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What if the word unfinished is not a verdict on the church, but an invitation to it? The Unfinished Church begins with a simple conviction. The church is unfinished, not because it is failing and not because God has abandoned it, but because every generation is invited to discern again what faithfulness looks like. In this first conversation, Rev. Dr. Blair Thompson welcomes Bishop Gregory Vaughn Palmer to talk about the phrase that gives this show its name, the earlier season of work it grew out of, and the questions worth carrying into a moment of extraordinary change. Bishop Palmer has served the church for more than four decades with wisdom, humility, and a pastor's heart. He traces the roots of this podcast back to a season of national grief and reckoning around race, and then further back still, to the verse he claims as his life verse from the first epistle of John and to the Wesley hymn that prays, "Finish, then, thy new creation.” Out of that comes a vision of a church that can affirm what it does well and still critique itself honestly, along with a conversation wide enough to include people of faith, people of other faiths, and people of no faith at all. As he puts it, everybody has a stake in a church that is in the process of becoming. Listen as Blair and Bishop Palmer explore why retirement has sharpened, rather than softened, his sense of urgency, what it means to turn walls into bridges and walk across them, and why the first place we find the power to do any of this is less in isolation and more in conversation and community. #TheUnfinishedChurch #FaithInAction #FaithAndJustice #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualFormation #ReimaginingChurch #HumanFlourishing #WesleyanTradition #FaithfulImagination #ChurchAndCommunity Host Bishop Gregory Vaughn Palmer is senior advisor for Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners. He works closely with Rev. Lisa Greenwood, president and chief executive officer, and the executive team to shape initiatives to establish and deepen relationships with leaders and ministries across the Wesleyan ecosystem. Bishop Palmer is currently serving as the Council of Bishops' executive secretary and in 2008, he served a two-year term as the Council of Bishops’ president. He has served as president of the General Board of Higher Education and as a board member of numerous organizations, including The United Methodist Publishing House, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, United Theological Seminary, and OhioHealth. Bishop Palmer earned his undergraduate degree from George Washington University and a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School. In 2000, Bishop Palmer was elected to the episcopacy and was the resident bishop of the West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church before retiring in September 2024. Co-Host Rev. Dr. Blair Thompson is Chief Learning and Innovation Officer at Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners, where she leads the organizations’ work to form leaders, ignite imagination across the church, and generate and share learning for a changing landscape. Connect Visit our show's website at https://wesleyanimpactpartners.org/the_unfinished_church/.

What happens when the promises we make at the baptismal font stop being liturgy and start being a way of life? This episode of The Unfinished Church brings host Bishop Gregory Vaughn Palmer together with Bishop LaTrelle M. Easterling, Resident Bishop of the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Conferences of the United Methodist Church. Bishop Easterling is one of the original architects of this podcast's first iteration, alongside Bishop Palmer and Bishop Michael McKee, which makes this conversation something of a reunion and a return to the questions that gave the show its name. She also leads the Council of Bishops' ongoing work on anti-racism, which she helped transition from a temporary task force into a permanent part of the Council's life. The Unfinished Church takes its name from a Wesleyan conviction: that we are always going on to perfection, not as a claim of arrival but as a prayer. Bishop Easterling grounds that conviction in the waters of baptism. We are not saved as isolated individuals. We are saved for community, and that community has obligations to the world outside its walls. The church's work on race, justice, and belonging is not a response to a news cycle. It is what the baptismal covenant has always required. Together, Bishop Palmer and Bishop Easterling trace that conviction from the font into discipleship and public witness. They talk about why the anti-racism work of the Council of Bishops was never meant to be episodic, what it looks like when a commitment stops belonging to one committee and starts belonging to everyone, and how to name white supremacy and Christian nationalism honestly in a moment that would rather look away. Bishop Easterling's hope is not sentimental. It is rooted in a long view of how movements survive and in a Wesleyan yearning to love completely, which she names as the church's most unfinished and most urgent work. Guest Bishop LaTrelle M. Easterling serves as the episcopal leader of the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area of The United Methodist Church. She was assigned to serve the Baltimore-Washington Conference in September 2016, becoming the first woman to lead this historic conference. She became the bishop of the Peninsula-Delaware Conference in September 2021, when the two conferences were affiliated. Prior to being elected, she served as superintendent of The Boston Metro District, the most diverse and inclusive district within the New England Annual Conference. She was also selected to serve as Dean of the Cabinet. Easterling was elected a delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences in 2012 and 2016. Before her election to the episcopacy, she served as a pastor, district superintendent, and dean of the cabinet in the New England Conference. A lawyer, preacher, speaker, and author, she's served in leadership roles focused on anti-racism, immigration, and Hispanic and Latino ministries within The United Methodist Church. Connect Visit our show's website at https://wesleyanimpactpartners.org/the_unfinished_church/. #TheUnfinishedChurch #FaithInAction #FaithAndJustice #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualFormation #ReimaginingChurch #HumanFlourishing #AntiRacism #BaptismalCovenant #WesleyanTheology #BelovedCommunity #UnitedMethodist

