Shows / Future Christian
Future Christian
Future Christian explores church leadership, church renewal, and the future of Christianity through conversations with pastors, authors, theologians, and other faith leaders. Each episode offers practical wisdom and fresh ideas for navigating church decline, cultural change, ministry, and the challenges facing congregations today.
Episodes
Future ChristianDrew Crowson and the Parish Model Approach to Church Planting
What does it take to start a brand-new church in one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S.? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. talks with Drew Crowson, an…
Future ChristianPop, Purity, and Power: Joelle Kidd on Unpacking Evangelical Influence
What happens when Christian faith gets filtered through purity rings, YA fiction, and pop-punk soundtracks? In this episode, co-host Martha Tatarnic welcomes…
Future ChristianFaith, Spectacle & the Business of Church: Marti & Mulder on Schuller’s Enduring Influence
What can we learn about the future of the church by looking back at Robert Schuller? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. speaks with sociologists Gerardo Marti…
Future ChristianLoren & Martha Live from Canada: Faith, Loss, and Life in the Middle Years
What does faith look like in the middle of life? In this special in-person episode of podcast, co-hosts Loren Richmond Jr. and Martha Tatarnic reflect on the…
Future ChristianWalking into Sorrow: Andrew Root on Evangelism in the Age of Despair
What if the most faithful act of evangelism isn’t preaching—but sitting with someone in their grief? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. talks with theologian…
Future ChristianRethinking Seminary for the Next Generation: Bekah Buchterkirchen on Innovation, Inclusion, and Formation
As seminaries face shrinking enrollments, rising costs, and shifting demographics, what models of theological education will carry the church forward? In this…
Future ChristianMay Young on Biblical Lament as Resistance, Resilience, and Hope
What if the path to hope isn’t found in overcoming pain, but in naming it? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. speaks with Dr. May Young, Associate Professor…
Future ChristianThe Scandal of Ordaining Women: the Legacy of the Philadelphia Eleven with Margo Guernsey
What happens when a group of women dare to follow their calling—despite being told they can’t? In this compelling episode, Martha Tatarnic speaks with…
Future ChristianFuture Focused Church with Raymond Chang
In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. talks with Raymond Chang—pastor, writer, and Executive Director of the TENx10 Collaboration at Fuller Seminary. As…
Future ChristianLeading with Grace: Suzanne Nadell on Navigating Faith, Media & Polarization
How can the church learn from the newsroom? In this episode, Loren welcomes veteran journalist and media executive Suzanne Nadell to explore what faith leaders…
Future ChristianRenewing Christian Institutions: John Hawthorne on Fearless Leadership in a Changing Culture
What if Christian colleges—and churches—stopped being driven by fear? In this episode of the Future Christian Podcast, Loren sits down (literally, in person)…
Future ChristianMoney, Mission, and Ministry: Grace Pomroy on Church Sustainability
Can your church pay the bills and follow God’s call with integrity? In this episode, Loren talks with stewardship educator and sustainability strategist Grace…
Future ChristianFrom Resurrection to Real Estate: John Cleghorn on Church Land for Community Good
What if your church property wasn’t a burden—but a blessing to your neighbors? In this episode, Loren talks with John Cleghorn about the growing movement of…
Future ChristianHealthy Calling: Arianna Molloy on Burnout, Purpose, and Redefining Work
What if burnout isn’t the end of your calling—but an invitation to reimagine it? In this episode, Loren talks with Dr. Arianna Molloy, author of Healthy…
Future ChristianTikTok Pastor: Bethany Peerbolte is Reimagining Church Online
What happens when your most meaningful ministry happens through a smartphone screen? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. welcomes Rev. Bethany Peerbolte—a…
Future ChristianClint Schnekloth on Why Progressive Churches Matter
Is progressive Christianity losing its soul by abandoning church, worship, and leadership? In this episode, Loren talks with Pastor Clint Schneckloth to…
Future ChristianMartha & Loren Talk Christian Leadership Across the US-Canada border
In this episode of the Future Christian podcast, hosts Martha and Loren engage in a personal check-in, discussing Loren's vocational transitions and the…
Future ChristianThe Church as a Healing Community with Susan Ward Diamond
What does it mean to be the church in anxious, divided times? Recorded in connection with the 2025 Remind & Renew Conference at Phillips Seminary, Loren…
Future ChristianRita Nakashima Brock and the Role of Church in Troubled Times
