Dunker Punks Podcast – Arlington Church of the Brethren

Join us at Annual Conference 2023, as Anna Lisa Gross sits down for a live queer panel discussion, which includes Everett Fisher, Liz Ullery Swenson, and Annabeth Roeschley. They each share their experiences of attending Annual Conference over the years and the progression of LGBTQ inclusion at this yearly event. Annabeth uniquely shares about her first impressions of Annual Conference as a first-time attender. Everett shares from the prospective of an adult who’s been attending for decades, and Liz shares her experience as a child growing up attending conference.

Marylynne and Lily, two young people from the Arlington Church of the Brethren, interview retired pastor, Rev. Nancy Betz Fitzgerald. Pastor Nancy shares stories of growing up with her dad as an American Baptist preacher. She shares about her own call into ministry, her hopes for youth ministry today, how the Dunker Punks Podcast began, and how she is spending her retirement. Listen in with open ears to hear how the Spirit may be calling you today.

Colby of Wichita First Church of the Brethren interviews 3 teenagers from their congregation about their thoughts and opinions of Christianity, the Church of the Brethren as a denomination, and their own congregation. They share the ways that they have been involved in their location congregation, district and denomination and how this involvement has shaped their personal beliefs. The interview ends with their hopes and vision for the future of our denomination.

Anna Lisa Gross interviews Jonathan Bay. In this episode, Jonathan shares about the work of The Women’s Caucus over the past 10 years while he has been working with the caucus. He shares his hopes for the future of the church while he transitions out of his role with the Women’s Caucus. Jonathan also shares about his current work, life in Scotland and the rewarding work of loving a dog with special needs.

Nate Hosler of the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy interviews Chidinma Chidoka (Chidi), a Nigerian trained lawyer. She speaks about the intersection of theology and policymaking that can help us build peace within our local communities and around the world.

Hear Grace’s story where she shares about her life in Vietnam serving people in poverty who are not able to afford proper medical eye care through the Vietnam Eye Project, even as she herself faces blindness. Then, consider Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan and our call to love our neighbors  by serving others, putting our faith into action by going and doing likewise.

In this episode of the Dunker Punk Podcast, Josiah Ludwick (Co-pastor of Harrisburg First Church of the Brethren) interviews Jason Haldeman (Minister of Faith Formation at Elizabeth Church of the Brethren) who shares the “The Perils of Christian Nationalism” paper that the congregation published in their local paper. They discuss how the statement came to be and the commitment to be educational. Then they discuss the community’s reaction to it as they consider the question “What is Mine to Do?” for speaking up and speaking out in these critical moments in the United States of America. “How can we be faithful right where we are right now?”

Pastor Matt Rittle of Arlington Church of the Brethren shares the history of making laws in the United States of America. He shares how, from the beginning, these laws were created to perpetuate racist ideals carving the way for systemic racism today. Reading through the Beatitudes of Matthew 5, we are invited to take steps forward dismantling these systems of injustice and further the kingdom of God.

On this season opening episode of DPP, Anesu Makufa (Youth & Young Adult Peace Formation Organizer Intern for OEP) interviews Simi Gill (Children’s Peace Formation Organizer Intern for OEP) where she shares about the importance of creating a brave space for others to use the arts to share their feelings and experiences out loud. Through music, poetry, drama, and creative writing, healing from trauma can occur as brave spaces are created to share authentically so that people can hear others’ stories and know that they are not alone.

In this season finale episode, we hear from three generations of Dunker Punks at the Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren, who are living their faith in draft resistance, nursing, teaching, foster parenting, fire-fighting, social working, stocking shelves, and serving coffee. Listen as Anna Lisa Gross chats with Sam, Carla and Craig, and Ev and Bill to gain insights from their generational perspectives.