Shows
LovePastorsFrom Traditional "Success" to Spiritual Leadership with Britton Smith from Pastor to PIoneerLovePastors founder Gary Underwood is thrilled to sit down with Pastor Britton Smith, who was a part of Gary's youth ministry in southwest Michigan all the way back in 1996! Britton's adventures as a pastor moved him from Taylor University to Holland, Michigan and a Lead Pastor role in his early 30's at Moran Park Church.As a young, gifted, "successful" pastor of a fast-growing church, everything Britton thought he wanted was starting to happen. But God gently and gradually revealed the church's desperate lack of discipleship and all-too-common reliance on performance, programs, and systems. This...2025-08-0143 min
LovePastorsPastoring for 50 Years, Relational Ministry, and the Energies of God with Bishop Joey JohnsonBishop "Joey" Johnson pastored House of the Lord Church in Akron, Ohio for 50 years. During that time, he became known for his passionate preaching, faithful leadership during many difficult challenges in the city, and inviting people to see the relational heart of God in their lives. He recently handed over the leadership of the church to a younger pastor (Daren Brake), but Bishop is NOT what you'd call "retired."He still gets up VERY early in the morning, spends a lot of personal time reading, writing, praying, and investing in younger leaders and their needs. Bishop challenges...2025-08-0141 min
LovePastorsOpen-Hearted People, Soul-Connected Church and Leadership Initiative with Tom BennardoIf you struggle to develop deep, authentic, honest connections with other leaders, then this episode is for you. Tom Bennardo isn’t just a four-decade veteran pastor, leader, and author… he’s real. He’s more real than most pastors choose to be. Tom's newly-released book, entitled Open-Hearted People, Soul-Connected Church is a terrific tool to help Pastors develop life-giving friendships for themselves and others in their churches. Tom and Marcia live in Southern California and he serves to train and coach pastors and church planters all over the country for the Fellowship of Evangeli...2025-07-3043 min
LovePastorsChurch Planting for Thirteen Years, Family Vacations and Road Trips with Mark Artrip (Columbus, OH)Mark Artrip felt God’s leading to plant a church for a long time. In 2012, he and his family launched out of a suburban megachurch to plant a church that would last churches. Movement Church (just West of Columbus, Ohio) is now a church-planting parent to three congregations around the city with plans for more. Gary and Mark not only share a love for the church and pastoring, but a love of the NBA, road trips, and talking. If you’re a church planting pastor, you’ll love hearing Mark t...2025-07-2833 min
LovePastorsLeading While Bleeding, Learning to Trust, and STERBs with Pastor Coach Kemp Boyd from Love AkronFootball Coach. Pastor. Community Leader. Dad. Husband. Executive Director. Like many leaders, Akron’s Kemp Boyd wears some visibly important hats. But Kemp’s identity as a child of God first has helped set him free from unhealthy mindsets, false masculinity, and the lonely-leader syndrome. In the city, Kemp invites others in to Love Akron and collaborate across some historic divides, blind spots, and cultures. He shares about his personal life, the struggle to be real with God, himself, and others. His pursuit of Past...2025-07-2832 min
LovePastorsLunch with Pastors: Being “Real” in a Local Pastors Group with Jimmy McLoud from FCC Canton, OHIn early 2024, a group of Northeast Ohio pastors who barely knew each other started meeting monthly at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Gradually as they met, the walls came down and bridges of trust formed.
Jimmy McLoud, Lead Pastor at First Christian Church, has enjoyed being a part of the group and watching God bring leaders and churches together to share their resources, people, and God-given mission to impact Stark County in so many good ways.
In today's episode, our host (Gary Underwood) rushed over to the Northeast side of Canton to meet Jimmy for lunch at John's Bar...2025-07-2822 min
LovePastorsLoving People and Pastors with one of the OG’s - Knute Larson from The ChapelSome pastors seem to get better with every passing year or decade. Some pastors laugh and play sports and pursue friendships. Some pastors have done their thing and are now “retired” but pouring in to help younger pastors thrive and survive. Knute Larson loves Jesus, Jeanine, and Notre Dame football. His alarming sense of humor and warm love for people are contagious and life-giving. An avid windsurfer, loving grandpa, and dune-climber, Knute also enjoys collecting hats and clocks and old sermon files. Instead of checking out after fifty-plus years of pastoring, Knute loves being a Leadership consultant and pastor coac...2025-07-2321 min
LovePastorsJoy in Ministry, Jurassic World and Pastor Friendships with Joe Caruso from Grace Church (Akron, OH)For one of our first-ever episodes, we invite you to hang out with two pastors eating wings and recovering from another Jurassic World. Joe Caruso loves his wife Mandy and his daughter Ainsley and takes them to Disney World whenever possible. He also loves Star Wars, Football, Cheesy Jokes, and the occasional surprise jokes that capture the room. We love Joe’s passion for Jesus, people, and missions from Barberton, Ohio to Mazatlan, Mexico and to euchre tournaments in Haiti. He’s also a Lead Campus Pastor and a pret...2025-07-2143 min