What if the most hopeful thing about the church is the work it has not finished yet? The Unfinished Church is a new podcast series from Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation, hosted by Bishop Gregory Vaughn Palmer. It is a conversation for people willing to hold the questions that do not resolve neatly, and who believe the church still has real work to do in the world. This season, Bishop Palmer sits down with Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, Dr. Ashley Boggan, Rev. Dr. Candace Lewis, Rev. Dr. Edgardo Colón-Emeric, Bishop Sandra Olewine, Reba Collins, and Rev. Dr. Kathleen McShane. Together they reckon with what it means to repair and restore alongside people wounded by incarceration, to pursue Christian unity when the questions have been shaped too long by the global north, and to sing about the goodness of God on Sunday while facing a week full of systems that harm other children of God. The Holy Spirit is never done with us, and neither is this work. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and join us as we explore what God might be doing in and through an unfinished church.

What does faithful leadership look like when the landscape is shifting faster than anyone can teach us to keep up? In this season finale of the Igniting Imagination® podcast, host Rev. Lisa Greenwood sets aside the usual interview format for a genuine conversation with her colleague, Rev. Dr. Blair Thompson, chief learning and innovation officer at Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation, where she helps church leaders navigate change through discernment, learning, and innovation. Looking back across a season of conversations about loans, grants, property, generosity, and organizational health, Lisa and Blair notice that the surface topics keep giving way to the same deeper question: God, what are you calling us to do right now? Together they trace the themes that surfaced again and again: the movement from anxiety and scarcity toward curiosity and hope, the invitation to see the church not as a building but as its people, and the quiet courage it takes to prune what is familiar so something new can grow. This is a warm, reflective exchange between two leaders who are still asking questions themselves. Listen as Lisa and Blair explore why listening has become a sacred leadership practice, how learning journeys open the imagination in ways a strategy deck never could, and why the joy of the Lord might be one of the most prophetic gifts a leader can offer in this moment. Guest Rev. Dr. Blair Thompson is chief learning and innovation officer at Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation. She leads a portfolio of initiatives funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. — including Courageous Congregations Collaborative (C3), Courageous Leadership Imperative (CLI), Phygital Preaching Fellows, and the All the Good You Can Storytelling Initiative — alongside additional cohorts for clergy and nonprofit leaders. She also facilitates the UMC District Superintendent cohort and is the creator and producer of the Igniting Imagination® podcast. An ordained Elder in the Horizon Texas Conference, Blair is a speaker, writer, preacher, and facilitator focused on expanding imagination, discerning purpose, and developing leaders across the Wesleyan ecosystem. Before joining TMF in 2020, she served for over a decade in pastoral ministry in Texas and Kansas. She holds an M.Div. and D.Min. from Perkins School of Theology, where she studied pilgrimage as a formative practice for clergy leadership. Connect Podcast: https://ignitingimagination.org/ Igniting Imagination YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-8qT0_yWfBe6LXM7ATfUHw Rev. Lisa Greenwood: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-greenwood-5419772a/ #IgnitingImagination #FaithInAction #HumanFlourishing #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualInnovation #SpiritualFormation #FaithAndJustice #FaithAndTechnology #ReimaginingChurch #ChurchInnovation

