Always Forward Podcast

What does it take to build a ministry that goes the distance without burning out along the way? In this episode of Always Forward, host Molly Ruch sits down with Canon Brian Wolthuis (Canon for Church Planting for the Diocese of the Great Lakes and Pastor of All Saints Anglican Church in Holland, Michigan) to explore the hard-won wisdom of long-term pastoring and church planting. Brian shares his journey from hearing a spark of calling as a teenager to navigating early ministry burnout, and ultimately entering Anglican priesthood. He details the practical rule of life that keeps him grounded—including a weekly 24-hour retreat of solitude, structured daily prayer, family Sabbath, and seasonal rhythms. Together, Molly and Brian discuss how to protect your marriage and children in ministry, why faithfulness matters more than "being on fire," and how tapping into the ancient roots of monastic and missional prayer keeps Christ at the center.

What happens when an "arch-missional" church planter discovers that mission without the joy of family leads to burnout? In this episode of Always Forward, host Molly Ruch sits down with Canon Mark Ball (Canon for Church Planting for the Diocese of All Nations and Rector of Missio Dei Anglican Church in Houston, Texas) to discuss the long-term journey of church planting, discipleship, and parish identity. Mark shares the story of planting Missio Dei in 2011, moving from Sunday evening "mercenary" gatherings to embracing the sweet family life of the church through morning worship, catechism, shared meals, and fresh cinnamon rolls. He unpacks the essential balance between family and mission, explaining why personal apostolic gifts shouldn't be forced on a congregation, how God uses "ironic discipleship" to grow leaders, and what it looks like to re-engage mission in places like local assisted living facilities. Finally, Mark offers a look inside the Diocese of All Nations, exploring how first-generation leaders, bi-vocational planters, and established parishes navigate mission together.

In this episode:

• The vital balance between the family life and the missional calling of the church.

• Moving from evening "mercenary" gatherings to morning family worship and catechism.

• Differentiating a planter’s personal gifts from the whole congregation’s mission.

• Discerning new missional open doors in local assisted living facilities.

• And more!

What happens when a diocese completely reshapes its administrative systems to empower every single parish to participate in church planting? In this episode, host Molly Ruch sits down with Michelle Herbst and Fr. Lenny Konschewitz, the co-canons leading the church planting charge in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese. They share how their diocese is leaning fully into the "All Forward" movement, pioneering centralized administration to remove bottlenecks for local parishes, and embedding church plant assessments directly into the ordination track. From launching a groundbreaking ministry to the unreached deaf community in St. Augustine to pioneering new ground in Miami, this conversation is an encouraging look at how communal discernment, localized coaching, and an apostolic band of brothers and sisters can sustain a planter's soul in the messy, high-and-low reality of ministry.

In this episode:

• Communal Discernment in Assessment

• Centralizing Administration to Scale Movements

• Harvesting Potential via Ordination Pipelines

• The Lifeline of an Apostolic Band

and more!

What does it look like when God completely strips away your professional identity to prepare you for His mission? In this episode, host Molly Ruch sits down with Fr. Chad and Kirstin Magnuson, co-planters of Church of the Incarnation in Appleton, Wisconsin. From an unexpected pastoral call overlooking the ocean to identical prophetic visions on an Easter Sunday, Chad and Kirstin share their remarkable transition from a comfortable life in academia and therapy to the unpredictable world of church planting. They dive into the reality of a multi-year discernment journey, the intense vulnerability of a planting residency, and why the hard seasons of "humble submission under godly authority" and waiting are actually necessary gifts for your future congregation.

Some of what you'll hear in this episode:

• The Vulnerability of a Residency: How transitioning from a university professor to a church intern intentionally stripped away professional identity, forcing a deeper reliance on value found solely in Jesus.

• Discerning the Demographics vs. The Heart: Moving past mere demographic cost-benefit analyses on paper to engaging in prayer walks, fasting, and developing a gut-level compassion for nominal believers.

• The Blessing of Godly Authority: Embracing a posture of humble submission under bishops and canons, and recognizing why a season of waiting is a strategic gift rather than wasted time.

• Engaging the Whole Family in Kingdom Risk: Navigating a major relocation by involving young children in discernment, prayer, and witnessing God’s financial provision firsthand.

