Centrally Speaking

Christian communities frequently produce art that represent their common life and values. The Schwenkfelders as well as other German based Christian groups created a distinct piece of artwork called fraktur. These paintings reveal valuable themes that  were important. In this podcast we speak with Candace Perry, the curator of collections at the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center about this...

In the 21st-century in the West, identity is everything. It seems that it has never been more important to know who you are and be true to yourself.  In this podcast, author and scholar Dr. Brian Rosner shares why looking inside is not the right answer. Instead, he suggests that looking outside of oneself to relationships, life stories, and upward to God is much more profitable. He shares from his...

Antisemitism has risen to a top news story following the October 7, 2024 Hamas-led attack on Israel which killed 1200 people and led to 240 hostages. Since then, accusations of antisemitism have been circulating in the media, demonstrations in support of Hamas have taken place in cities and on university campuses, and hearings with university presidents have taken place before Congress.  In this p...

Christmas is a greatly anticipated holiday in America each year, but now some cannot think about it unless there are extravagant gifts.  In this podcast, we interview Rev. Dr. David McKinley, Senior Minister of Central Schwenkfelder Church, about the origins of the Christmas holiday, the excesses of the holiday, how some wanted to ban it, and then some of its best aspects. We then ask him how we m...

What is taking place in Ukraine from the perspective of Christian workers who are working in the region? Much of the world's attention has been on the conflict between Israel and Hamas on the Gaza strip. With much of mainstream news focused on the Middle East and elsewhere, we interviewed Dirk Smith, the Vice-President of Eastern European Mission. He provides some of the latest testimonies of...

On October 7, 2023, Hamas initiated a deadly surprise attack on Israel. Thousands of armed Hamas men tore down the fence at the border between Gaza and the Israeli border and then killed and captured many. Simultaneously, Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israel. While Israel has received small scale attacks, this one was like no other. Now, the world is watching what will happen next. In this p...

Does God send angels to protect us and guide us? What might they look like? Does the Bible say anything about this? Should someone pray to a guardian angel? These are all popular questions in society but there are many opinions. In this podcast, we interview Rev. Roger Wambold, who is the Director of Hebrew Christian Fellowship and has been a pastor for 17 years.  He has been thinking about this i...

The historic Peter Wentz Farmstead is known to represent colonial life from the 18th century in the Philadelphia area. While first settled by Peter and Rosanna Wentz in 1744, the farm was purchased by Melchior Schultz, a Schwenkfelder Minister, in 1794. Generations of the Schultz family continued to live and farm here until 1969, when Montgomery County purchased the property.  While the Farmstead...

Until recently, Christianity has been associated with peace. In the wake of the January 6 riot at the Capitol and past incidents like the Crusades, some are wondering if the connection between Christianity and peace is accurate. In this podcast we interview Dr. Rob Arner. He has been most recently Associate Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid and Assistant Professor of Theology and Culture at Ref...

Many westerners take interest in world health, particularly in Africa.  Diseases such as malaria, Ebolavirus, yellow fever, HIV, typhoid, are prevalent in Africa and being addressed by western organizations. Other health conditions such as hydrocephalus and spina bifida are also problematic. In this episode of Centrally Speaking, we interview Tim Erickson, the Executive Director of Cure Children&a...

The cross is likely the most identifiable symbol of Christianity. What does it mean? Certainly, it represents the death of Jesus which was a gruesome one. When the cross is represented in wars and riots, is it a symbol of violence? In this podcast, we interview Rev. Dr. David McKinley about the meaning of the cross, its relation to violence, and the significance of it. #cross  #crossofJesus #cross...

The pictures coming out of East Ukraine have been horrific. What is the perspective of a Christian leader who is living  just over 25 miles (40 km) from the front lines? In this podcast, Volodya Degtyaryov tells recent stories of the war, refugees, and the church's humanitarian work from February 2023. Volodya and his late wife Irina became Christians during the Soviet era.  He has been the P...

How are the youth of today seeing our world? Generation Z (born from 1996-2012) has values that are distinct from other age groups. In this podcast, we interview Jonny Radcliff, a youth worker working to share the Christian message with this generation. Jonny is the National Coordinator of Resource Development  National Network of Youth Ministries. He grew up in Souderton and lives in Harleysville...

