In the first episode of our second season, Prince talks with Tod Bolsinger, senior congregational strategist and associate professor of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary. He's also the author of several books, including Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory.

In this episode, Prince and Tod discuss:
- Why success is likely to come after sabotage
- The problem with "win-win"
- Advice for leaders who feel stuck
- Practices for leading and living well
- And more!

You can find show notes and the transcript for this episode at alban.org/2024/04/02/tod-bolsinger-navigating-change/

Sign up for Prince’s weekly reflections and resources in the Alban Weekly at alban.org.

Rate, review and subscribe to “Leading and Thriving in the Church” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In the final episode of the first season of “Leading and Thriving in the Church,” Prince talks with Dr. Thema Bryant, the 2023 president of the American Psychological Association (APA): the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology with more than 120,000 members.

In this episode, Prince and Dr. Thema discuss:

• the intersection of faith and psychology
• how growth and despair can co-exist
• vicarious trauma and its effect on clergy
• emotion-focused coping and problem-solving coping
• how churches can work to promote authentic healing
• and more!

You can find show notes and the transcript for this episode at https://alban.org/2023/12/07/thema-bryant-bridging-theology-and-psychology/.

Sign up for Prince’s weekly reflections and resources in the Alban Weekly at alban.org.

Rate, review and subscribe to “Leading and Thriving in the Church” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In the fifth episode of “Leading and Thriving in the Church,” Prince talks with Paul Baxley, the executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

In this episode, Paul and Prince discuss:

• what faithfulness means in this moment
• what it looks like for congregations to experience new life
• what denominations are for
• the need for support networks for pastors
• practices to foster effective, fruitful teams
• the connection between theological reflection and thriving in Christian leadership
• and more!

You can find show notes and the transcript for this episode at https://alban.org/2023/11/30/paul-baxley-how-can-we-be-faithful-now/.

Sign up for Prince’s weekly reflections and resources in the Alban Weekly at alban.org.

Rate, review and subscribe to “Leading and Thriving in the Church” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In the fourth episode of “Leading and Thriving in the Church,” Prince talks with Ruth Haley Barton, the founding president and CEO of the Transforming Center, whose mission is to strengthen the souls of pastors, spiritual leaders and the congregations and organizations they serve. Learn more about Ruth at her website, where you can find links to her books and podcast.

In this episode, Ruth and Prince discuss:

• the question of “how do people change, really?”
• building up trust in community
• spiritual practices to help leaders nourish their souls
• how leaders should use the Enneagram
• Sabbath as a formative discipline
• and more!

You can find show notes and the transcript for this episode at https://alban.org/2023/11/16/ruth-haley-barton-listen-for-the-voice-of-god

Sign up for Prince’s weekly reflections and resources in the Alban Weekly at alban.org.

Rate, review and subscribe to “Leading and Thriving in the Church” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In the third episode of “Leading and Thriving in the Church,” Prince talks with Rhonda Brandon, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources officer for Duke University Health System.

In her role, Brandon oversees efforts to advance a world-class workforce that positions the health system to meet long-term strategic goals. She is a key driver of initiatives to improve performance measurement, professional development and work culture. She offers trusted counsel to senior staff, advocating on behalf of all employees.

In this episode, she and Prince discuss:

• what influences organizational culture
• marks of a healthy church culture
• what pastors can learn from the field of human resources
• and more!

You can find show notes and the transcript for this episode at https://alban.org/2023/11/09/rhonda-brandon-youre-a-human-first-then-a-minister/

Sign up for Prince’s weekly reflections and resources in the Alban Weekly at alban.org.

Rate, review and subscribe to “Leading and Thriving in the Church” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In the second episode of “Leading and Thriving in the Church,” Prince talks with David Emmanuel Goatley, president of Fuller Theological Seminary.

Dr. Goatley was inaugurated as the sixth president of Fuller Seminary in January 2023. Prior to his appointment, he served in various roles at Duke Divinity School, including as associate dean for academic and vocational formation and director of the Office of Black Church Studies. For nearly four decades he has served in leadership roles in organizations dedicated to justice advocacy, Christian mission and global ecumenism.

In today’s episode, he and Prince discuss:

• characteristics of adaptive, justice-seeking leaders
• a formula for flourishing as a leader
• what baseball and utility companies can teach us about leadership transitions
• how pastors can develop better management muscles
• setting boundaries
• and more!

Sign up for Prince’s weekly reflections and resources in the Alban Weekly at alban.org.

Rate, review and subscribe to “Leading and Thriving in the Church” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In the first episode of “Leading and Thriving in the Church,” the Rev. Rivers talks with Stephen Lewis about trends they’re seeing in churches, what thriving ministers have in common, advice for new ministers and more. 

Stephen is the president of the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) and creator and co-founder of DO GOOD X, a start-up accelerator for diverse Christian social entrepreneurs. He is an organizational change strategist and a leadership development specialist, focused on inspiring the next generation of faith-inspired leaders and entrepreneurs to live and work on purpose. Stephen is the co-author of “Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose” (2020) and “A Way Out of No Way: An Approach to Christian Innovation” (2021).

Find show notes and the transcript for this episode at https://alban.org/2023/10/24/stephen-lewis-thriving-within-constraints/. 

Sign up for Prince’s weekly reflections and resources in the Alban Weekly at alban.org.

Rate, review and subscribe to “Leading and Thriving in the Church” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Rev. Dr. Prince Rivers, editor of the Alban Weekly, has been a pastor for 23 years. He is passionate about supporting the people who lead congregations.

But doing ministry in the post-pandemic era has unearthed new leadership challenges – and it has led us to pay more attention to the need for thriving ministers and congregations.

That’s where “Leading and Thriving in the Church” comes in. In this new podcast from Alban at Duke Divinity, our mission is to help you be the leader God has called you to be. In each episode, Prince sits down with some of the most innovative people he knows — scholars, executives, authors — and explores what it means to lead faithfully, effectively and sustainably in today’s church.

The first installment in this six-episode season will release next Thursday, October 26. In the meantime, be sure to check out the podcast trailer and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We can’t wait for you to listen!

Sign up for Prince’s weekly reflections and resources in the Alban Weekly at alban.org.

Rate, review and subscribe to “Leading and Thriving in the Church” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.