United? We Pray

Overview:   Omar Johnson is a pastor in Maryland, just outside of DC. He shares about his ministry in a difficult context, and how other churches are cooperating to help. Links & Show Notes: Here is the sermon on Psalm 131 that Omar preached at Iron City Church. This is the book Omar mentioned about the history of prosperity gospel preaching in some black communities.   Support the show To lea...

Episode Overview:   Alicia Akins is author of the forthcoming book, The Gift of the Outsider . She joins Austin to talk about how reading books by authors of diverse backgrounds leads to greater understanding. Links & Show Notes: Alicia’s new book will be available for pre-order soon. Her last book, which is excellent, is available here .  Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray,...

Episode Overview:   Ryan King is a pastor in London, who also spends time in Ukraine. He shares what ethnic prejudice looks like in Europe and how that is similar and different than in the US. Links & Show Notes: Ryan’s article for us on the time he blogged about the lost cause and his dad confronting him over it.  Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram an...

Episode Overview:   Dan Darling is director of the Land Center at Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. He stopped by to talk about discernment, truth, and Christian virtue. Links & Show Notes: Here is more information on the Land Center at SWBTS. The article Dan mentioned on negative epistemology. Austin’s article on learning from those outside your own tribe.  Support the show To learn mor...

Overview:   Dr. Mark Johnson is a professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He joins Austin and Isaac to talk about life as a black seminarian and professor. Links & Show Notes: For more about Dr. Jonson, see his bio here .  Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podca...

Episode Overview:   Austin and Isaac discuss the good desire to hire people from diverse backgrounds and the challenges that can present. Links & Show Notes: Parts one and two of our conversation with friends about being the lone black pastor at a majority-white church.  Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider...

Overview:   Austin and Isaac kick off season ten by answering a question we get often: “How big a deal is the race conversation?” We answer that by looking to Scripture, and by examining the relationships and contexts in which the question is asked.  Links & Show Notes: Isaac’s article about historical asymmetry. Austin’s article about the different ways different people engage racism.   Suppo...

Overview:   We’re back! 10 Seasons running and we are grateful to God for what He is doing through this ministry. Austin and Isaac give some good news about the ministry, and give some tastes of what this season’s podcast will be like. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts ,...

Episode Overview:   This is a talk given by Isaac at a local church in Alabama explaining why it is so hard for us, even as Christians, to talk about race. We pray you are encouraged by it.  Links & Show Notes: Isaac’s article explaining why he started this ministry.  And here’s the link to our donation page for anyone wanting to partner in our year-end match.  Support the show To learn more a...

Episode Overview:   This is the last new episode we plan to release this year. Isaac and Austin remember how United? We Pray started, the motivations behind it, where we are, and where we hope to go. We will be posting some classic episodes over the holidays, so stay tuned for that.  Links & Show Notes: Isaac’s article explaining why he started this ministry.  And here’s the link to our donati...

Episode Overview:   This sermon was given at an event hosted by Iron City Church and United? We Pray. Dr. Williams explains why Redemptive Kingdom Diversity has been God’s plan from the beginning and charts a way forward for the diverse people of God to live together in Gospel unity.  Links & Show Notes: This talk draws heavily on themes from Dr. Williams’ excellent book, which you can find he...

Episode Overview:   Following Dr. Williams’ address at Iron City Church, we had a time of Q&A. Austin interviews Jarvis and then takes questions from the audience. Particularly interesting were Dr. Williams’ answers on how history does not define a person but must me acknowledged to understand a person. We hope this is helpful for you.  Links & Show Notes: This talk draws heavily on themes...

Episode Overview:   Our friend Jarvis Williams was in town! Dr. Williams is associate professor of New Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. We talked to him about his life and ministry, then Isaac grabbed the steering wheel to ask him about race & ethnicity. He has great insight into how those words are used Biblically, which gives clarity to today’s conversations.  Links &...

Episode Overview:   This episode is a follow-up to episode 103, in which we discussed race. Isaac and Austin answer the question, “what is racism?” This touches on personal and corporate categories of sin. We compare our definition to others posed by our friends and highlight strengths of various approaches. Please join is in praying and working against this sin.  Support the show To learn more ab...

Episode Overview:   This special episode is a sermon given by pastor Jared Torrence of Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA. Jared looks at some passages from the Gospels to see what Jesus has to teach us about ethnic unity in our churches today.  Links & Show Notes: You can learn more about Covenant Fellowship here .  Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on...

Episode Overview:   In this episode, Isaac and Austin have a more theoretical discussion around the question, “What is race?” Scripture uses the word “race” in several different ways, and the concept of race has a complicated historical, sociological, and theological legacy. Understanding these complexities is crucial not just to check a box, but to understand and love our neighbors well. .Will yo...

Episode Overview:   In this episode, Isaac and Austin are joined by some pastor friends as we think about our place in broader Christianity. When most of our contemporaries are white Evangelicals, how can we learn from what is good while also recognizing that Evangelical norms aren’t infallible, or even normal for Christianity throughout the ages? Links & Show Notes: Austin’s article about bei...

Episode Overview:   This is part two of a roundtable discussion we had with some of our favorite pastors. We talk through what primarily white churches should think about before they consider hiring a black pastor. Part one is mostly about things to avoid. This episode is about the things we should be doing. Links & Show Notes: Austin’s article about being the only white person at the cookout....

Episode Overview:   This is part one of a roundtable discussion we had with some of our favorite pastors. We talk through what primarily white churches should think about before they consider hiring a black pastor. Part one is mostly about things to avoid. Part two (next week) will be about the things we should be doing. Links & Show Notes: Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray,...

Episode Overview:   We are joined today by Jasmine Holmes. Jasmine puts up with our nonsense and blesses us with her wisdom on life, history, theology, interacting with those who disagree, and how she balances it all. This is an instant favorite of ours and we hope you enjoy.  Links & Show Notes: You can get Jasmine’s latest book here .  The article she did for us .  Her website where you can...

Episode Overview:   There’s so much hard news these days. Isaac and Austin sit down to talk about how we cope with the hard things in life, how and when to take a break from receiving news, and how to stay engaged without either going numb or despairing.  Links & Show Notes: Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please cons...

Episode Overview:   Author Blake Long joins Austin on the podcast to talk about his book, Gospel Smugness. Blake has a particular burden to influence Christians toward godlier discourse as we engage each other and the watching world. We hope you are encouraged.  Links & Show Notes: You can get Blake Long’s book here .  Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagra...

Episode Overview:   Austin and Isaac discuss diversity in local churches. What does it mean for a church to be multi-ethnic? How should churches think about diversity? Does diversity mean adding minority members to white churches, or can it be more than that?  Links & Show Notes: Derwin Gray has done good work on thinking through multi-ethnic churches. Get his books here .  Jamie Dunlop’s arti...

Episode Overview:   Sean DeMars of the Defend & Confirm podcast stopped by to talk with Isaac about the different inclinations Christians can have toward complicated, controversial topics. Sean also shared his heart about how Christians passionate about truth must not be unkind in how they go about making their case.  Links & Show Notes: Kevin DeYoung’s article on four approaches to comple...

Episode Overview:   This episode is part housekeeping while trying to also practice what we preach. Isaac and Austin talk about some slight changes coming to the podcast, our heart behind those changes, and a hard conversation we had recently that demonstrates why this is important.  Links & Show Notes: Austin’s article on choosing our battles and on not being a jerk .  Support the show To lea...