The Contemporary Worship Service will be presenting a Christmas Concert on Friday, December 30 at 7:00 pm.  The Christmas program involves contemporary songs, carols, and readings. There is also a dessert afterwards. In this podcast, we discuss with Wayne Wurtz, our Worship Team Coordinator what will be taking place during this program. #CentralSchwenkfelderChurch  #contemporaryChristmas  #contemp...

How do you find some joy at Christmas after you have lost someone very special in your life? You are not alone if you are feeling this way. In this podcast, Rev. Dr. David McKinley, Senior Minister at Central Schwenkfelder Church, shares from his extensive experience with grief. He speaks about loss when our society is so focused on romance and gift giving during the holiday season. The discussion...

Christmas Carols are some of the favorite aspects of the Christmas season for many.  In this podcast, Sally House, the director of the United Choir, shares about the upcoming United Choir Concert, a Christmas and Advent Carol Concert. This concert will take place on December 4 at 2:30 pm at the Central Schwenkfelder Church on Valley Forge Road in Lansdale. The choir is in its 95th year of existenc...

"While I breathe, I hope" is a famous expression from the time of the Greeks and Romans. In modern societies that are weary, hope is especially valuable.  Our guest for this podcast is someone who has studied hope for years as part of a multi-disciplinary project called The Hope Project (https://www.thehopeproject.nl/en/the-hope-project/ ). Dr. Steven van den Heuvel is the Director of th...

Why do people not understand the Bible as well anymore? Recent surveys show a decline of biblical literacy in the west. How can this happen when there are so many copies of the Bible available in English? Also, how can the trend be reversed? In this podcast, we ask Dr. Scott Hafemann about these trends and the ramifications for church and society. Dr. Hafemann is Honorary Reader in New Testament a...

The Schwenkfelders have the longest standing continuous thanksgiving service in the United States. It started first in September of 1734 and still continues to this day. How did this come about? Why is it special? What happens at this service? We asked two Schwenkfelder pastors Rev. Leslie Mamas from Olivet Schwenkfelder United Church of Christ and Rev. Nick Pence from Palm Schwenkfelder Church to...

Many westerners do not know what it is like to be in a war, the difficult choices about leaving home, and then being a refugee. In this podcast, we interview Vova and Marina Gorbenko about their flight from Zaporozhye, Ukraine in March 2022. They give their perspective on the invasion and the difficulties of leaving one's home and country. #refugeesukraine  #zaporozhyeukraine #ukraineinvasion...

One of the worst mass killings in the 20th century took place in Cambodia. Between the years, 1975-1979 during their brutal regime in Cambodia let by the Marxist leader Pol Pot, 2 million people lost their lives. Many fled the country. In this podcast, we interview Lat Thoumma who was 10 years old when she and her family left Cambodia. They were sponsored by the Central Schwenkfelder Church and th...

The world’s attention has been drawn to refugees this year. The withdrawal from Afghanistan in August of 2021 and the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have put refugees in the focus of world news. As of this recording the number is well over 84 million. In this podcast, Rev. Dr. David McKinley, Senior Minister at Central Schwenkfelder Church speaks about the world's refugee crisis, his ow...

The invasion of Ukraine has now taken place for over a month. In just over a month,  over 3.3 million people are refugees and 6.5 million are internally displaced people, making this one of the worst refugee crises in recent history. What does this mean for the country of Ukraine? How are the humanitarian needs being addressed? What does this mean for the church? In this interview, we speak with K...

How did the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia come about? In this interview, we speak with Ken Sears, an American who has lived io the Eastern Ukraine city of Zaporozhye for 27 years. Ken provides an overview regarding the origin of the war and reasons for the resolve of the Ukrainian people. This interview was taped on Friday March 4, 2022. Ken is part of European Christian Mission NA,...

In the last years, 340 million Christians were living in places where they experience high levels of persecution. Over 4,500 Christians were killed for their faith, and over 4,000 Christians were detained without trial, arrested, sentenced, or imprisoned.  One of the most well-known persecuted Christians was Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who later became the founder of the group Voice of the...