Pod Strangely Warmed

Christians will not always agree, but disagreement does not have to end in division. Rev. Dr. O. Wesley Allen Jr. and David Taylor join Rev. Daniel Hawkins to consider how intentional dialogue can help us listen across our differences, approach difficult conversations with humility and hold our convictions without losing connection. Following an evening engagement with Dr. Allen at Trietsch Memori...

This week, POD Strangely Warmed comes to you from Cedarbrake Retreat Center, where clergy from across the Horizon Texas Conference gathered for the Do Justice Retreat . The three-day gathering created space for worship, spiritual formation, honest conversation and discerning how the church can faithfully pursue justice together. Kristin Warthen is joined by Rev. Debra Crumpton and Rev. Julie Hardi...

For Maye and Isaac Saenz, cheering for the Dallas Cowboys has always been about more than football. It is a family tradition rooted in shared Sundays, memorable road trips and the joy of experiencing the game together. In this episode of POD Strangely Warmed, they share how Cowboys fandom became woven into their family's story. Maye reflects on raising her children with Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. and...

Bestselling author and historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez joins Rev. Kristin Warthen and guest co-host Rev. Raegan Gilliland to discuss Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made . The conversation explores how Christian media, consumer culture, and messages about women's roles have shaped the faith of generations of Christian women. Kristin Kobes Du Mez trace...

In Matthew 25, Jesus said, "What you've done to the least of these, you've done to me." What does that mean for our neighborhoods today? Rev. Billy Lane and Dr. India Stewart of the Innercity Community Development Corporation (ICDC) join Rev. Daniel Hawkins to share how their work in sunny South Dallas is helping families put down roots, build stability, and create stronger neighborhoods. Through...

In this episode of POD Strangely Warmed , Rev. Kristin Warthen sits down with Rev. Dr. HiRho Park , Director of Belonging, Inclusion and Cultural Engagement for the Horizon Texas Conference. From serving a local church in Maryland to developing clergy through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, HiRho reflects on the experiences that prepared her for this new chapter of ministry in...

In this episode of POD Strangely Warmed, Patrick Booth shares stories from Cambodia that reveal both the devastating reality of human trafficking and the remarkable resilience of people finding hope after exploitation. Through his work with Global Ministries and the ARK (Advancing Resilient Khmer) program, Patrick helps us understand that healing is not quick or simple, but it is possible when sur...

Pastoral moves are part of the rhythm of United Methodist life, but every transition carries real stories, real relationships, and real opportunities for grace. In this episode of POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Daniel Hawkins is joined by Rev. Allie Johnson and Rev. Ruben Saenz III for a lighthearted and meaningful conversation about starting fresh, saying goodbye well, and discovering where God is al...

This week on POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Daniel Hawkins is joined by Bishop Connie Shelton of the North Carolina Conference and Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. After hearing Bishop Shelton preach at our opening worship of snnual conference 2026, we wanted to spend more time with her, listening to her story, her perspective, and the way she leads with clarity, humility, and trust in the Holy Spirit.   Togeth...

While at Annual Conference, Rev. Daniel Hawkins sat down with keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean to continue a conversation many churches are already having: what does church growth look like in a time when old assumptions no longer hold? Drawing on the image of shipwreck and the hope of finding a different boat, they reflect on the future of the church, congregational renewal, and the kin...

This week POD Strangely Warmed explores how United Methodists are living out mission through education, health care, clean water, women's leadership and deep community care. Daniel Contreras, Mission Program Director for Honduras, joins Rev. Daniel Hawkins and Rev. Kristin Warthen to share how the Honduras Mission Initiative is helping children imagine a different future, supporting a migrant clin...

This week POD Strangely Warmed brings you into the conversations happening at Annual Conference 2026 as we talk with clergy and laity from around the Horizon Texas Conference. You'll hear thoughtful reflections on what it looks like to love boldly in real ministry, real community, and real life, along with the shared sense of hope that emerges when the church gathers to worship, connect, and liste...

Annual Conference is almost here, and this week we're hitting the road. In this special episode of Pod Strangely Warmed, we travel to Wichita Falls to preview the upcoming Horizon Texas Annual Conference 2026. Along the way, we visit some of the key locations you'll experience during the week, hear a few stories from local leaders and share practical tips to help you feel prepared when you arrive....

