Kam Pugh is a pastor at Iron City Church in Birmingham, Alabama. He joins Austin on the podcast to talk about ministry in a city with a troubled racial history. When Kam convinced Isaac to come to Birmingham, it wasn’t only to co-pastor, but to lead. Kam talks about why that was important and what it looks like to empower minorities in leadership. Links & Show Notes: Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider r...
May 31, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Faith Côté is a longtime friend of the ministry. She joins Austin to talk about her experience as a frustrated church member who learned how to channel her zeal into helpful contributions. She also gives tips for leading group conversations using Talking About Race. Links & Show Notes: Faith’s article about her experience as a public school teacher. Our podcast episode about “cage-stage.” Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our webs...
May 24, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Austin and Isaac are joined by Darryl Williamson, pastor of Living Faith Bible Fellowship in Tampa Bay, Florida. Darryl has been pursuing multi-ethnic unity as a pastor for over a decade and has much wisdom to share about working toward unity without growing bitter. We hope you are encouraged. Show Notes: Living Faith Bible Fellowship’s website . Darryl’s books: 12 Faithful Men and All Are Welcome. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring ou...
May 17, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 125
Austin sits down with Nate Brooks to discuss Nate’s new book, Identifying Heart Transformation. We talk about different Biblical frameworks for understanding the inner person and how that informs our view of human transformation. Nate Brooks (Ph.D. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Associate Professor of Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Links & Show Notes: You can buy Nate’s excellent new book here . Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, fo...
May 10, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 124
Austin and Isaac talk about what Scripture is and how we read it. What affect does our personal experience have on how we read the Bible? Does our experience change what is true? Watch, listen, and pray with us. Show Notes: Here is the Tim Keller interview Isaac referenced. Here is an article by Austin on learning from other traditions. Here is the book , Care of Souls that Isaac referenced. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our websi...
May 03, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 123
Austin and Isaac talk about what Christians can do in their everyday lives to build toward greater ethnic unity. Racism has affected many aspects of their world, which means Christians have opportunities for redemptive work in many different walks of life. Links & Show Notes: Isaac’s article about preparing yourself for racial conversations. Courtney Reissig’s article about healthcare disparities. Our episode with Michael Emmerson in which he talks about buying a house. Faith Cote’s article ...
Apr 26, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Austin and Isaac sit down to discuss the last five years of ministry for United? We Pray and some of what has happened before and since. We trust that God is still working, even if public attention has drifted away from conversations around ethnic unity. Links & Show Notes: Our aims as a ministry, which have been unchanged since 2017. The kit Isaac referenced regarding the CRT controversy. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our web...
Apr 19, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 121
Overview: Dan Darling is director of the Land Center at Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. He returns for the second time this season to talk about his forthcoming book, Agents of Grace. This episode is full of helpful reminders of how Christians can be more charitable as we disagree about the right things and extend grace over smaller matters. Here is more information on the Land Center at SWBTS. Click here to preorder Dan’s book. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follo...
Apr 12, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 120
Overview: Austin and Isaac discuss five books which have come out over the last two years, which we are calling, “The Stack.” These books work together to build a positive vision for racial unity which is self-consciously different than the most popular approaches in society. Links & Show Notes: Derwin’s book . Shai’s book and the interview we did with him. George’s book , the interview we did with him, and his article for us which outlines his thesis. Jarvis’ book , and the interviews we’ve...
Apr 05, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 119
Overview: Jamaal Williams and Timothy Paul Jones have written a fantastic new book, In Church As it is in Heaven about working toward a redeemed vision of diversity in our churches. They join Austin to talk about it. Links & Show Notes: To pre-order As it is in Heaven, click here . For more info on Jamaal Williams, click here . For more info on Timothy Paul Jones, click here . Click here for the episode with George Yancey referenced in this interview. Support the show To learn more about Uni...
Mar 29, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Overview: Omar Johnson is a pastor in Maryland, just outside of DC. He shares about his ministry in a difficult context, and how other churches are cooperating to help. Links & Show Notes: Here is the sermon on Psalm 131 that Omar preached at Iron City Church. This is the book Omar mentioned about the history of prosperity gospel preaching in some black communities. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider ra...
Mar 22, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Episode Overview: Alicia Akins is author of the forthcoming book, The Gift of the Outsider . She joins Austin to talk about how reading books by authors of diverse backgrounds leads to greater understanding. Links & Show Notes: Alicia’s new book will be available for pre-order soon. Her last book, which is excellent, is available here . Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podc...
Mar 15, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Episode Overview: Ryan King is a pastor in London, who also spends time in Ukraine. He shares what ethnic prejudice looks like in Europe and how that is similar and different than in the US. Links & Show Notes: Ryan’s article for us on the time he blogged about the lost cause and his dad confronting him over it. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts , and subscribe usin...
Mar 08, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Episode Overview: Dan Darling is director of the Land Center at Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. He stopped by to talk about discernment, truth, and Christian virtue. Links & Show Notes: Here is more information on the Land Center at SWBTS. The article Dan mentioned on negative epistemology. Austin’s article on learning from those outside your own tribe. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating ...
Mar 01, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Overview: Dr. Mark Johnson is a professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He joins Austin and Isaac to talk about life as a black seminarian and professor. Links & Show Notes: For more about Dr. Jonson, see his bio here . Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts , and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!...
