I'm here with Scott Morfitt, a former parishioner, a "stray sheep" that I love dearly, and the producer of this very show. We're talking about spiritual refugees, the 40 million people who have exited the brick and mortar church since the turn of the century. This is a significant shift in the spiritual season of the United States, and we need to have an exit interview. I'm not here to judge or crack a whip, but to listen and love.
Scott and I get into the real reasons behind this exodus, from the rote "three songs, a money ask, and a speech" routine that lost its appeal, to the church's historical failure to reconcile its message with loving the entire world, especially our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters. We tackle the uncomfortable truth that the church has often found itself on the wrong side of history, hanging on too tight to what it knows while the world moves on.
This is an adult conversation about the heavy lifting of love, the toxicity of claiming "empathy is woke," and the surprising hope found in some liturgical traditions that are learning to adapt. We also get real about the cost of doing ministry and what it takes to keep these vital conversations going.
Join us for a no BS discussion about leaving a legacy that's more than just hanging on tight to what was evaporating. This is about finishing the work so we can genuinely express the heart of the fellow we call Jesus.
