Faithful Witness with Terrance Carroll

When Nikole Hannah-Jones published her soul-searching essay in The New York Times Magazine asking whether choosing a struggling public school for her daughter amounted to a betrayal, it reignited an urgent debate: Does the American education system place an unfair moral burden on Black families by asking them to sacrifice their own children's academic futures while waiting on glacial systemic reform?

This week on Faithful Witness, host Terrance Carroll sits down with longtime friend, former Colorado Senate President, and former Obama Administration Department of Education official Peter Groff to examine the moral and policy dimensions of public education and school choice.

Remember to tell the truth, seek justice, and love the people. If you found this conversation valuable, please like, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode to help amplify the dialogue.

In this episode of Faithful Witness, Terrance Carroll returns from a restorative hiatus to confront the blatant theological syncretism and political idolatry on display at the Dallas "Trumpapalooza" convention. Analyzing the viral "So God Made Trump" video, alarming PRRI survey data on Christian nationalism, and troubling rhetoric from figures like Senator Tim Scott and Pastor Lorenzo Sewell, Terrance explores what happens when a political party crowns its leader as a messianic figure. Drawing from the prophetic tradition of the Black Church and Genesis 1 image-bearer theology, Terrance issues a sharp warning: the church was never called to be Caesar's tool, and turning the gospel upside down to serve the powerful is an anathema to Christ.

In this episode of Faithful Witness, host Terrance Carroll sits down with his longtime friend and colleague, Colorado Assistant Majority Leader Representative Jennifer Bacon (HD-7).

Representing Northeast Denver—a district steeped in the rich legacy of Colorado’s Black political leadership—Rep. Bacon shares her journey from Miami and New Orleans to community organizing in Montbello and serving at the state Capitol. Together, they dive into the generational roots of the Great Migration and the Civil Rights Movement, the spiritual foundation needed to navigate legislative pressure, and what it truly means to lead with unapologetic authenticity.

Rep. Bacon also shares her perspective on unifying a "big tent" majority, bridging partisan divides on issues like water and agriculture, and what it means to step into history as she seeks to become the first Black woman Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives.

• The Legacy of House District 7: How Northeast Denver and Montbello became an anchor for community advocacy, education reform, and historic legislative leadership.
• Anchored in Purpose: Why knowing your "why" and holding to generational values keeps public servants steady amidst Capitol politics and self-interest.
• Asset-Driven Leadership: How showing up authentically builds bridges across the aisle—from Denver to rural agricultural communities.
• Governing a "Big Tent": Defining a legislative agenda rooted in core values to address statewide kitchen-table issues: housing affordability, safety, water, and resources.
• Representation & "Faces on the Wall": The profound significance of creating space for future generations and stepping up to ensure doors remain open.

Exposing the Politics Behind the DOJ’s Religious Liberty Draft Report

In this episode of The Faithful Witness with Terrance Carroll, Terrance examines the draft report released by the Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Commission.

While framed as a defense of religious freedom, the commission's makeup and conclusions point toward a predetermined narrative: that a specific, conservative version of Christianity is under attack in America. Terrance breaks down three key takeaways from the report, exposing how historical context—from the Declaration of Independence to the Civil Rights Movement—is being reshaped to justify Christian nationalism and push for taxpayer-funded religion.

The Faithful Witness with Terrance Carroll explores the moral questions shaping our democracy, culture, and society through the lens of the prophetic tradition of the Black Church.

Host Bio: Terrance Carroll is an ordained Baptist minister, public theologian, lawyer, and former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives.

Tell the truth, seek justice, and love the people.

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"I swear to the Lord, I still can't see why democracy means everybody but me." — Langston Hughes

On this special Fourth of July edition of Faithful Witness, host Terrance Carroll—ordained Baptist minister, public theologian, attorney, and former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives—delivers a powerful, unvarnished reflection on the state of the American democratic experiment as it marks its 250th anniversary.

