The Pastor Theologians Podcast

In this episode, Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim talk with pastor, lawyer, and theologian K. Edward Copeland about how the gospel shapes the church’s engagement with today’s social and political tensions. Ed shares his unique journey—from overcoming a childhood speech impediment to decades of ministry and justice work—and offers a compelling vision of the gospel as God’s reconciling work for people, sy...

In this conversation, hosts Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim speak with Gerald Hiestand—senior pastor of Calvary Memorial Church and co-founder of the Center for Pastor Theologians—about cultural intelligence and the work of preaching. Drawing from his ministry in the diverse and politically complex context of Oak Park, Illinois, Gerald describes the challenges and opportunities of engaging culture thou...

Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim talk with Ahmi Lee about her vision for preaching as participation in God’s “grand drama.” Drawing from her global upbringing, pastoral experience, and theological training, Lee explains how preaching should bridge text-centered and reader-centered approaches by rooting sermons in the sweeping biblical narrative while remaining attentive to the lived experiences of liste...

Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim speak with Anglican priest and theologian Jonathan Bailes about the deep connection between preaching, discipleship, and the daily life of the church. Bailes reflects on the formative role of preaching within a liturgical tradition, emphasizing that the sermon is not commentary on current events but an encounter with the living voice of God that continually calls the chu...

Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim speak with Paul Hoffman, senior pastor of Evangelical Friends Church in Newport, Rhode Island, about his ministry journey and upcoming transition to a faculty role at Samford University. The conversation centers on the book Preaching to a Divided Nation , coauthored by Hoffman and Kim, exploring how pastors can preach for reconciliation amid cultural, political, and raci...

CPT fellow and senior pastor of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Jim Samra, joins Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim for episode two of Preaching and the Pastor Theologian . Together, they explore the connection between a pastor’s inner life and the ministry of preaching. Samra reflects on the church as a “pillar” and “conduit” between heaven and earth, emphasizing how a preacher’s holiness and attentivene...

Episode One of “Preaching and the Pastor Theologian” Hosts Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim introduce a ten-part exploration of the theology of preaching, launched through the CPT’s Compelling Preaching Initiative funded by the Lilly Endowment. Their guest, theologian Kimlyn Bender of Truett Seminary, discusses the theme “Preaching God, Listening Church,” emphasizing that God—not the preacher—is the pri...

CPT Manager of Church Programs, Steve Williamson, joins Zach and Joel to discuss this year's slate of cohorts for church leaders, exploring ecclesial identity, the arts, and cultural apologetics. Learn more and apply at: https://www.pastortheologians.co/identity-cohort and https://www.pastortheologians.co/learningcohorts Join us at the CPT Conference

In this episode of the CPT Podcast , Zach Wagner and Joel Lawrence talk with CPT fellow Joey Sherrard , discipleship pastor at Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church. Joey shares his story of coming to faith, studying theology at Rhodes, Duke, and St. Andrews, and discerning his calling as a pastor-theologian. He reflects on the influence of mentors, the challenges of growing up in a non-Christian ho...

Shaun Brown, senior minister at Rocky Mount Christian Church and a fellow in the St. Hildegard Fellowship, joins the podcast to explore his journey through the Stone-Campbell movement, academic theology, and vocational ministry. Shaun shares how his faith was shaped by early experiences in church and Christian education, ultimately leading him from Bible college to a PhD program at Wycliffe Colleg...

Amy Peeler for a rich conversation exploring pastoral identity, theological formation, and the upcoming Pastor Theologians Conference, Good Shepherds: Pastoral Identity and the Future of the Church . Amy shares insights from her latest projects—including a forthcoming book on Ordinary Time and an in-depth study of Paul’s use of birth and incarnation language—while reflecting on her own pastoral jo...

Chris Bruno joins the podcast today to tell us about his recent book, Sharing Christ in Joy and Sorrow: A Theology of Philippians . What are the key theological themes in the book of Philippians? How do those themes fit together and inform one another? How does Philippians encourage and exhort those who are in seasons of suffering? What does Union with Christ mean? Learn more on today's episo...