What if the way we invest our resources could become an expression of our faith? Most of us think carefully about where we give, yet we spend far less time considering where our money is invested and what it is doing while it rests there. And those investments have the power to shape companies, communities, and the future we are helping to build. This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood welcomes two leaders who have devoted their careers to the intersection of faith, investing, and long-term stewardship. Jake Barnett is managing director of sustainable investment strategies at Wespath, where he leads a team focused on investment stewardship and ESG integration, works closely with partners across The United Methodist Church, and helps faith-based investors align their portfolios with their deepest values. He is joined by Derek Casteel, director of investor services at Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation, who supports churches, nonprofits, and endowment committees as they steward resources for both mission and financial health. Together, Lisa, Jake, and Derek reframe investing as an act of participation in God's work of human flourishing. They explore what faith-based investing actually means, how to match assets to a congregation's purpose, and how the practices of investing can shape real outcomes, from affordable housing to worker safety. Listen for a hopeful look at the generational and worldwide shifts opening new possibilities for faithful stewardship, and practical first steps any leader can take. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 06:00 - What Drew Them Into Faith and Investing 08:18 - Defining Faith-Based Investing 11:31 - Matching Assets to Mission and Purpose 16:02 - Impact Investing That Improves the Human Condition 19:26 - Invest, Engage, Avoid: A Framework for Stewardship 28:51 - Generational Shifts Giving Hope 34:35 - A Worldwide Perspective on Stewardship 38:05 - Rapid Fire: One Faithful Step Guest Jake Barnett As the managing director of sustainable investment strategies for Wespath and its subsidiaries’ investment programs, Jake Barnett leads a team that focuses on investment stewardship and ESG integration. In addition, he interacts with key partners in The United Methodist Church to foster collaboration and coordinates Wespath’s preparation for General Conference. Jake currently serves as the North American Steering Group representative of the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance and is a board member for the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. Derek Casteel, CFA Derek joined Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation as director of investment services in 2018. He is primarily responsible for the management of institutional client relationships and the pursuit of growth opportunities. Prior to his current position, he served as a managing director at Wespath Institutional Investments, where he led the team responsible for growth and the retention of institutional assets under management within Wespath investment funds. Derek was also senior vice president at Community Capital Management, where he marketed the firm’s fixed income strategies to nonprofit institutional investors and their investment consultants. Connect Igniting Imagination® podcast: https://ignitingimagination.org/ Igniting Imagination YouTube: / @wesleyanimpactpartners Rev. Lisa Greenwood: / lisa-greenwood-5419772a Wespath: https://www.wespath.org/ Wesleyan Impact Partners: https://www.wesleyanimpactpartners.org/ Texas Methodist Foundation: https://www.texasmethodistfoundation.... #IgnitingImagination #FaithInAction #HumanFlourishing #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualInnovation #SpiritualFormation #FaithAndJustice #FaithAndTechnology #ReimaginingChurch #ChurchInnovation

