“We would see something terrible that happened, like if there was an earthquake or a fire or floods or hurricanes, or a celebrity died. Everybody around me, my family, the church members, we'd be celebrating and making plans to go and protest the funerals. And, you know, at the same time on Twitter, I'm seeing people mournful and grieving.”

Megan’s memoir of growing up in, and eventually leaving the Westboro Baptist Church, is beautifully written and absolutely captivating. She lives in South Dakota with her husband, Chad (who she met on Twitter) and her magical baby girl, Solvieg.

https://twitter.com/meganphelps

https://www.instagram.com/meganmarie/

Megan Phelps-Roper, Former Member of Westboro Baptist Church

Forget the selfies and social media updates of everyone at their best, three-time New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber’s new podcast, The Confessional, invites guests to share stories about times they were at their worst. Guests talk honestly about what led to that moment, what they learned from it, and how they changed as a result. A former stand-up comic and a recovering alcoholic, Bolz-Weber is a Lutheran Pastor and the founder of House for All Sinners and Saints, in Denver, Colorado.



Everyone needs grace and healing, no matter your beliefs. Step into The Confessional with Nadia Bolz-Weber - a carwash for people’s shame and secrets.

Personal Journals

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“I knew that I had to do something, I was going to have to let him know, but I didn't let him know. I became paralyzed with fear of telling him.”

Meg lives in a conservation community in the Chicago suburbs with her wife, daughter, and menagerie of rescue animals. She is a middle school Health teacher and coach whose passion is helping kids become good humans. Teaching important topics like mental health, consent, communication, and empathy are her jam. She told her first story at the Wild Goose Festival in Hot Springs, NC in 2015, and is featured on The Moth podcast.

Instagram: @meha1010

Meg Lavery, Storyteller and Teacher

In 1998, fans across the country fell in love with the home run race as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chased baseball immortality. Sportswriter Joan Niesen recounts her memories of that summer, examines the history and mythology of the home run and asks why people across the country wanted to believe they were watching heroes.

Crushed is a production of Religion of Sports and PRX. Listen to the full season now at apple.co/crushed.

Crushed Episode 1: The Feel-Good Story

“I was dressed up looking the part, but deep inside, I was just vacant. I just was not someone I was proud of anymore.”

Jeff Grant, J.D., M.Div. is Co-Founder of Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc., the one of the world’s first ministries serving the white collar justice community. Jeff co-hosts with Babz Rawls Ivy the Criminal Justice Insider podcast and hosts the White Collar Week podcast. He also leads a weekly online confidential White Collar Support Group.

Prisonist.org

Twitter: @RevJeffGrant

Rev. Jeff Grant, Minister and Co-Founder of Progressive Prison Ministries

“We would also be very conscious of preaching anti-communism because people were saying that the African National Congress, you know, former President Mandela's political party, they were really not liberation fighters, they were terrorists.”


Wilhelm is a facilitator and researcher based at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. A dedicated peace activist, he is also the author of several books, including most recently Verwoerd: My Journey Through Family Betrayals.

Wilhelm Verwoerd, Researcher and Facilitator

“I spent the entire time praying, and cursing, and praying and cursing.”

Enjoy this bonus episode featuring a story Nadia Bolz-Weber told live at a Moth storytelling event in New York City in 2015.

The Confessional is produced in conjunction with The Moth, a non-profit dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. The organization hosts storytelling events throughout the U.S.

Subscribe to The Moth podcast to hear more true stories from real people.

Twitter: @TheMoth

Megan Phelps-Roper, Former Member of Westboro Baptist Church

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