in his life.  His passion for God, his family, and his ministry oozes from every inch of him.  It was my privilege to sit down and have a conversation with him.  Please check out the show notes on adventuresinrevland.com.  Also, please subscribe and leave a rating.  Enjoy your adventure and peace be with you.

In this episode, I have a conversation with David Swanson, the pastor of New Community Covenant Church in Bronzeville.  David has a deep passion for his neighbors and we talk about how hard it is to be a multi-racial church in the heart of a black community in Chicago.   For more information on David and the show notes please go to www.adventuresinrevland.com.

Vanessa Myers is an exceptional Children's Ministry Director at Dahlonega UMC in Dahlonega, GA.  She is also an author who finishing up her first book but has already written children's ministry curriculum.  She is a speaker and blogger.  Vanessa has a deep passion for children's ministry and is willing to share some of her wisdom and how she has grown her Kids Min.  For more information on Vanessa and show notes, head to www.adventuresinrevland.com.

I have a conversation with Rev. Dr. James Howell, the senior pastor of Myers Park UMC.  Since this summer he has been writing an email devotional about God and Politics entitled "'Tis the Season."  In these devotions, he dives into what it means to be in the midst of this political election and to be a Christian.  In our conversation, we talk about the careful line we have to walk between religion and politics.  Do Christians have something to say?  Or should we be silent?

In this third episode of my podcast, I have a conversation with Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, the senior pastor of Riverside Church in New York City.  Amy has a unique story that leads her all around the world.  She grew up in Hawaii, went to college in Texas and got her bachelors from Baylor University.  Then she went to Europe and attended The International Baptist Theological Seminary.  She got a Doctor of Ministry degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.  Before taking the senior...

In this episode I talk with Rob Hill, the State Director for Mississippi with the Human Rights Campaign.  Rob turned in his credentials as an ordained Elder of the United Methodist Church when he could no longer live a life in the shadows.  He fell in love and decided to live an authentic life as a gay man.  This is his adventures through that process and the ministry he does now behind a different type of pulpit.  

In this first episode I talk with Ben Williams, the pastor of St. Mark's UMC in Raleigh, NC and his Adventures in Revland.  This appointment started very unique in the United Methodist system but it turned this church around.  Ben and I talk about the revitalization and ministry of St. Mark's and how Ben has dealt with the people who happened to get upset and leave along the way, also known as the casualties of ministry.