What if the buildings and land your congregation has stewarded for generations are an asset waiting to serve God's mission in a changing world? This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood is joined by Rev. Dr. Mark Holland, project manager for church property development with Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation, alongside Chris Miller, chief financial, investment, and lending officer at Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners. Together they explore one of the most pressing and deeply spiritual questions facing congregations today: How do we best steward the property assets God has entrusted to us? As a quarter to a third of American churches face closure in the coming years, these are not simply financial decisions. They are invitations to discern who we are called to be. Listen as Lisa, Mark, and Chris move the conversation from scarcity to abundance, unpacking why the discernment work matters more than the real estate transaction, why the best time to gather a small team of visionary leaders is now rather than at the six-month runway, and how a loan can become a tool for ministry. Along the way, Mark reframes decline as change, reminding us that "the church has survived 2000 years of human intervention" and that getting back to the basics, asking why we are here and what would be missing if we weren't, may be exactly the invitation this moment offers. Guest Rev. Dr. Mark R. Holland Rev. Dr. Mark R. Holland is a third-generation United Methodist pastor and Senior Pastor of Pasadena Community Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. He also serves as Project Manager for Church Property Development with Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation, working to identify a repeatable, national model for church property development in the United Methodist Church. In addition to his ministry leadership, Mark has served as mayor of Kansas City, Kansas, and as a county commissioner, bringing expertise in strategic planning, fundraising, and community development. Chris Miller As Chief Financial, Investment, and Lending Officer, Chris Miller oversees all lending functions for Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners. Chris has sixteen years of banking and commercial lending experience in Texas, supporting the business growth strategies of owner-operated businesses and commercial real estate developers. He most recently served as market area executive at Simmons Bank. Prior to Simmons, Chris served as senior vice president of commercial banking at Southside Bank. Connect Visit our show's website at https://ignitingimagination.org/ To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-8qT0_yWfBe6LXM7ATfUHw Connect with Rev. Lisa Greenwood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-greenwood-5419772a/ #IgnitingImagination #FaithInAction #HumanFlourishing #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualInnovation #SpiritualFormation #FaithAndJustice #FaithAndTechnology #ReimaginingChurch #ChurchInnovation

When most people hear the word "grant," they think of applications, deadlines, and dollars. But behind every funding decision sit far deeper questions: What assets is this organization stewarding, and to what end? What makes a church or nonprofit ready, not just for money, but for lasting impact? This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood pulls back the curtain on grantmaking with two colleagues from Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners. She is joined by Wendolyn Abel, Vice President of Grants at Texas Methodist Foundation / Wesleyan Impact Partners, a dynamic leader in serving under-resourced communities with deep expertise in the measurement of outcomes and transformational change, alongside Justin Gould, Chief Philanthropy Officer. Together they reframe funding as a journey rather than a transaction, one rooted in relationship, curiosity, and trust in the local wisdom of the communities they serve. Listen as Wendolyn, Justin, and Lisa explore why the ministries that are most ready know not just what they do but who they are and who they serve, how a "no" can become the first step of a lasting partnership, and why learning to quantify and share your story may matter as much as the grant itself. Guest Wendolyn Abel Wendolyn serves as Vice President of Grants Ministry at Texas Methodist Foundation. She is a dynamic leader in serving under-resourced communities and has deep expertise in the measurement of outcomes and transformational change. In addition to results-driven nonprofit management experience, Wendolyn brings fundraising, grant writing, resource development, coalition building, and advocacy skills to her role. Her experience developing logic models, data collection, and analysis to guide strategic direction are instrumental in guiding Wesleyan Impact Partners' trajectory toward supporting systemic change. Justin Gould Justin is Chief Philanthropy Officer at Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation. Gould joined the staff of Texas Methodist Foundation in 2013 after nearly a decade serving in various fundraising roles at Southwestern University during its successful $150 million comprehensive campaign. Gould leads all aspects of TMF’s fundraising and gift planning programs. Gould holds Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, where he currently serves on the Board of Visitors, and a Master of Business Administration from Willamette University in Salem, OR. Connect Visit our show's website at https://ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to theIgniting Imagination YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-8qT0_yWfBe6LXM7ATfUHw Host: Rev. Lisa Greenwood: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-greenwood-5419772a/ Guest: Justin Gould: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justingould/ Guest: Wendolyn Abel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendolyn-abel-22752224/ #IgnitingImagination #FaithInAction #HumanFlourishing #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualInnovation #SpiritualFormation #FaithAndJustice #FaithAndTechnology #ReimaginingChurch #ChurchInnovation

