Porch Talk with Father Aaron

Send us Fan Mail Today Fr. Aaron spoke with Marilyn Killingsworth, a donation coordinator with Life South Community Blood Centers. Marilyn and her associate, Hope, both shared about blood donation, why it matters and where it's distributed. Their informative visit gave the chance to talk about why everyone should consider donating blood since it's such an effective way to participate in...

Send us Fan Mail Today Fr. Aaron spoke with Ashley Enfinger, who is a candidate for Houston County Commission district 3. Their conversation included a biographical sketch of Ashley's life spent in Alabama, his work ethic, and what skills he hopes to bring to the Houston County Commission if elected. They also spoke about their shared affection for law enforcement, the necessity of family sup...

Send us Fan Mail Today Fr. Aaron spoke with Jordan Stanley, a comedian local to Dothan, Alabama, but is expanding her reach through invitations to travel to new venues. She shared some of her life story leading up to performing at the Dothan Opera House. They both relayed their funny life experiences, why keeping a sense of humor is so important, and why God seems to let us go through embarrassing...

Send us Fan Mail Fr. Aaron speaks with Dothan City Commissioner David Crutchfield, who is the Commissioner for Dothan, Alabama city district #6. They spoke about the "nitty gritty" of getting involved in local city government, working with others in city government, and making decisions when the best solution isn't always obvious. David shared a little of his story and they discusse...

Send us Fan Mail What drives us to seek elected office, challenging the incumbent and earning the trust of voters? It's not always easy to articulate that in a sound bite, so Fr. Aaron spoke with John Rogers, who is seeking election to the Houston County Commission Chairman's position. John Rogers is running to unseat and replace the the current chairman, Brandon Shoupe (see episode 14)....

Send us Fan Mail Fr. Aaron talks with Joel Sewell, a training Sergeant for Dothan Fire Department in Dothan, AL. The conversation covered Joel's experiences in the fire department, what he finds most fulfilling about it, and how we see God's grace deployed to people through the work that our first responders perform. Fr. Aaron's own experience as a fire chaplain came out, and the tw...

Send us Fan Mail Fr. Aaron speaks with Brandon Shoupe, the Chairman for the Houston County Commission in southeast Alabama. The conversation included the responsibilities that the country Commission Chairman faces, local politics, and the need for wisdom to meet the needs that local government can address.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Fr. Aaron speaks with Shelly Linderman, the Executive Director for Wiregrass Angel House (https://wiregrassangelhouse.org/) in Dothan, Alabama. For many years, they have maintained a ministry, covering eight countries in southeast Alabama, that helps families facing the trauma of a loved one they lost to either criminal homicide or tragic suicide. They discuss how Wiregrass Angel...

Send us Fan Mail Fr. Aaron speaks with Dr. Virginia Mayer who founded Living Waters Counseling (https://www.lwcounseling.net/) in Headland, Alabama, along with Kingdom College (https://www.kingdomcollege.net/) in the same town. "Ginger" had recently published a book "Modern-Day Sandcastles: The Fall of Denominationalism." While we didn't agree on all points, we were able t...

Send us Fan Mail Fr. Aaron speaks with local veterinarian Dr. Jeff Strickland, of Briar Creek Veterinary Clinic in Dothan, Alabama about caring for our pets and how animals deliver God's grace into our lives. This is in anticipation of the forthcoming "Blessing of the Animals" at St. Matthias Anglican Church on Oct 4th. We discuss a biblical theology of "dominion" and how...

Send us Fan Mail One of my parishioners, Mitchell Nalley, was gracious enough to sit down and talk with me. Buckle up for a longer "drive time" than usual because we discussed several topics including higher education in America, justifications for war (including the current conflict in Ukraine), and even Post-Traumatic Stress for those that return from battle. Neither of us claimed to b...

Send us Fan Mail Fr. Aaron talks with Morgan Blankenship, the Director of the Dare to Hope, Inc. in Dothan, Alabama which focuses on compassionate interventions for those that have been victims of human trafficking. Morgan shares startling information about the most common forms of trafficking happening all around us, what are some of the appropriate responses to it, and how she came to serve in t...

Send us Fan Mail Heath Robinson is a student attending Troy University in Troy, Alabama. He also worships with us here at St. Matthias Anglican Church. Far too many clergy and elders in the church dismiss the upcoming generations as "snowflakes" or clueless rebels instead of engaging them in meaningful dialogue. In our church, we've had the privilege to facilitate deep conversations...

Send us Fan Mail In my conversation with Troy Fountain, owner of "Downtown Books" in Dothan, Alabama. This was our first time to chat and we discovered "it's a small world after all," having far more in common than we could have imagined. We discussed the charming bookstore that he has operated for four years now, the need for physical books and people passionate for readi...

Send us Fan Mail I sat down with Kerry Farrell, owner/operator of "The Thirsty Pig" in Dothan, a local family-friendly pub. Kerry shares her story leading up to starting the bar, why it comes from a place of hospitality. We discuss why God seemingly gives the "gift of hospitality" to people so that vital connections can be facilitated. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Years ago, my sister, Gaylene Tupen, had read the book "Cultish" by Amanda Montell. That book had since been the catalyst to a series of conversations Gaylene and I enjoyed over time about some of the quirky religious experiences we remember from our youth. Eventually she agreed to talk about this here for others to enjoy as well. We talk about the use of special languag...

Send us Fan Mail Fr. Aaron talks with Mark Saliba, the Mayor of Dothan, Alabama. We discussed the rigors of city government, his family story that prepared him for such responsibility, and the benefits of being in a town of "just the right size." We touched on the history and character of Dothan, where its commercial success is growing, and why it's important to listen to people.  S...

Send us Fan Mail Fr. Aaron talks with Susan Anderson, the Executive Director of the Wiregrass Hope Pregnancy Center in Dothan, Alabama. Our conversation ranged from the history and development of that ministry, to Susan's journey in becoming the Executive Director. Along the way we discussed strategies for assisting not only young women in crisis, but young men as well. Counseling strategies...

Send us Fan Mail Fr. Aaron talks with Darlene Ott, an immigrant from the Philippines,  naturalized as a U.S. citizen just months after we were married. We discuss her experience going through the legal immigration process, why it differs so much from illegal migration (which has been a contentious political topic for 30 years), and how the steps in joining American society have parallels in how Ch...

Send us Fan Mail Our inaugural episode of "Porch Talk with Fr. Aaron" at Saint Matthias Anglican Church in Dothan, AL. We WILL work out the kinks and get better at our presentation, but as out first try, this conversation was too important not to post.  Fr. Aaron talks with Tyler Jahraus, a student at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, about the book "The Body Keeps the Sc...