The Pastor Theologians Podcast

In this short bonus episode of the Pastor Theologians podcast, Jeff Hubing discusses preaching within the context of his network of house churches. He explains that pastoral leadership is not simply about delivering sermons but about equipping and empowering the whole church to participate in ministry. Jeff recommends Robert Banks’ Paul’s Idea of Community and Gordon Fee’s Paul, the Spirit, and th...

In this episode of the Pastor Theologians podcast, we invite Jeff Hubing to share his journey into pastoral ministry, shaped by personal tragedy, a deep love for Scripture, and a desire to connect theology with everyday life. He reflects on how his father’s faith influenced his calling, his theological studies, and his work leading a network of house churches in Chicago. Jeff discusses a vision of...

In this short bonus episode of the Pastor Theologians podcast, Ben Espinoza shares the preaching resources that have shaped his ministry, highlighting John Stott’s Between Two Worlds and Haddon Robinson’s work on expository preaching. He discusses the importance of bridging Scripture and culture, understanding the world of the Bible alongside the world of today. Ben also reflects on how his Wesley...

In this episode of the Pastor Theologians Podcast, we invite CPT fellow and Wesleyan pastor Ben Espinoza to talk about his new book, The Good News About Self-Care: How Nurturing Your Soul, Yourself, and Your Sanity Honors God . Ben shares his journey into ministry, theological formation, and the experiences that shaped his understanding of Christian self-care. Ben reflects on how ministry pressure...

In this short bonus episode of the Pastor Theologians podcast, Cole Feix talks about a lesser-known preaching resource that has deeply shaped his ministry: The Pastor of Kilsyth by Islay Burns. Cole reflects on how the life of pastor W. H. Burns reshaped his understanding of preaching—not as a stand-alone skill, but as something rooted in faithful shepherding, pastoral care, and loving a congregat...

In this episode of the CPT Podcast, we welcome Rev. Cole Feix, pastor of Carlton Landing Community Church and a member of the CPT’s St Irenaeus Fellowship. Cole shares his journey from faith exploration and theological formation to pastoral ministry in a unique new urbanist community. Cole reflects on how intentional spaces, hospitality, and deep relationships create opportunities for spiritual gr...

In this short bonus interview, Rev. Dr. Ryan shares the influence of books like Haddon Robinson’s Biblical Preaching , Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching , John Stott’s Between Two Worlds , and Tim Keller’s Preaching , highlighting Christ-centered preaching, cultural engagement, and preaching as an encounter with God. Ryan reflects on how his approach has matured over time—from focusing hea...

When everything around a church is changing, how can it rediscover who God has called it to be?  In this episode we welcome Rev. Dr. Ryan Jackson, Senior Pastor of the Capital Church near Raleigh, North Carolina, to talk about his experience in the CPT's first Church Identity Cohort. Ryan reflects on 17 years of ministry through seasons of change, staff transitions, and post-pandemic challeng...

In this short bonus interview, Brad Embry reflects on how Rowan Williams’ Passions of the Soul sharpened his vision for integrating theology, spiritual formation, and pastoral ministry.  Join us at the CPT Conference

In this episode we welcome CPT Fellow Brad Embry, pastor of Missions and Outreach at St. Michael’s Anglican Church in Wisconsin. He shares his journey from biblical scholar to Pastor Theologian, reflecting on vocational discernment, transitioning away from academia, and finding a home in the Anglican tradition. Listen as we discuss the relationship between theological scholarship and the local chu...

In this episode of the CPT Podcast, we welcome Gregg Allison to discuss his book Complementarity . Allison explains his vision of “complementarity” as a theological framework focused not on gender roles but on the shared dignity, difference, and interdependence of men and women as image-bearers of God. Drawing on biblical theology, church history, and contemporary debates, the conversation explore...