Ed Gerber joins us to share his story of becoming a pastor theologian. How can the Lord use even a significant break up to prepare someone for ministry? How can those who prepare future ministry leaders be both preachers and teachers to their students? What is the balance between head and heart for those who study theology academically? This and more on today’s episode! Join us at the CPT Conferen...

For our June episode on books, we, the CPT staff, have been reading: JD Vance, Hillbilly Elegy (2016) Rémi Brague, Kingdom of Man: Genesis and Failure of the Modern Project , (2018) Elizabeth Goudge, The Dean's Watch , (2012) Join us at the CPT Conference

Today on the podcast we are joined by Rev. Dr. Michael Niebauer as he shares about his recent book, Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion . How can Christians encounter Jesus on every page of the Bible? What can we learn from how the earliest Christians read Scripture, and connect seemingly disparate stories in the text? What is distinct about this style of reading as opp...

Jason Meyer, lead pastor of Urban Refuge Church in Minneapolis, MN, joins the podcast today to tell us about his journey towards becoming a pastor theologian. After serving eight years as a pastor at Bethlehem Baptist, Jason shares what he learned about his own calling, and the identity of a "pastor." This and more on today's episode! Join us at the CPT Conference

CPT board member Doug Sweeney joins the podcast today. He previews his topic for the 2025 CPT Conference, Good Shepherds: Pastoral Identity and the Future of the Church . What are good Christian pastors supposed to be like? On the other hand, what malformative models of pastoral identity are common in our culture today? Doug also tells us about his 2024 book, Substance of Our Faith: Foundations fo...

Casey Hough joins us to talk about his recent book, When Poets Were Warriors: Retrieving a Biblical Vision of Masculinity (B&H Publishing, 2025).  “Masculinity” is an increasingly popular subject for public discourse. Drawing on his experiences as a pastor and father, Hough argues that Christians ought to return to the complex and challenging example of Jesus, instead of relying on cultural st...

What is culture, and what is our relationship to it as Christians? Dennis Greeson joins the podcast today to talk about his recent book The Way of Christ in Culture: A Vision for All of Life (Lifeway 2024), coauthored with Benjamin T. Quinn. In the book, the authors provide a framework for knowing one’s time in God’s story, one’s place in creation, and following wisdom. He also shares about the Al...

This week, James Arcadi joins the podcast to talk about his latest book, Holiness: Divine and Human (2023). He also shares about his dual calling to both pastoral ministry as a full-time Anglican rector, and to academic theology as a guest professor at Wheaton College. What is the relationship between abstract ideas and practical application? What does it mean for something to be "consecrated...

On the podcast this week, Adam Copenhaver shares with us about his early ministry caring for an older congregation, and his education and research on Colossians. He also tells us about his current pastoral context leading a church in a small, migrant farm town which had previously been led by an abusive pastor. He previews the breakout topic he will lead at the 2025 CPT Conference, Good Shepherds:...

This week we are joined by CTP Fellow Ben Burkholder. Ben shares how he developed an interest in learning how people grow as disciples. Reflecting on his time as a student, Ben also shares insights about the relationship between psychology and spiritual formation. This and more on today’s podcast!  Join us at the CPT Conference

Join us this week as we get to know Eric Rivera. Eric will be a plenary speaker at the 2025 Pastor Theologians Conference, Good Shepherds: Pastoral Identity and the Future of the Church . On this episode, Eric talks about how his story shaped his interests and calling in church history and pastoral ministry. Drawing from his context as a pastor at a multi-ethnic church in the greater Chicago area,...

Samuel Parkison joins the podcast today to talk about his recent book, To Gaze upon God: The Beatific Vision in Doctrine, Tradition, and Practice (InterVarsity Press 2024.) He also shares with us his story and calling to academic ministry at the Abu Dhabi Extension Site at Gulf Theological Seminary in the United Arab Emirates.  What is the beatific vision? What does the beatific vision have to do...

For our April episode on books, we, the CPT staff, have been reading: CR Wiley, In the House of Tom Bombadil (2021) Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is the Way (2014) Percival Everett, James (2024) Harold Netland, Religious Experience and the Knowledge of God (2022) Join us at the CPT Conference