What if the church was never meant to be a waiting room for heaven—but a community that builds paradise now? Recorded live at Phillips Seminary during the 2025…
Future ChristianBivocational Ministry: Rethinking Church Leadership with Kris Bentley
What if bivocational ministry isn’t a compromise—but a key to the church’s future? Kris Bentley joins Loren Richmond Jr. to explore the evolving landscape of…
Future ChristianKyle Norman on Finding God when Faith Feels Hard
In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Martha Tatarnic talks with Kyle Norman about his latest book, Alive, Loved, and Free, which explores what it…
Future ChristianChurch Decline, Evangelism, and Renewal: A Conversation with Ben Crosby
In this episode, Martha Tatarnic talks with Rev. Ben Crosby to explore the state of the mainline church, the challenges of evangelism, and the role of…
Future ChristianTricia Lyons on Why Churches Should Be More Exclusive
Do churches need to be more exclusive? For years, both Evangelical and Progressive churches have lowered expectations to get people in the door. In this…
Future ChristianWhat is the Church? And What is it for? Exploring Ecclesiology with David Emerton
What is the church, and what is it for? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. talks with Rev. Dr. David Emerton to explore the purpose of the church, how…
Future ChristianStepping into Kingdom Justice with Michelle Ferrigno Warren
What does it mean to move beyond awareness and into action? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. sits down with Michelle Ferrigno Warren, author, activist, and…
Future ChristianRedefining Leadership: Andrew Draper on Disability, Inclusion, and the Power of Community
What does it mean to lead in weakness rather than strength? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. talks with Rev. Dr. Andrew Draper, co-author of Disabling…
Future ChristianChurch for Everyone: Why the Future Church must be Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Generational, & Mission-Driven
How can churches truly become spaces for everyone? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. talks with Dan Kreiss and Ephraim Smith, co-authors of Church for…
Future ChristianDustin Benac on Adaptability, Authority, and Future Church
How can churches navigate change and uncertainty with creativity and resilience? In this episode, Dustin Benac shares insights from his research in the Pacific…
Future ChristianWorship and the Body: David Taylor on Why Physicality Matters in Worship
How does the way we use our bodies shape our faith? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. talks with W. David O. Taylor, Associate Professor of Theology and…
Future ChristianProfessional Christian: Sarah Bereza on how to be fully yourself in public ministry
What does it mean to be a professional Christian? In this episode of the Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr. welcomes Dr. Sarah Bereza, a church…
Future ChristianPrayer, Politics, and the Witness of the Church in Divided Times: A Roundtable Discussion
What role should the church play in today’s polarized political landscape? In this episode of the Future Christian Podcast, Martha Tatarnic hosts a roundtable…
Future ChristianPeter Elliott on Navigating Ministry and Creativity in a Changing Church
What can musical theatre teach us about faith and leadership? In this episode of the Future Christian Podcast, Martha Tatarnic sits down with the Very Reverend…
Future ChristianJesse Zink on Charting Realistic Hope for the Church’s Future.
What does it mean to be faithful and creative in a world shaped by crisis? In this episode of the Future Christian Podcast, Martha Tatarnic welcomes the…
Future ChristianMike Cosper on the Dangers of Ideology in the Church
What happens when ideology takes over church leadership? In this episode, Martha Tatarnic welcomes Mike Cosper, creator of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and…
Future ChristianFrom Pulpit to Platform: Alexander Lang’s Journey
What happens when a pastor trades the pulpit for a tech startup? In this episode, Martha welcomes back Alexander Lang, a former PCUSA pastor turned tech…
Future ChristianSeason 17 Recap: Challenges, Growth, and the Future Church
In this episode, co-hosts Martha Tatarnic and Loren Richmond Jr. reflect on the past season and share personal insights from their ministry journeys. Martha…
Future ChristianAnchors of Faith: Black Christianity in America with Walter Strickland
What can the wider church learn from the rich history and theology of Black Christianity? In this episode of the Future Christian Podcast, Loren Richmond Jr…
Future ChristianJocelyn Jones on How to Start Your Ministry
In this conversation, Reverend Jocelyn Jones shares her journey of faith, trauma, and healing, emphasizing the importance of community and therapy in…
Future ChristianCasey Tygrett on Why Remembering Matters
What if the key to a deeper relationship with God lies in the way we remember? In this episode, spiritual director and author Casey Tygrett joins us to explore…
