Pastoral transitions can tear churches apart. Ego gets involved, members choose sides, longtime pastors struggle to let go, and incoming leaders often feel pressure to immediately change everything.

But Pastor Ray Brown and Pastor Todd Morgan experienced something different at The Gathering Church in Evansville, Indiana.

In this episode of Fight For Your City, Ray and Todd break down how they successfully transitioned leadership while the church was still thriving—and why Ray remained part of the church even after Todd became lead pastor. They discuss the role humility, trust, church culture, identity, and healthy leadership played in making a transition work that many pastors told them shouldn’t work at all. Todd even recalls how other ministry leaders repeatedly asked him, “Ray’s still there?” because the arrangement was so unusual.

We also talk about one of the hardest realities of pastoral succession: knowing when it’s time to step aside. Ray shares a powerful story about realizing that sometimes another person really is better suited for the next leg of the race—and that ultimately, “it’s really about the race.”

If you’re a pastor, church planter, elder, ministry leader, or part of a church preparing for a leadership transition, this conversation offers a practical look at how to pass the baton without destroying what God has already built.

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What happens when a church stops asking, “What will we get out of this?” and starts asking, “What does our community need?”

In this episode of Fight for Your City, Jonah sits down with April from The Gathering Church to talk about a radically different approach to ministry—one built around relationships, recovery, discipleship, and serving people whether or not they ever become members of the church.

April shares how a Celebrate Recovery group eventually helped lay the foundation for an entire church, and how that ministry expanded into feeding programs, school-supply outreach, counseling partnerships, work-release ministry, transitional support, Christmas assistance, and opportunities for people who once needed help to become the ones serving others.

The conversation also tackles a difficult question for church leaders: Should ministry be evaluated by attendance, giving, and return on investment? April argues that the return belongs to God's Kingdom—and that when churches focus on people instead of numbers, God often provides resources in unexpected ways.

Jonah and April also discuss volunteer recruitment, breaking cycles of poverty, helping people move from dependency toward stability, discipling people outside traditional church environments, and why many people in our churches may simply be waiting for someone to tell them, “We need you.”

If the church is truly called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, this conversation challenges us to rethink what successful ministry actually looks like.

The Abortion Industry Lied to Women — And the Church Stayed Silent | Julie Wells | Right to LifeIn this episode of the Fight for Your City Podcast, Jonah Carpenter sits down with Julie Wells, Executive Director of Right to Life of Southwest Indiana, for a difficult but necessary conversation about abortion, the abortion pill, Planned Parenthood, adoption, foster care, and the responsibility of the local church.Julie shares what she has witnessed through decades of work with women, adoption, and the pro-life movement—including stories from women who took chemical abortion pills, concerns surrounding access to abortion medication, and why she believes many women are not being given the full picture before making one of the most serious decisions of their lives.Jonah and Julie also discuss one of the biggest challenges facing Christians today: How do we stand firmly for biblical truth without becoming cruel, political, or ineffective? They examine why so many churches remain silent on abortion, what practical support pregnant women actually need, the role of adoption and foster care, and why being pro-life has to mean more than simply opposing abortion.They also discuss Planned Parenthood, abortion exceptions, children with disabilities, women experiencing unplanned pregnancies, the cultural decline in how children are valued, and what pastors can practically do to create churches that defend life while offering genuine compassion and support.

Why does tithing create so much anger, distrust, and disagreement inside the church?In this episode of the Fight For Your City Podcast, Pastor Jonah Carpenter sits down with pastor, author, and community mobilizer Austin Knackshiemer to discuss his newest book, In the Beginning, God Created the Tithe, and It Was Good.Rather than treating tithing as an uncomfortable obligation or a necessary evil, Austin argues that biblical giving was intended to be something good—both for the person giving and for the community receiving it.The conversation examines why money has become such a powerful idol in Western culture, why many Christians no longer trust churches with their finances, and how church scandals, manipulative fundraising, and a lack of transparency have damaged the practice of giving.Jonah and Austin also discuss whether ten percent is still a realistic expectation for Christians facing student loans, housing costs, inflation, and financial uncertainty. Austin explains why he views ten percent as a starting point rather than the ultimate goal, while emphasizing that giving should never become a legalistic barrier to the grace and freedom found in Christ.They also explore the way modern churches have professionalized ministry. Have Christians become spectators who pay pastors, worship leaders, children’s workers, and nonprofit organizations to practice the faith on their behalf? What would happen if congregations became active participants again?

Why do so many small churches struggle to grow—even when they are working hard to create an excellent Sunday service?Pastor Josh Carpenter joins Pastor Jonah Carpenter on the Fight for Your City Podcast to discuss why small churches should stop trying to imitate megachurches and start embracing the strengths God has already given them.They discuss the pressure to make every church service perfect, why relationships matter more than programs, how churches can become more welcoming to new families, and why genuine Christian community may be the greatest advantage a small church has.Pastor Josh also shares lessons from leading a church with seven children, serving as a missionary pastor in Saipan, reaching people through everyday relationships, and learning to live unapologetically as a Christian without becoming hostile or confrontational.

