Credible Witness

How might God use the rediscovery of one’s cultural and ancestral roots to form a more faithful, whole-bodied expression of Christian worship and identity? "You need to press into the fullness of who God made you to be." In this episode, Kenny Wallace shares his experience as a Black man reclaiming the fullness of his identity, incorporating his heritage as a son of a Choctaw mother, a Pawnee fath...

What if the pain we carry, the power we share, and the bridges we build are all the Spirit’s way of healing the church? “We’re familia. We’re a family, and we love each other. The Spirit flows between us back and forth.” Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra—pastor, organizer, and academic dean of Centro Latino at Fuller Theological Seminary—joins host Nikki Toyama-Szeto for a luminous conversation about br...

What can the Church learn from the 500-year tradition of Latino Christian justice and the way in invited all cultural treasure and wealth into the beloved community? “When my students heard that Christ suffered outside the gate, it’s like the blinders fall down and there is deep, profound encounter with God.” UCLA professor, pastor, and author Robert Chao Romero sits down with Nikki Toyama-Szeto t...

How can Evangelicalism today reclaim its gospel identity through love, hospitality, justice, and comprehensive good news? “I think anything other than that is an impoverished gospel.” Pastor Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, joins host Nikki Toyama-Szeto on Credible Witness to wrestle with the future of evangelicalism. From Luke 4’s vision of Jesus’s inaugural mess...

How can Black brilliance and joy help the whole church reimagine faithful witness to the Gospel, and flourishing through courage, resilience, and data. In this episode, Rev. Dr. Brianna Parker reflects on the meaning of Black brilliance and joy, rooted in the tenacity, creativity, and faith of Black communities. Rev. Bri is a researcher, preacher, and leader committed to catalyzing change in the B...

Will the church live its peculiar, Jesus-centered identity? In this episode, Presbyterian minister and former Fuller Seminary president Mark Labberton joins Nikki Toyama-Szeto to wrestle with the urgent question: Will the church live its true identity? Reflecting on his ministry in Berkeley among “cultured despisers,” his pastoral experience during the AIDS crisis of the ‘80s and ‘90s, and his con...

"You can only be loved to the extent that you are known." Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado’s story stretches across borders, identities, and vocations. Born in El Salvador to adventurous parents, raised across continents, and educated in American schools, Jimmy longed for belonging—even if it meant leaving Santiago behind. An Olympic decathlete and later president of the Willow Creek Association, Mellado...

Pastor and author Tara Beth Leach shares the story of her remarkable, turbulent tenure as the first female lead pastor of Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene (aka, PazNaz). In conversation with Nikki Toyama-Szeto, Tara Beth recounts her early call to ministry, navigating the complexities of breaking boundaries as the first female preacher or lead pastor in various congregational settings, enduri...

What does it mean to be a credible witness to Christ in a world marked by racism, silence, and historical amnesia? In this profound and emotionally gripping conversation, historian and advocate Dr. Jemar Tisby joins host Nikki Toyama-Szeto to explore the intersection of faith, race, and historical memory. From the haunting beauty of the Mississippi Delta’s cotton fields to the riverbank where Emme...

In the premiere episode of Credible Witness , host Nikki Toyama-Szeto is joined by theologian and public historian Jemar Tisby and pastor and scholar Mark Labberton to explore how the witness of the church has become compromised—and what might restore its credibility. Reflecting on five years of candid, challenging conversation among diverse Christian leaders during the wake of George Floyd’s murd...

Join host Nikki Toyama-Szeto in the premiere season of Credible Witness , a new podcast diving into the faithful lives of Christians. Each Monday, hear stories from diverse voices in the Christian community as they discuss the challenges and beauty of living out Christian faith in today’s world. The podcast aims to address the church's struggle with assimilation and cultural imitation, presenting...