Benji Kelley joins Mark Clement for a raw, hope-filled conversation about what it looks like to step into a “second chapter” with clarity, health, and purpose. Benji shares the behind-the-scenes story of serving as founding pastor of NewHope Church for 22 years, hitting a wall of deep burnout, and taking an intentional three-year sabbatical marked by rest, soul care, therapy, journaling, and a return to his first love—Jesus.
From that place of healing, Benji never expected to plant again… until God made it unmistakable. He unpacks the launch of Our Redemption Church (ORC)—a brand-new church (already two campuses) rooted in Ephesians 1 and built around the conviction that God “majors in redemption,” taking brokenness and making something beautiful.
Together, Mark and Benji talk identity shifts in midlife (pastor, dad, “producer” vs. beloved son), the empty nest transition, releasing the need for approval, and building a sustainable pace of life that prioritizes marriage, family, sleep, and spiritual health. Benji closes with a clear challenge: in a chaotic world, anchor yourself—not in religion, but in Christ—and live from the steady hope of the gospel.
https://ourredemptionchurch.org/