Future ChristianPastoral Health Roundtable: Kinsie Tate & Brian Davis on helping church leaders survive & thrive
In this milestone 200th episode of the Future Christian Podcast, hosts Loren Richmond Jr. and Martha Tatarnic celebrate with a roundtable discussion on clergy…
Future ChristianChuck DeGroat on Healing What's Within
What if the core problem in most humans these days isn't that we think too highly of ourselves, but rather that we live with an underlying sense of…
Future ChristianWorship in an Age of Anxiety with J. Michael Jordan
What if common worship practices are elevating our anxiety rather than centering us in the peace of God? In this conversation, J. Michael Jordan joins the show…
Future ChristianJeff Keuss on What Young Adults Want from Church
Despite the headlines, young adults are still interested in church, says Jeff Keuss. In this episode, he discusses the surprising findings that young adults…
Future ChristianGrace Ji-Sun Kim on Making Church Less White
How do we make church less "white," and more welcoming and inclusive of different non-white cultures, perspectives, and persons? In this conversation, Grace…
Future ChristianIs Church History Repeating Itself? A Bold Look with Elesha Coffman
Have you ever wondered if the battles we face in the modern church are just echoes of centuries-old conflicts? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. dives deep…
Future ChristianBreaking Eurocentric Norms: Rethinking Religious Leadership with Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi
In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. welcomes Rev. Dr. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, who delves into her recent research, including the Latino Congregations Trends…
Future ChristianMegan Bissell on why the Future of Faith is Listening
In this episode, we explore with Megan Bissell the evolving landscape of American Christianity and how faith communities can adapt to new challenges. We begin…
Future ChristianCo-creating Renewal in your church with Rebekah Simon-Peter
In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. welcomes Rebekah Simon-Peter, a passionate advocate for reconnecting spiritual leaders with their divine potential to…
Future ChristianAmanda Udis-Kessler talks Progressive Christian Ethics
What does it look like to live ethically as a Progressive Christian? In this episode, Amanda Udis-Kessler explores ethics from a Progressive Christian context…
Future ChristianYolanda Solomon shares why Discipleship is a Holy Collaboration
In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. welcomes Yolanda Solomon, the Director of Discipleship at Epiphany Church in Brooklyn, New York. Yolanda shares her journey…
Future ChristianRob Hurkmans on What We Wish We Knew 20 Years Ago
In this conversation, Martha Tatarnic welcomes Rob Hurkmans about his journey in ministry and the lessons he has learned along the way. They discuss topics…
Future ChristianMichael Pryse on Three Decades as Bishop
Bishop Michael Pryse joins the show to share his perspectives on change and leadership in the Church from his three decades of experience in the Evangelical…
Future ChristianCallie Swanlund on Healing from Clergy Burnout
The conversation between Martha and Callie Swanlund covers Callie's journey in the Episcopal Church, the changes in her Christian experience, her current…
Future ChristianJason Byassee on Whether There is a Formula for Mainline Success
In this episode, Martha Tatarnic welcomes Jason Byassee to talk about church growth in a Mainline church context. Jason discusses the importance of churches…
Future ChristianAlison Milbank on Why Small and Local Might be the Church's Way Forward
In this conversation, Professor Alison Milbank discusses the concept of the parish and its importance in the life of faith. She shares her experiences growing…
Future ChristianElizabeth Schrader-Polczer on Rethinking Mary Magdalene (Part 2)
In this episode, Martha Tatarnic continues her conversation with Elizabeth Schrader Polczer for the second part of a groundbreaking conversation on biblical…
Future ChristianElizabeth Schrader-Polczer on Rethinking Mary Magdalene (Part 1)
In this episode, Martha Tatarnic welcomes Elizabeth Schrader Polczer to talk about her groundbreaking work in biblical scholarship, particularly in how we see…
Future ChristianSpirituality for the 21st Century Rationalist: A Conversation with Alexander Lang
In this episode, Martha Tatarnic welcomes back Alexander Lang for a deep and insightful conversation. Alex, a former PCUSA pastor, has transitioned from church…
Future ChristianThe Role of Music Leaders in Shaping the Future of the Church— A Conversation with Christopher Dawes
In this episode, Martha Tatarnic welcomes, Christopher Dawes, a veteran worship leader and musician in Canada. Chris discusses the challenges and pressures…
- Future Christian
Why Podcast? What the podcast space offers the life of the church
In this joint podcast episode with Vicars' Crossing and Future Christian, Kevin, Rob and Martha talk about why as busy pastors leading churches they carve out…