The LovePastors Podcast: We Love Pastors!

Christmas 2025 is here! Today’s episode welcomes a check-in with Pastor Knute Larson as he’s recovering from the flu and reflecting on pastoring at Christmas. Our host Gary Underwood opens up about losing his family’s dog the week before Christmas and being in need of Jesus and the Good News Christmas brings. Knute talks about keeping Christ and His Mission at the center of a church Christmas and...

In this insightful and grounded conversation, our podcast host, Gary Underwood, sits down with Pastor Ross Miller from Evermore Church in Hartville, Ohio —a steady, thoughtful shepherd with a deep heart for spiritual formation and community. Together they unpack what ministry looks like in a rapidly changing world, the emotional and spiritual weight pastors carry, and the importance of leading wit...

In this heartfelt episode, Gary sits down with longtime friend and ministry partner Dave Pacheco to talk about their shared years of pastoring together, the highs and heartbreaks of church leadership, and how God’s call often shifts in unexpected ways. Dave opens up about his journey from youth and associate pastor to lead pastor at Delaware Grace, and how learning to step away didn’t mean steppin...

In this episode, Gary from LovePastors sits down over lunch at Gervasi Vineyard with Brandon Marshall , Lead Pastor of The Chapel in North Canton, Ohio . Brandon shares what it was like stepping into leadership right before COVID, navigating fifteen wild months of uncertainty, and how his church loved him well through it all. They talk about the gift of a pastoral sabbatical , rebuilding life rhyt...

In this heartfelt and often hilarious episode, Tom Burns turns the mic around to interview his longtime friend — and our usual host — Gary Underwood. What unfolds is a candid journey through Gary’s story: growing up in Akron, finding faith after a heartbreak (and a broken kneecap), learning ministry from mentors like Tom Bernardo and Newt Larson, and discovering that friendship and authenticity ca...

Pastor Appreciation Month felt like the perfect time to sit down with one of our founder's closest friends, Tom Burns—a lifelong learner, former Bible teacher of 25 years, and now full-time teaching pastor. Tom traces his winding path back into local church ministry, the hard lessons from early wounds, and why authentic community (the real, sometimes messy kind) is essential for pastoral health. W...

Happy Pastor Appreciation Month! Today, we get to hear the faith story and friendship of a leader who loves his pastor - er, friend - and has been a brother in Christ for more than twenty years. In this episode of the LovePastors Podcast , Gary sits down with longtime Grace Church member, entrepreneur, business owner, author and pastor-encourager Vinnie Fisher . Vinnie shares his powerful testimon...

🎙️ Gary sits down with Jeff Bogue (Grace Church) to talk about staying in ministry for the long haul. Jeff shares why friendships and mentors matter, how family rhythms protect the soul, the hard realities of pastoral weight, and practical disciplines that keep pastors healthy and in the fight. Honest, encouraging, and full of practical takeaways. Gary welcomes longtime pastor and friend Jeff Bogu...

Gary sits down with longtime friend Mike Arnold (Executive Pastor, Discovery Christian Church, Pittsburgh) to talk about what still gives him life after 30 years, 6 churches, 3 states . From campus-ministry days in Akron to young-adult ministry in Las Vegas and two decades around Pittsburgh, Mike unpacks how pastors can lead themselves well, carry people’s burdens without losing their identity, an...

In this episode of the LovePastors Podcast, Gary Underwood sits down with Matt Haupt, Lead Pastor of MissionView Church in North Canton, Ohio . Matt opens up about his unexpected journey from chasing a career in Christian music to answering a radical call into pastoral ministry. Along the way, he shares how God rescued him — not only from the trappings of “almost-famous” but also in restoring his...

🎙️ Finding Joy in a Divided World – with Joe Caruso In this new episode of LovePastors , Gary meets up with Joe Caruso from Grace Church’s Bath Campus at The Brew Kettle inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Over coffee and laughter, they explore what it means for pastors to pursue joy in ministry—even when culture feels loud, divided, and reactionary. Gary and Joe share personal s...

🎙️ Episode Title: Known and Needed: Why Vulnerability Among Pastors Helps Build Real Friendships In this episode of the LovePastors Podcast , Gary Underwood sits down with longtime friend and fellow pastor Scott Feather, Lead Pastor at Gateway Church in Parkesburg, PA. Their friendship goes back to their Grace College days in the early ’90s—but this conversation is anything but nostalgic. Together...