What if the most meaningful conversations about charitable giving were never really about money at all, but about the story we hope our lives will tell? This episode of the Igniting Imagination® podcast takes listeners behind the scenes of Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners, where host Rev. Lisa Greenwood sits down with two colleagues to explore how generosity becomes part of the legacy we leave. Joining her is Justin Gould, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Texas Methodist Foundation and Wesleyan Impact Partners, who works with individuals, families, and congregations to align generosity with purpose, connecting people's passions with opportunities to make a lasting difference. He is joined by Pamela Gray, Director of Philanthropy and Gift Planning, who has spent more than three decades helping families think thoughtfully about generosity, legacy, and the ways their resources can continue serving others long into the future. Against the backdrop of the great transfer of wealth now underway across the country, Lisa, Justin, and Pamela make the case that churches are uniquely poised for this moment. With loyal members, deep relationships, and a good story to tell, faith communities can help people move from managing resources as an obligation to imagining a generous future. The conversation reframes philanthropy as something accessible to everyone, not the province of the wealthy few, and unpacks the practical tools, from donor-advised funds and endowments to charitable gift annuities and gifts by will, that let people support ministry both today and for generations to come. Listen as the three of them explore why the best giving conversations begin with dreaming and values rather than assets, how a spirit of generosity becomes contagious within a congregation, and why, as they put it again and again, everyone can be a philanthropist. Guests Justin Gould Justin Gould is Chief Philanthropy Officer of Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation. Gould joined the staff of Texas Methodist Foundation in 2013 after nearly a decade serving in various fundraising roles at Southwestern University during its successful $150 million comprehensive campaign. Gould leads all aspects of TMF’s fundraising and gift planning programs. Gould holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, where he currently serves on the Board of Visitors, and a Master of Business Administration from Willamette University in Salem, OR. Pamela Gray Pamela Gray, director of philanthropy, gift planning, started in September of 2023 at Wesleyan Impact Partners. Prior to arriving, she was the national personal philanthropy director at Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in Erlanger, Kentucky, where she managed a team of eleven, focused on individual relationships and gift-planning activities. Pamela has also served as the senior director of philanthropy and alumni at the University of Kentucky (UK), College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Prior to her return to Kentucky in 2016, she worked as a director, gift planning at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Connect Visit our show's website at https://ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube. Host: Rev. Lisa Greenwood https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-greenwood-5419772a/ Pamela Gray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-a-gray/ Justin Gould: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justingould/ #IgnitingImagination #FaithInAction #HumanFlourishing #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualInnovation #SpiritualFormation #FaithAndJustice #FaithAndTechnology #ReimaginingChurch #ChurchInnovation

What if the church isn't broken so much as being reshaped, quietly, from the inside out, into something older and truer than the buildings we've come to call home? This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood sits down with Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean, Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, for a conversation about the tectonic shifts moving beneath the church today. An ordained United Methodist minister and a distinguished Locke Innovative Leader recognized by Wesleyan Impact Partners, Kenda has spent decades helping the Church navigate cultural change, emerging generations, and innovation. Together, Lisa and Kenda explore why the pandemic may have spared us twenty years of painful admission, and what it means to lead when everyone finally agrees that things have changed. Rev. Dr. Kenda offers a gentle but bracing challenge: We have treated innovation as the goal rather than the tool it was meant to be. She invites listeners to recover the church's most ancient identity as "the way," to take younger generations seriously as teachers rather than exotic birds, and to reclaim the lost art of Christian formation, which happens less through programs than through people who are simply gifted at the ministry of noticing. Listen as Lisa and Kenda reflect on cathedrals and pilgrimage, on the ecological idea of "refugia" as a picture of faith taking root, and on why one of the most innovative things a church can do is to do less, saying no to the treadmill so it can say yes to the sacred encounter of relationship. Guest Kenda Creasy Dean is the Mary D. Synnott Professor of Youth, Church, and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary and an ordained United Methodist pastor in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference. In addition to teaching in practical theology, education, and formation, Dean works closely with Princeton’s Institute for Youth Ministry and the Farminary. Dean is the author of numerous books on youth, church, and culture, the best known of which includes Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers Is Telling the American Church. Connect Visit our show's website at https://ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube. Host: Rev. Lisa Greenwood https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-greenwood-5419772a/ Guest: Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean, Princeton Theological Seminary https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenda-creasy-dean-2a932322/ #IgnitingImagination #FaithInAction #HumanFlourishing #ChurchLeadership #SpiritualInnovation #SpiritualFormation #FaithAndJustice #FaithAndTechnology #ReimaginingChurch #ChurchInnovation