In this episode of the CPT Podcast, we are joined by CPT Fellow pastor Dillon Thornton to discuss his new book, Deathly (De)Vices: Our Ever-Present Portals to Seven Ancient Sins . Drawing from pastoral ministry, personal experience, and the Christian tradition of the seven deadly sins, Thornton explores how smartphones, social media, and emerging technologies subtly deform our hearts and habits. T...

A bonus conversation with CPT fellow Kyle Fever on life, preaching, books, and music. Join us at the CPT Conference

In this episode, we are joined by pastor theologian Kyle Fever to discuss his journey from a Lutheran upbringing and love of biblical scholarship into pastoral ministry. Kyle reflects on the shifting nature of vocation, the challenges of balancing academic aspirations with family life, and how his daughter’s traumatic brain injury profoundly reshaped his understanding of ministry, calling, and fai...

A short bonus conversation with CPT fellow Matthew LaMaster on a book that has influenced his preaching ministry and his aspiration to write his sermons six months before they are preached. Join us at the CPT Conference

In this episode of the CPT Podcast, Matt Lamaster discusses his path into pastoral ministry, from his upbringing in evangelical churches to serving as a pastor in rural Maine. He reflects on the challenges of his first pastorate, the lessons he learned through ministry and theological study, and how his work in the book of Hebrews has shaped his understanding of the pastor theologian’s calling. Th...

Joel Lawrence sits down with Rich Kidd of Mission Leadership to discuss the changing landscape of pastoral leadership. Drawing from years of experience in executive search and ministry, Kidd reflects on the growing need for shepherds, not just speakers, in ministry today, and the challenges churches face in identifying and supporting healthy leaders. How can churches engage in practices that appro...

A short bonus episode where CPT fellow Joey Sherrard shares discusses St. Augustine's important book, On Christian Teaching . Join us at the CPT Conference

This episode features a conversation with Joey Sherrard about his new book The Augustinian Pastor , exploring how the life and theology of Augustine can shape modern pastoral ministry. Drawing from his own journey—especially rediscovering Augustine during COVID—Sherrard highlights how Augustine’s work as a hands-on pastor was itself the outworking of and context in which he did his theological ref...

This episode features a conversation* with Pastor Jonathan Griffiths on his ministry journey—from Toronto to Oxford and Cambridge—and the theological vision behind his book Gathered for Good . The discussion explores the importance of the local church’s physical gathering, especially in a post-COVID context, addressing challenges like disengagement, “fringe” attendance, and the rise of virtual chu...

A short bonus episode where CPT fellow Matt Erickson shares two formative books for his ministry—Eugene Peterson’s Working the Angles and Tim Keller’s Preaching —highlighting how they shape his approach to prayer, Scripture, pastoral care, and effective preaching. Join us at the CPT Conference

In this episode of the The CPT Podcast, hosts Zachary Wagner and Joel Lawrence interview Matt Erickson about his path to pastoral ministry and the ideas behind his book The Pastor as Gardener . Erickson shares his conversion in high school, his formation at Wheaton College and Northern Theological Seminary, and how crises in ministry—including COVID-19 and church tensions—pushed him to rethink com...

In this final episode of the Preaching in the Pastor-Theologian series, Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim are joined by Nicole Martin—pastor, preacher, and President/CEO of Christianity Today —for a wide-ranging conversation that brings the series’ central themes into sharp focus. Drawing on her own preaching journey and her book Nailing It , Martin reflects on preaching as a theological act of proclamat...

In this episode, Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim welcome Todd Still, Delancey Dean and Professor of Christian Scriptures at Truett Seminary, for a rich conversation on theological education and the formation of preachers. Drawing on his own journey as a pastor, scholar, and dean, Still articulates a layered theological vision for preaching—rooted in the grand narrative of Scripture, shaped by evangelic...

Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim speak with CPT Fellow Dan Brendsel about preaching in an age shaped by social media, attention economics, and artificial intelligence, exploring how technology subtly reinforces idolatry and the illusion of control. Brendsel argues that preaching should resist catering to diminished attention spans and instead cultivate prayerful attentiveness to God, framing preaching a...