Instead of traditional celebration, Carroll leans into the prophetic witness of the Black Church to ask a hard but necessary question: Have we turned away from the promise of what America should be?

• The Retrenchment of Democracy: Analyzing modern threats to the voting booth, from the gutting of the Voting Rights Act to racial gerrymandering, and why those in power remain terrified of a truly pluralistic society.
• The Lie of Christian Nationalism: A direct, theological takedown of the "historical lie" that America was founded as an exclusive white Christian enclave, contrasting the "Aryan Jesus" of Christian nationalism with a faith that welcomes all.
• History Repeating Itself: Why our current political climate looks less like Nazi Germany and more like the violent rollbacks of the post-Reconstruction Jim Crow era and the white nationalist policies of Andrew Jackson.
• The Spirit of Mum Bett: The inspiring story of Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved, illiterate woman who heard the words of the Massachusetts Constitution, sued for her freedom in 1780, and won—proving that the marginalized have always understood the true weight of American liberty better than its authors.

Join Terrance for a sobering yet ultimately defiant look at our national covenant. This episode is a call to action to hold fast to our founding commitments, fight the forces of exclusion, and boldly declare: I too sing America.

On this special pre-primary episode of Faithful Witness, host Rev. Terrance Carroll sits down with former federal prosecutor and Colorado Attorney General candidate Hetal Doshi. From her childhood in the cradle of the civil rights movement in Alabama to standing up against powerful corporations at the Department of Justice, Hetal shares how her lived reality shaped her fierce commitment to public service.

Terrance and Hetal dive deep into the true role of a state’s top lawyer: defending the marginalized, standing up for the rule of law even when it’s unpopular, and protecting freedom of religion against rising extremism. They also share a few laughs about the historic ties between the Black and Indian-American communities, Southern vs. Indian cooking, and what it truly means to use the law to "walk each other home."

Tune in, subscribe, and remember to tell the truth, seek justice, and love the people. This is faithful witness!

What happens when an addictive, deadly product is intentionally woven into the fabric of a culture?

In this heavy-hitting and deeply personal episode of Faithful Witness, host Rev. Terrance D. Carroll sits down with Dr. Phil Gardiner, co-founder of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC), to expose the generational devastation that tobacco—specifically menthol products—has inflicted on the Black community.

Terrance opens up about his own mother’s fierce battle with nicotine addiction, setting the stage for a critical look at how Big Tobacco has targeted Black neighborhoods for decades.

Dr. Gardiner breaks down the sobering history and startling statistics—tracing how menthol use among African Americans skyrocketed from 5% in the 1950s to a staggering 85% in recent decades through calculated, predatory marketing.

• The Anatomy of Predatory Marketing: How the tobacco industry co-opted Black culture, from Dashikis and the Black Panthers to hip-hop and basketball, to sell an addictive product.
• The Hijacking of Social Justice: A candid discussion on how Big Tobacco pours millions into civil rights organizations, politicians, and faith leaders to protect their profit margins.
• The Fight at the Policy Level: The uphill battle to ban menthol locally and nationally, and what the latest federal shifts mean for the movement.
• Reclaiming the Narrative: How faith-based organizing, grassroots advocacy, and initiatives like No Menthol Sunday can empower the Black church to save lives.

Tobacco-related illnesses claim the lives of roughly 45,000 Black Americans every single year—killing more people than homicides, car accidents, and AIDS combined. This isn't just a health crisis; it is a moral, ethical, and theological issue.

Tune in to learn how we can stand up, speak out, and protect the health and future of our communities.

"Remember, the first thing we did right was the day we started to fight. Keep your eye on the prize. Hold on." — Dr. Phil Gardiner

Connect with Us:

• Learn more about the AATCLC: Visit their website to support the fight against flavored tobacco products.
• Support the Podcast: If this conversation moved you, please Like, Subscribe, and Share this episode to help the algorithm spread the truth.
• Our Mission: Tell the truth, seek justice, and love the people. This is Faithful Witness.

