28. Rev. Joash P. Thomas (Saint Thomas Christian / Evangelical Anglican tradition) – The Justice of Jesus & Decolonizing Our Faith Who taught me my theology - and who is missing from the table? From his roots in the ancient St. Thomas Christian tradition in India, through white American evangelicalism and Georgia Republican politics, to ministry in Canada, Rev. Joash shares how reclaiming his Global South perspective transformed his understanding of Jesus, justice, and the global church. ...

27. Mike Maeshiro (Ex-evangelical pastor) – God Made Me Gay: Healing from Spiritual HarmGrowing up evangelical, Mike was taught that being gay was sinful, dangerous, and something God would eventually “fix.” Today, he’s an ex-evangelical pastor helping thousands heal from spiritual trauma and rediscover a God who delights in them. In this episode, Mike shares his story with honesty, humor, and courage — from coming out, to losing his church community, to rebuilding a life rooted in joy, integ...

26. Dr. Jennifer Garcia Bashaw (Bible Scholar) – Wrestling with Scripture Beyond Literalism When “Bible-believing” meant literalism and inerrancy, many of us thought that was the only Christian option. Dr. Jennifer Garcia Bashaw—New Testament scholar, professor, and church practitioner—opens the door to a bigger, older, more beautiful Christian story. We unpack why inerrancy & literalism are relatively recent (1800s) theologies, how the Bible’s genres invite deeper reading, what Revelatio...

25. Bishop Guðrún Karls Helgudottir (Church of Iceland) – A Nation Led by Women, and a Bishop Who Says Queer People Should Be Safe in Christianity When a nation is led by women at the highest levels - the President, the Prime Minister, the Mayor of Reykjavík, the National Police Commissioner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Bishop of Iceland - something becomes visible: women in power isn’t an exception, it’s normal. Into that context steps Bishop Guðrún - the second woman ever to se...

24. Rev. Gerlyn Henry (Anglican Church of Canada) – Communion over Control: The Faith that Frees When faith becomes about control instead of communion, something sacred is lost. Reverend Gerlyn Henry (@gerlynhenry)—an Indian-Canadian Anglican priest whose social media content about Jesus, justice, and women in ministry has reached millions and gathered hundreds of thousands of followers—joins Alexis Rice to talk about a faith that liberates instead of dominates. Together, Alexis & G...

23. John Fugelsang (Aspiring Christian) – Separation of Church & Hate Alexis Rice welcomes comedian, author, and radio host John Fugelsang (@johnfugelsang) — whose blend of humor, history, and theology cuts through America’s culture-war fog. His NYT bestseller Separation of Church and Hate challenges both the weaponization of Christianity and the silence that enables it. With his trademark wit, John dismantles the TV-made binary, tracing how power keeps hijacking Jesus’ message—from the C...

22. Pastor Joe Graves (United Methodist) – The Progressive Planter: Finding (and Building) the Church You Wish Existed When so many are walking away from church, Pastor and Author Joe Graves (@josephdavidgraves) is reimagining what it can be—clear, inclusive, justice-rooted, and grounded in grace. From launching free stores and violence-reduction funds to writing The Progressive Planter, Joe shares how “clear is kind,” why progressives must move from gatekeeping to organizing, and how we can ...

21. Malynda Hale (African Methodist Episcopal Church – AME) – Being the Good News Alexis Rice welcomes artist-activist, writer, and Executive Director at The New Evangelicals @TheNewEvangelicals, Malynda Hale (@malyndahale) — raised in the joy and lift of the Black church. African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church is one of the oldest historically Black denominations in the U.S., born out of resistance, faith, and community. Malynda’s story is a beautiful window into this tradition. This conve...

20. Brian Recker (Ex-Evangelical Pastor) – Hell Bent on Reclaiming Love Alexis Rice welcomes Brian Recker (@berecker) — former evangelical pastor, founding voice of Beloved on Substack, and author of Hellbent: How the Fear of Hell Holds Christians Back from a Spirituality of Love (out Sept 30) 👉 Order on ThriftBooks With honesty and pastoral clarity, Brian explores why hell-talk became the center of so many Christian upbringings—and how returning to Jesus’ core command to love can free our fa...

🎙 19. Sara Groves (Singer-Songwriter) – Faith, Fruit of the Spirit & a License to Love 🕊️ Reconciling Faith | 💜 Fruit of the Spirit | 🌱 Culture Care > Culture War | 🧠 Mental Health & Church This episode is for anyone holding grief, doubt, and hope at the same time—longing to keep Jesus at the center when public witness fractures. It’s for those learning to absorb harm without returning it, to practice active peacemaking, and to choose culture care in their actual neighborhoods. It’...