What happens when a "brooding seminarian" who doesn’t fit the typical apostolic mold starts listening to a church planting podcast? In this episode of Always Forward, host Molly Ruch sits down with Kris Rolls (Rector and newly appointed Dean of Michigan) to share an unconventional story of patient formation. Instead of rushing to launch as fast as possible, Kris’s plant took an unexpected journey: gathering a core team in Grand Rapids, uprooting to commute forty-five minutes away for a multi-year residency in an established parish, and then returning to officially root down. Kris opens up about how the Always Forward podcast served as his vital conversation partner during those early days in an admissions cubicle, and how his church weathered COVID-19 by dropping off the sacrament and praying through windows. Now a thriving parish of over two hundred people, Kris shares their innovative "home parish" model and explains why the secret to long-term multiplication is acting less like a corporate franchise and more like a patch of Midwestern hostas.

Can a little bit of "holy craziness" lead to the most fulfilling season of your ministry? In this episode, host Molly Ruch sits down with Jon Beadle (Canon for Church Planting in the Western Gulf Coast) to pull back the curtain on the gritty, beautiful reality of planting a church. From the spiritual work of literally driving around a city to find where your heart breaks, to the devastating day your dream church dies so that God’s church can be born, Jon shares raw, hard-earned wisdom from over two decades in the trenches. Whether you are currently planting or just starting to discern the call, this episode is a refreshing, non-anxious reminder that while the lows of church planting are low, the grace-filled highs are worth every single stacked chair and vacuumed rug.

In this episode:

• Driving around until your heart breaks.

• When your dream church must die

• Why grit matters as much as vision

• Dangers of planting a church alone

and more!

What happens when your strategic plans for church planting are completely upended by organic growth and answered prayers? In this episode, host Molly Ruch sits down with Fr. Kevin Jones, chairman of the church planting committee for the newly forming Yellowstone Missionary District. Kevin shares the remarkable story of how seven to eight years of persistent, intentional prayer culminated in an explosive season of growth—launching five new church plants across the Mountain West in a single year. From transforming a defunct country club into a consecrated sacred space to establishing a massive outreach ministry for local high schoolers, Kevin offers a refreshing, candid look at the freedom, agility, and joy found in following God's lead into the harvest field.

In church planting, every Sunday is an opportunity to reach both the lifelong believer and the curious skeptic. But how do you bridge that gap without compromising the Gospel or confusing your listeners?

In this episode, Molly Ruch sits down with George Sinclair to talk about preaching in a church plant context. Drawing from decades of ministry, church planting, and teaching preaching, George shares why pastors must listen deeply to Scripture, understand the culture around them, and speak clearly to the real fears, questions, and longings of the human heart.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

- The "Water" Analogy: Why we are often unconscious of our cultural context and how to start seeing it clearly.

- The FACES Framework: A five-point checklist to ensure your preaching is impactful and accessible.

- Beyond the "Christian Bubble": Why you should preach as if non-Christians are in the room, even when they aren’t.

- Preaching to the Heart: How to identify the "human condition" issues in a text that speak to everyone’s fears and anxieties.

- The Power of Simplicity: Why clarity is your best friend and how to avoid the "fog in the pews".

Whether you are a new church planter or a seasoned rector, this conversation will challenge you to listen to the Word—and your neighbor—with fresh ears.

George is the Canon for Church Planting for the Diocese of Canada, rector of Messiah Ottawa, and principal of Ryle Seminary. He has been a key leader in the missional endeavors of the Anglican Church in North America for over three decades.

Most churches in North America have fewer than 200 members, yet many pastors feel like they are "stuck" in a waiting room for future growth. In this episode, Karl Vaters joins us to flip the script on small church ministry.

Karl is the author of The Grasshopper Myth, Small Church Essentials, and Designing the Church. He produces resources specifically designed to help small churches find their purpose and thrive in their unique contexts.

The Rev. Dr. Gerald McDermott joins us for this episode to discuss the deep roots of Anglican spirituality and liturgy, and the riches it provides our lives today. He explores the many church fathers who influenced Anglican theology and the writing of our liturgy, from Augustine and Benedict to Anselm and Hooker. Join us for this fascinating dive into our Anglican heritage and how this history can strengthen and enrich our lives and ministries.