What happens when churches, schools, or ministries put the wrong people into leadership too quickly?In this episode of Fight For Your City, Jonah sits down with Mark “Wick” Wickersham, Director of Spiritual Formation at Evansville Christian School, to talk about building healthy ministry teams, spotting leadership red flags, discipling teachers and staff, and knowing when someone may not be ready to carry spiritual responsibility.Mark shares what he looks for when hiring or developing Christian leaders, why humility matters more than charisma, how social media can reveal inconsistencies, and why leaders must be careful not to compromise Christlike culture just to fill an empty role.This conversation is for pastors, ministry leaders, Christian school leaders, church staff, volunteers, and anyone trying to build a team that actually reflects Jesus.The Danger of Putting the Wrong People in Ministry Leadership | Mark Wickersham

Are Private Christian Schools Actually Preparing Kids for the "Real World"? | Mike Allen Check Out His YouTube Channel:  @TheParodyPrincipal  Why are more parents considering Christian education, private school, and homeschool options for their children? In this episode of the Fight For Your City Podcast, Jonah Carpenter sits down with Mike Allen, former superintendent of Evansville Christian School, to talk about the growing demand for Christian schools, the challenges facing public education, and what parents should really be looking for when choosing a school.Mike shares his experience leading one of the largest Protestant private schools in Evansville and explains how Christian schools build culture, hire teachers, shape biblical worldview, and prepare students for life beyond graduation. This conversation also explores public school, homeschool, school choice, parenting, discipleship, student leadership, Christian culture, and the role of the home, church, and school working together.Whether you are a parent considering Christian education, a pastor thinking about schools and discipleship, a teacher trying to build healthy school culture, or someone concerned about the future of education in America, this conversation will help you think more clearly about what kids need and what schools are actually responsible for.Mike Allen also discusses the difference between missional and covenant Christian schools, how to handle theological differences in interdenominational schools, why hiring matters so much, and why education cannot replace the role of parents in spiritual formation.

Brent Davidson knows what it is like to battle addiction, hit rock bottom, and wonder if freedom is actually possible. After years of struggling with opioids, alcohol, jail, overdoses, and more than 15 completed rehab stays, Brent encountered Jesus in a way that completely changed the direction of his life.In this episode of Fight For Your City, Jonah Carpenter sits down with Brent Davidson to talk about addiction, recovery, prison ministry, shame, repentance, and why the church cannot forget the men and women behind bars. Brent shares how God brought him from addiction into ministry, what he has learned through Kairos prison ministry, and why some of the most powerful examples of faith he has ever seen have come from men serving serious time.This conversation is a reminder that no one is too far gone for the grace of God. Whether someone is carrying the label of addict, criminal, felon, or failure, Jesus still saves, restores, and gives people a new identity.

The Real Reason Kids Don't Trust Youth Ministry Anymore | James HelmGen Z and Gen Alpha are growing up in a world of nonstop screens, short attention spans, digital addiction, AI content, social media pressure, and constant noise. But is the real problem the next generation, or is the church missing what students actually need?In this episode of Fight For Your City, Jonah Carpenter sits down with James Helm from Bethel Church to talk about youth ministry, middle school ministry, Gen Z, Gen Alpha, discipleship, Christian parenting, church culture, and why so many young people are walking away from church. They discuss how phones, AirPods, social media, YouTube, AI, brain rot content, and digital distractions are shaping students before the church ever gets a chance to disciple them.This conversation asks whether modern youth ministry is giving students too much content and not enough mission. Are churches creating Christian consumers instead of disciples? Are students being entertained but not equipped? And what happens when young people leave the youth room, enter real life, and do not know how to connect their faith to school, family, friendships, temptation, and everyday decisions?James shares why Gen Z and Gen Alpha need more than hype, emotional moments, and church content. They need consistency, community, authenticity, spiritual discipline, and adults who actually know them. If you are a youth pastor, parent, church leader, student ministry volunteer, or Christian who cares about the future of the church, this episode is a serious conversation about how to reach the next generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Will Hess  @TheChurchSplit  shares from firsthand experience as a pastor who walked through a painful church split and later began helping churches, pastors, elder boards, and church members think through conflict in a healthier way. This conversation covers church government, congregational voting, elder boards, church hoppers, pastoral leadership, church trauma, spiritual abuse, deconstruction, theological disagreement, and how Christians can disagree without immediately labeling each other as heretics. The goal is not to celebrate church splits, but to understand how they happen and how the body of Christ can pursue truth, unity, and maturity at the same time.If you have ever experienced church hurt, watched a church split, left a church, inherited a broken ministry situation, or wondered why Christians can be so divided, this episode will help you see what is really happening under the surface. Subscribe to Fight For Your City for more conversations on faith, theology, church leadership, culture, ministry, apologetics, and what it means to follow Jesus faithfully in a divided world.