Alexis Rice welcomes Rev. Helen —a Church of England priest serving at St. Margaret’s, Ipswich—and our first guest from outside the United States. With warmth, candor, and a fierce pastoral heart, Rev. Helen shares how her late-in-life call to ministry grew from community, story, and wonder—and why an inclusive, justice-rooted Anglican faith speaks powerfully in today’s world. Stay til the end if you would like prayer. Together, Alexis and Rev. Helen dive into: How the Church of England works...

This week, Alexis Rice welcomes Pastor Paul Drees (@pastorpauldrees)—a Lutheran pastor of a local church. His online ministry, begun in 2021 in response to church trauma and toxic theology, has since reached 90M+ video views and drawn 650K+ followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Together, Alexis and Paul dive into: Why grace comes first in Lutheran identity—communion as gift, not rewardHow Christianity has gone wrong whenever it chooses power over sacrificeThe history of w...

🎙 Episode 16. Tim Whitaker – Rebuilding Faith Beyond Fundamentalism This week, Alexis welcomes Tim Whitaker @timwhitakerspeaks, founder and host of The New Evangelicals@thenewevangelicals, a digital-first community holding space for honesty, justice, and theological exploration. Tim’s story mirrors so many of ours: deep roots in white evangelical subculture, then courageous questions the old answers couldn’t hold—culminating in a movement inviting Christians into a wider house of faith. ...

🎙 Episode 15. Rev. Roberto Che Espinoza (Baptist) – Becoming Human With One Another This week, Alexis Rice welcomes Rev. Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza, PhD (@drrobertoche), pastor, scholar, and founder of Activist Theology and Our Collective Becoming. Roberto’s life and ministry embody a theology rooted in interdependence, tenderness, and justice. A Latinx trans man, theologian, and ordained Baptist minister, Roberto has devoted his work to spiritual formation, collective liberation, and radical e...

🎙 Episode 14: Better Ways to Read the Bible — with Pastor Zach Lambert This week, Alexis Rice welcomes Pastor Zach W. Lambert (@zachwlambert), founding pastor of Restore Austin and author of Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing. Zach’s work calls us to examine the lenses we bring to Scripture. He argues that the Bible itself isn’t the problem—it’s the harmful interpretations that have been weaponized to silence women, justify racism, and marginal...

🎙Episode 13. Semler (Singer-Songwriter) – Faith, Queerness, and Why Sometimes the Most Rebellious Act of All Is Staying 🌈 Faith & Courage | Music as Resistance Semler @gracebaldridge made history when their independent release Preacher’s Kid became the first openly queer Christian album to reach #1 on the iTunes Christian charts—an accomplishment they repeated with Late Bloomer. Semler has toured nationally, including alongside Relient K in 2022, performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert, and at...

🎙 12. Pastor Joe Smith (Non-Denominational) - Reclaiming Faith from Christian Nationalism Alexis Rice is joined by Pastor Joe Smith IG @therealjoe.smith — a bold and unflinching voice reclaiming Christianity from white Christian nationalism, spiritual manipulation, and cultural complacency. Known for his viral sermons and fearless online ministry, Joe shares his journey from fundamentalism to liberation—and how he uses his privilege as daily repentance for the harm he once enabled. Together, ...

Reconstructing Faith After It All Falls Apart — with Rev. Joseph Yoo Alexis Rice is joined by Rev. Joseph Yoo @joseph.yoo — a priest and writer whose honest, funny, and deeply human reflections have connected with millions online. Together, they explore what happens when the certainty of faith collapses, why deconstruction isn’t a trend but often a lonely and costly journey, and how healing, community, and curiosity can guide the process of rebuilding something real. Joe shares stories from s...

Restoring Wonder, Finding God in the Quiet with Jon Guerra 🕊️ Devotion & Disruption | Prayer for the Weary | The Wild Jesus This episode is for anyone aching for a faith that welcomes mystery and makes space for honest lament. It’s for the ones who crave connection with God but can’t stomach the noise of easy answers—or who need permission to slow down, to rest, and to bring their whole, complicated selves to the sacred. It’s also a gentle challenge to churches: rediscover the power of s...

How to Not Suck as a Christian — with Jeremy Steele Alexis is joined by Jeremy Steele — bestselling author, viral TikTok creator, and United Methodist pastor known for radical honesty and spiritual skepticism. Jeremy’s online community, NotChurch, is a safe harbor for agnostics, mystics, post-evangelicals, and anyone who’s done with fear-based faith but still seeking connection, meaning, and a purpose bigger than themselves. Jeremy shares how he navigates doubt and faith as a pastor, why “dec...