Across the Horizon Texas Conference, many churches are navigating communities that are changing around them. The question is not only how churches survive that change, but how they become more fruitful, more welcoming and more connected to the people God has placed around them. In this episode of POD Strangely Warmed , Rev. Daniel Hawkins sits down with Rev. Christian Washington and Rev. Derek Jac...

This week on POD Strangely Warmed , Rev. Kristin Warthen hosts a special May the 4th conversation about Star Wars, faith and the deeper spiritual themes that keep drawing people back to a galaxy far, far away. Rev. Kevin Anderson, pastor at FUMC Alvarado, and Rev. Jarrod Johnston, pastor at Community UMC in Krum, TX, join the conversation to talk about their favorite Star Wars stories, characters...

The Parables of Jesus are some of the most well-known in the world. But what if we've been moving through them too quickly to really hear what they're saying? In this episode of POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Daniel Hawkins sits down with Rev. Andy Nixon to explore The 45 Parables and the deeper meaning behind the stories Jesus told. Together, they reflect on how parables invite us to slow down, ask b...

Across neighborhoods, cities, and communities, things are changing fast, and not everyone knows how to respond. In Frisco, Texas, a growing and increasingly diverse community has brought both opportunity and tension. When fear and harmful rhetoric began showing up in public spaces, local faith leaders and neighbors made a different choice: to show up, stand together, and respond with love. In this...

Across the country and here in North Texas, conversations around immigration, enforcement and public policy are often loud and divided. But what does it look like when people of faith step into these moments not with anger, but with prayer, presence and compassion? On this episode of POD Strangely Warmed , Rev. Daniel Hawkins and Rev. Kristin Warthen sit down with Rev. Eric Folkerth and Pastor Roc...

Across campuses and communities, many young adults are asking real questions about belonging, purpose and leadership, and they are not walking away from faith as much as they are searching for something deeper and more authentic. Rev. Daniel Hawkins visited the Rekindle Summit to sit down with Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady, President of Brite Divinity School, Rev. Evve Kuykendall, Wesley Director at the U...

Church hurt is real. Spiritual trauma is real. And healing is possible. In this episode of POD Strangely Warmed, host Rev. Kristin Warthen is joined by Rev. Joy Dister-Dominguez and special guest Joshua Harris for a thoughtful and compassionate conversation about the ways faith communities can sometimes become places of pain, even when they are meant to be places of healing. Recorded just before a...

Is the algorithm shaping your faith more than Scripture, community or the voice of Christ? This week on POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Daniel Hawkins is joined by Rev. Lupina Villalpando Stewart and Rev. Preston Morgan to explore how social media algorithms form our attention, influence our beliefs and shape the way we see one another. Together, they wrestle with a timely question for the church today...

Connection is at the heart of what it means to be United Methodist, and in this episode of POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Daniel Hawkins is joined by Rev. Alan McGrath, Rev. Mark Sheets, and Rev. Yvi Martin for a thoughtful and hope-filled conversation about why that connection still matters today. Together, they reflect on borrowed brilliance, shared wisdom, the communities that shape ministry, and t...

This week on POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Melissa McDuffee Beal, Senior Pastor of FUMC Cleburne, hosts guest speaker Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross, Senior Pastor of Noblesville First UMC in Indiana, and Rev. Erin Sloan Jackson of Munger Place Church in Dallas. Together, they reflect on what bold faith looks like in practice, how women in Scripture model courage and conviction, and why discernment, wisd...

Faithful experimentation is becoming essential to the life of the church today. Drawing from lived ministry experience, Rev. Daniel Hawkins, Rev. Dr. Michael Beck and Rev. Al Martin explore how new expressions of church take shape through trust, patience and a willingness to learn. Through stories and reflection, this episode examines how churches navigate change, test new ways of being in relatio...

What might the church look like when it takes faithful shape beyond the sanctuary? In this episode of POD Strangely Warmed, Rev. Daniel Hawkins is joined by Rev. Dr. Michael Beck and Rev. Al Martin for a conversation introducing New Expressions, new ways of forming Christian community that are rooted in Methodist heritage and shaped for the realities of today. Often emerging in everyday places and...