What does it look like when worship and justice are no longer separate categories, but the same lived reality? This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood and Dr. Aaron Kuecker welcome Rev. Sandra Maria Van Opstal, co-founder and executive director of Chasing Justice, a movement mobilizing young leaders at the intersection of faith and justice. Sandra is a global speaker, preacher, activist, and author of The Next Worship and Rally, with deep roots in urban ministry and a lifelong commitment to the work of neighboring well. Listen as Lisa, Aaron, and Sandra explore what it means to stay rooted locally while leading nationally, how young leaders are bringing an earnest energy to the church, and why our hearts truly can grow large enough to hold it all. #WorshipAndJustice #FaithInAction #ChasingJustice #YouthLeadership #ChurchAndCommunity #NeighboringWell #IntegratedFaith #SpiritualFormation #JusticeAndWorship #HumanFlourishing Guest Rev. Sandra Maria Van Opstal is the co-founder and executive director of Chasing Justice, a national movement mobilizing young BIPOC leaders at the intersection of faith and justice. A global speaker, preacher, and activist with deep roots in urban ministry, she continues to serve in Chicago with Lawndale Christian Community Church. Sandra is the author of The Next Worship and Rally, and holds an MDiv while currently pursuing doctoral work at North Park Seminary. Through Chasing Justice, she has built a platform equipping young leaders to integrate worship, discipleship, and activism, insisting that justice is not an optional add-on to the gospel but central to Christian formation. Links Visit our show’s website at www.ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.

What if faith communities saw themselves not as distant helpers, but as neighbors, woven into the lives, struggles, and dreams of the people around them? This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood and Dr. Aaron Kuecker are joined by Rev. Matt St. Pierre, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Restore Merced, to explore beyond economics into something more sacred, the restoration of dignity, purpose, and belonging. Together, they reflect on the quiet but powerful truth that meaningful work is more than a paycheck; it is a pathway to rediscovering worth, agency, and hope, especially for those too often pushed to the margins. Rev. Matt shares how Restore Merced is creating spaces where people are not just served, but truly seen, and invites us to confront our assumptions about charity, justice, and what it means to love a community well. Guest Reverend Matt St. Pierre is the executive director and co-founder of Restore Merced, a faith-rooted nonprofit in California’s Central Valley advancing economic justice through social entrepreneurship, reconciliation, and neighborhood-based community development. Drawing on theology, entrepreneurship, and long-term neighborhood presence, he creates models that affirm dignity through meaningful work and local investment. His leadership shows how churches and communities can move beyond charity toward empowerment, collaboration, and lasting economic and social renewal. Links Visit our show’s website at ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.

Faith communities everywhere are asking: How do we take responsibility for justice in today’s world? This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood and Dr. Aaron Kuecker explore this question with Rev. Dr. Nikia Smith Robert, founder and executive director of Abolitionist Sanctuary. Rev. Dr. Nikia is a respected theologian and activist who challenges the church to move beyond awareness and into real, transformative action. She invites faith communities to not only name injustice but to actively work toward dismantling the systems that cause harm, while nurturing the well-being of all people. Listen as Rev. Lisa, Dr. Aaron, and Rev. Dr. Nikia encourage congregations to step into a more courageous, compassionate, and justice-centered role, and to join in the collective work of building a more equitable future. Guest Rev. Nikia Smith Robert, PhD is the founder and executive director of Abolitionist Sanctuary, a national coalition mobilizing religious leaders, scholars, and community organizers to advance faith-rooted responses to mass incarceration and the criminalization of impoverished Black motherhood. Grounded in womanist theology and social ethics, she integrates rigorous scholarship with community-based practice to equip churches to engage public education, advocacy, and policy change that challenge punitive systems and reimagine justice. Dr. Robert’s work expands the moral imagination of faith communities while delivering tangible pathways toward justice, healing, and liberation for those most impacted by carceral systems. Links Visit our show’s website at ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.