In this episode, we dive deep into Pope Leo XIV’s landmark first papal encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas. Terrance examines this profound text through the unique lens of an ordained Baptist preacher, attorney, and public theologian rooted in the prophetic tradition of the Black Church.

From Frank Herbert’s Dune to the Declaration of Independence, we explore how Catholic social teaching, Protestantism, and Enlightenment thought converge on one absolute truth: human dignity is inherent and given by God—it cannot be measured by a digital metric.

Key Topics Covered:

The Insidious Side of Efficiency: Why reducing human worth to KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and economic output is a dangerous step toward dehumanization.

The Consolidation of Digital Power: How a lack of public oversight over tech monopolies threatens the free flow of information and functional democracy.

The Illusion of AI Relationships: Unpacking the "garbage in, garbage out" reality of algorithmic bias and the threat of sterile, digitized connections replacing genuine human empathy.

Democracy & The Truth: Why a healthy democracy requires social trust, fact-checking, and responsible argumentation over "whataboutism" and "both-sidesism."

The Civilization of Love: Moving past technological dystopia to build Dr. King’s "Beloved Community"—where justice and charity are intertwined.

"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free, but that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them." — Frank Herbert, Dune

✨ Join the Conversation: If Pope Leo XIV is listening, he has an open invitation to join the podcast! What are your thoughts on the future of AI and humanity? Let us know in the comments below.

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Terrance Carroll explores the intersection of Christianity, American civic identity, and the current theological crisis in the United States. He discusses how Christian nationalism, racial injustice, and political power threaten the core values of faith and democracy.

keywords

Christianity, American civic religion, theological crisis, Christian nationalism, racial justice, democracy, faith, love, justice, civil rights

key topics

The role of Christianity in American civic identity
The impact of Christian nationalism on democracy
The theological crisis related to race, justice, and power in the U.S.
The importance of love and authentic faith in public life

Chapters

00:00 The Challenge of Christianity in Modern Society
02:13 Theological Crisis in America
03:38 American Civic Religion and Equality
06:17 Christian Nationalism and Its Implications
08:41 The Role of Love in Christianity
10:25 Public Theology and the Common Good
13:24 Defining Christianity and Inclusion
15:33 The Dangers of Performative Christianity
18:21 The Impact of Political Figures on Faith
20:53 The Call for Authentic Christian Witness
22:42 Conclusion: Love as the Foundation of Faith

What does it mean to be a "Prophetic Citizen" in an era of institutional distrust? In this episode, Terrance Carroll welcomes long-time friend and colleague Dr. Landon Mascareñaz—the founding Executive Director of Courageous Colorado and co-author of The Open System—to discuss the spiritual and moral framework required to sustain a healthy democracy.

Fresh off his recent baptism and confirmation into the Roman Catholic Church, Landon opens up about how his newfound faith and his ancestral journey have fundamentally reshaped his view of public service.

Together, they explore the concept of the "American Democratic Covenant"—the idea that our civic life is not just a collection of rules and transactions, but a moral commitment built on universal love and inherent human dignity.

• The "Dr. Landon" Glow: A personal look at Landon's recent baptism and how "fully incubated" faith is driving his vision for the future.
• Open Hearts vs. Closed Systems: Why a functioning democracy requires leaders with the "open heart" to see the humanity in their opponents.
• Ancestry as a Map: Landon’s discovery of his family’s complex history—from the 13th-century Iberian Peninsula to the silver mines of Leadville—and how it informs his work today.
• The Courage to Lead: Why the current political machine punishes bravery, and how we can redesign our systems to incentivize the "moral North Star."
• Team Leo & The Revolutionary Church: A discussion on Pope Leo’s influence and the role of the church as a revolutionary force for social justice.

Democracy is more than just voting; it is a "co-creative act." To renew our nation's moral foundations, we must move beyond tribalism and rediscover the courage to open our systems—and our hearts—to the communities they serve.

• Website: CourageousColorado.org
• Book: The Open System: Redesigning Education and Reigniting Democracy