🎙 LovePastors Podcast | Episode [20] Guest: Eric Miller – Executive Director, Momentum Ministry Partners Title: Investing in the Next Generation (and the Leaders Who Lead Them) In this inspiring episode of LovePastors , we sit down with Eric Miller, Executive Director of Momentum Ministry Partners, to explore the incredible ways God is moving in the lives of high school students and the youth past...

🎙️ Episode Title: “Legacy, Leadership, and Creativity with Steve Shuman” In this inspiring episode of the LovePastors Podcast , we sit down with Steve Shuman —a pastor’s kid, a father of three, a lifelong friend of LovePastors founder Gary Underwood , and a true kingdom-minded innovator. Steve currently serves on the Elder Board at Evermore Community Church , but his influence extends far beyond t...

Podcast Episode Summary: 🎙️ Episode Title: Grieving with Grace: A Conversation with Bishop Joey Johnson In this heartfelt and timely episode, host Gary Underwood sits down with Bishop Joey Johnson , founding pastor of The House of the Lord in Akron, Ohio, for a candid conversation on the critical need for pastors and leaders to grieve in a healthy way . Bishop Johnson shares profound insights from...

He’s inspired thousands of people to believe in God and follow Jesus. But he also remembers when a friend told him, “You never smile.” It’s a conversation that stuck with Pastor Knute Larson for the rest of his life. As he preached for more than five decades and spent extra time coaching pastors and teaching in Seminary, Knute always brings a smile. Why? What’s so important or game-changing about...

When You Follow A Legend: A Conversation with Pastor Daren Brake What does it look like to take the reins after a beloved pastor has faithfully led a church for 50 years? In this episode, Gary sits down for a candid and heartfelt lunch conversation with Pastor Daren Brake of The House of the Lord in Akron, Ohio. Together, they explore what it means to honor a legacy while stepping into a new seaso...

In some sense, Keith Minier is living every pastor’s dream. In 21 years as Lead Pastor, Keith has watched God grow Grace Fellowship from less than 100 attendees to more than 5,000 over multiple campuses and many weekly worship services. Over the years, Keith has worked hard to keep his heart focused on Jesus and actually caring personally for his family, his church, and his pastor friends. He’s a...

Being a pastor is a lot like being a doctor. You’re used to helping people who are in pain or in tragedies. You’re prepared to give comfort, help, and resources that can lead to restored health. In today’s episode, Dr Jason Kolb joins us to talk about the realities of pastoring while facing pressure, stress, and sometimes trauma. Jason’s story and example of enduring a life-altering skiing acciden...

In today's episode, LovePastors host Gary Underwood reconnects with his grad-school roommate and lifelong friend, Kary Oberbrunner. Back in 1998, these two were pursuing Pastor training and Seminary degrees and very similar futures in church leadership. Less than a decade later, Kary began to express his inward journey and personal struggles through writing books like Your Secret Name and Fine...

What's it like being in a Pastor's family? What are some of the fun parts and some of the unique or challenging parts? How can we - as the Body of Christ - get more familiar with our Pastors and their families as actual people, and not just the roles they play or ministries they lead? Today, Gary heads to Ohio Roasting Company and meets up with LovePastors Leadership Board member, Jada Yod...

In 1996, Jim and Anne Brown moved to Goshen, Indiana to pastor a church with 67 people and chase their dream to reach thousands for Christ. It happened. Grace Community Church has seen thousands come to faith and have their life destinies changed in Northwest Indiana and all over the world. Pastor Jim’s ministry adventures have taken him to some of the darkest and scariest countries, cultures, and...

Like every human being, Pastors and their families have stories of pain, longing, and loneliness. Author Tricia Lott Williford has written and published nearly twenty books already, and many of them contain her raw emotions, faith journey, and roads to healing. Tricia also shares a personal and behind the scenes view of and love for ministry leaders and pastors. She and her mom (Polly Lott) served...

Some pastors move from another town or state to land in their leadership role at your church. Just two years ago, Rusty Richards and his family of five moved from a small town in Illinois to become Lead Pastor at RiverTree Lake in Northeast Ohio. What's it like to be the new pastor? How will that move impact your family, relationships, and ability to pastor? Of course you're also trying to...

LovePastors founder Gary Underwood is thrilled to sit down with Pastor Britton Smith, who was a part of Gary's youth ministry in southwest Michigan all the way back in 1996! Britton's adventures as a pastor moved him from Taylor University to Holland, Michigan and a Lead Pastor role in his early 30's at Moran Park Church. As a young, gifted, "successful" pastor of a fast-grow...