Welcome to the Season 18 premiere of the Igniting Imagination® podcast with host Rev. Lisa Greenwood and this season’s co-host Dr. Aaron Kuecker. In this opening conversation, Lisa and Aaron sit down with Rev. Lea Matthews, Associate Pastor at St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church in New York City, for a thoughtful exploration of the ways our words, and the spaces between them, shape our relationships. Together, they reflect on how communication can become a pathway to deeper understanding, connection, and care. Along the way, they consider the moments when conversations break down, the barriers that quietly form between us, and the practices that help us return to one another. Host Rev. Lisa Greenwood is the President & CEO of Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation. She joined the staff of TMF in 2012, serving as Vice President for Leadership Ministry before taking her current role in 2022. She is an ordained elder in the North Texas (now Horizon Texas) Conference of the United Methodist Church, where she served congregations for twenty years. During the last five years of her local church ministry, Lisa served as a ministry strategist with Horizons Stewardship Company. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. Co-Host Dr. Aaron Kuecker is the Chief Executive Officer of Hope Chicago, a nonprofit providing two‑generation, debt‑free college scholarships to students and their parents or guardians in historically under‑resourced Chicago communities. A 2025 Locke Innovative Leader Award honoree, he previously served as President of Trinity Christian College and brings a background in higher education leadership focused on affordability, access, the elimination of student debt, and community economic development. Guest Reverend Lea Matthews is the associate pastor at St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church in New York City and the founder of Miracle Mondays. She is also co-founder of Sacred Court Support, an immigration accompaniment program operated in collaboration with Co-Counsel NYC, Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, and HIAS-NY. An innovator and a teacher, Rev. Matthews helps churches embody radical hospitality and justice in complex urban contexts. Blending pastoral care and liberation theology, she equips congregations to become places of belonging, dignity, and practical support for marginalized communities. She multiplies the church’s capacity to integrate spiritual formation, justice, and sustainable community care. Links Visit our show’s website at ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.

This week on the season finale of the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood, Rev. Sue Phillips, and Rev. Dr. Blair Thompson reflect on the insights shared by guests throughout this season as they explore the intersection of technology and the church. Together, they unpack the ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies and explore the crucial importance of engaging with technology in ways that nurture human flourishing, strengthen community, and uphold faith. Lisa, Sue, and Blair invite listeners to reflect on their roles as leaders in the church and the broader community, embracing the responsibility to foster belonging and generosity in the digital world. Links Visit our show’s website at ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.

This week on the Igniting Imagination® podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood and Rev. Sue Phillips welcome Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth, Residential Bishop of the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area, to explore the vital call to faithful leadership in times of uncertainty and rapid change. Cedrick shares a vision for leadership that goes beyond administration, rooted in relationships, spiritual formation, and the nurturing of ministers and ministries. They reflect on his innovative approach as a district superintendent, offering wisdom on how leaders can strengthen communities and support those they serve. Together, they discuss how clarity of identity and purpose equips leaders to navigate the challenges of our time with faithfulness and courage. Guest Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth, Ed.D., is the resident bishop of the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church. An ordained minister, author, educator, and organizational leadership consultant, he brings more than 25 years of experience in pastoral, denominational, and nonprofit leadership, including serving as Director of Innovation and Communications for the California‑Pacific Conference. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Bishop Bridgeforth is the author of Alabama Grandson, Thoughts and Prayers, and 20/20 Leadership Lessons. #FaithfulLeadership #SpiritualGrowth #BishopBridgeforth #ChristianLeadership #FaithInAction #MinistryMatters #ChurchLeadership #KingdomImpact #FaithAndPurpose #ServantLeadership Links Visit our show’s website at ignitingimagination.org. To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.