Feb 22, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Episode Overview: Austin and Isaac discuss the good desire to hire people from diverse backgrounds and the challenges that can present. Links & Show Notes: Parts one and two of our conversation with friends about being the lone black pastor at a majority-white church. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts , and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!...
Feb 15, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Overview: Austin and Isaac kick off season ten by answering a question we get often: “How big a deal is the race conversation?” We answer that by looking to Scripture, and by examining the relationships and contexts in which the question is asked. Links & Show Notes: Isaac’s article about historical asymmetry. Austin’s article about the different ways different people engage racism. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. P...
Feb 08, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Overview: We’re back! 10 Seasons running and we are grateful to God for what He is doing through this ministry. Austin and Isaac give some good news about the ministry, and give some tastes of what this season’s podcast will be like. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts , and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!...
Feb 01, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 110
Episode Overview: This is a talk given by Isaac at a local church in Alabama explaining why it is so hard for us, even as Christians, to talk about race. We pray you are encouraged by it. Links & Show Notes: Isaac’s article explaining why he started this ministry. And here’s the link to our donation page for anyone wanting to partner in our year-end match. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the p...
Dec 07, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 109
Episode Overview: This is the last new episode we plan to release this year. Isaac and Austin remember how United? We Pray started, the motivations behind it, where we are, and where we hope to go. We will be posting some classic episodes over the holidays, so stay tuned for that. Links & Show Notes: Isaac’s article explaining why he started this ministry. And here’s the link to our donation page for anyone wanting to partner in our year-end match. Support the show To learn more about United...
Oct 28, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 108
Episode Overview: This sermon was given at an event hosted by Iron City Church and United? We Pray. Dr. Williams explains why Redemptive Kingdom Diversity has been God’s plan from the beginning and charts a way forward for the diverse people of God to live together in Gospel unity. Links & Show Notes: This talk draws heavily on themes from Dr. Williams’ excellent book, which you can find here . Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring ou...
Oct 19, 2022•33 min•Season 9Ep. 107
Episode Overview: Following Dr. Williams’ address at Iron City Church, we had a time of Q&A. Austin interviews Jarvis and then takes questions from the audience. Particularly interesting were Dr. Williams’ answers on how history does not define a person but must me acknowledged to understand a person. We hope this is helpful for you. Links & Show Notes: This talk draws heavily on themes from Dr. Williams’ excellent book, which you can find here . Support the show To learn more about Unit...
Oct 12, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Episode Overview: Our friend Jarvis Williams was in town! Dr. Williams is associate professor of New Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. We talked to him about his life and ministry, then Isaac grabbed the steering wheel to ask him about race & ethnicity. He has great insight into how those words are used Biblically, which gives clarity to today’s conversations. Links & Show Notes: Dr. Williams mentioned this article he wrote with ways to help Eastern Kentucky. Support th...
Oct 05, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Episode Overview: This episode is a follow-up to episode 103, in which we discussed race. Isaac and Austin answer the question, “what is racism?” This touches on personal and corporate categories of sin. We compare our definition to others posed by our friends and highlight strengths of various approaches. Please join is in praying and working against this sin. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the ...
Sep 28, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Episode Overview: This special episode is a sermon given by pastor Jared Torrence of Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA. Jared looks at some passages from the Gospels to see what Jesus has to teach us about ethnic unity in our churches today. Links & Show Notes: You can learn more about Covenant Fellowship here . Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts , and sub...
Sep 21, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 103
Episode Overview: In this episode, Isaac and Austin have a more theoretical discussion around the question, “What is race?” Scripture uses the word “race” in several different ways, and the concept of race has a complicated historical, sociological, and theological legacy. Understanding these complexities is crucial not just to check a box, but to understand and love our neighbors well. .Will you join us in praying for wisdom? Links & Show Notes: Chris Jones’ series on the so-called “Curse o...
Sep 14, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Episode Overview: In this episode, Isaac and Austin are joined by some pastor friends as we think about our place in broader Christianity. When most of our contemporaries are white Evangelicals, how can we learn from what is good while also recognizing that Evangelical norms aren’t infallible, or even normal for Christianity throughout the ages? Links & Show Notes: Austin’s article about being the only white guy at the cookout. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us ...
Sep 07, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 101
Episode Overview: This is part two of a roundtable discussion we had with some of our favorite pastors. We talk through what primarily white churches should think about before they consider hiring a black pastor. Part one is mostly about things to avoid. This episode is about the things we should be doing. Links & Show Notes: Austin’s article about being the only white person at the cookout. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our w...
Aug 31, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Episode Overview: This is part one of a roundtable discussion we had with some of our favorite pastors. We talk through what primarily white churches should think about before they consider hiring a black pastor. Part one is mostly about things to avoid. Part two (next week) will be about the things we should be doing. Links & Show Notes: Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Po...
Aug 24, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Episode Overview: We are joined today by Jasmine Holmes. Jasmine puts up with our nonsense and blesses us with her wisdom on life, history, theology, interacting with those who disagree, and how she balances it all. This is an instant favorite of ours and we hope you enjoy. Links & Show Notes: You can get Jasmine’s latest book here . The article she did for us . Her website where you can buy or download the resources we discussed in the episode. Support the show To learn more about United? W...
Aug 17, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 98
