This week, Meg chats with Dr. Dan Cash about 35 years in ministry, the wisdom found in everyday faith, and the inspiration behind his three books. It’s a heartfelt conversation about calling, growth, and finding grace in the beautiful mess of ministry.

You can find 8 Questions Jesus Asked and Changing Church at www.judsonpresss.com and his first solo project, Dakota Dreams & Hoosier Heartland, a historical fiction on Amazon. 

Rev. Alicia Dixon-Garrard is a dynamic American Baptist clergywoman whose life’s journey reflects a rich tapestry of faith, resilience, and transformation. Alicia's early experiences shaped her understanding of spirituality as both a personal and communal endeavor. Her passion for serving others and commitment to her spiritual journey inspire her to foster community and nurture the souls of those around her. As a beacon of hope within her congregations, Alicia’s authentic sermons often draw upon her personal journey of faith and perseverance, inviting her listeners to explore their own spiritual paths.

Beyond her pastoral roles, Alicia is a passionate advocate for mental health, racial justice, and healing. She hosts the Graced Conversations podcast, engaging in meaningful dialogue with experts and community members on topics such as healing ethnic tensions, spiritual formation, and addressing family violence. Her diverse experiences include leadership in community outreach, discipleship, chaplaincy, and teaching. As she navigates the complexities of life and faith, Alicia remains a passionate advocate for love, understanding, and community connection, inviting others to join her in this sacred journey of spiritual growth and healing.

Currently, Alicia is the enjoying her new role as Associate Executive Minister of Rochester/Genesee region of New York. Her and her husband of twenty-two years reside in Western New York where they enjoy drinking tea, catching action and sci-fi movies, and TV crime series together.

Alicia's Podcast: www.anchorfm./gracedconversations

(More Episodes coming this fall)

The HEM Network for child loss support website:

https://hemnetwork.org/

Join Meg, Anne, and special guest, Buster, for this fantastic episode!

Rev. Anne Jernberg Scalfaro (she/her/hers), Senior Pastor

Calvary Baptist Church of Denver

Anne has served on the pastoral staff at Calvary Baptist Church of Denver—a welcoming and affirming American Baptist Churches USA congregation (Evergreen Region)—for 17 years, and has been Senior Pastor since January 2013.

She believes that faith is a journey best shared in community; this is why she loves the local church: “My calling is to pastor a congregation through discerning leadership and mentorship, meaningful preaching and creative worship, cultivating spaces of healing and belonging, and advocating for justice and transformation. Rooted in God’s faithfulness, empowered by Christ’s love, and sustained by the living Spirit, I understand the Christian church to be a mosaic of God’s imago dei and a co-creator of God’s beloved kin-dom of hope and justice in the local community and beyond.”

In addition to her ministry at Calvary, as part of the mayor’s Mile High All In Initiative, Anne serves on the Good Neighbor Committee which supports the Tamarac Family Shelter—a neighbor to Calvary. She also serves on the Faith Leaders Advisory Council for Bright Stars of Bethlehem whose mission is to raise awareness and support for Dar al-Kalima University, the first and only university of arts, culture, and design in all of Palestine. Anne is also committed to and enriched by the ministry of relationship building and racial justice she and her colleague Rev. Dr. Eugene Downing, Jr. of New Hope Baptist Church share in with their New Baptist Covenant congregational partnership.

Anne is a graduate of Austin College in Sherman, TX (B.A. Religion) and Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, MA (M.Div.) and was ordained to ministry in 2008 at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, TX following a two-year pastoral residency program. During her time at Harvard Div, she served as a Seminarian at the Memorial Church in Harvard Yard and as a CPE chaplain at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Anne is the co-author of Preaching the Word: HEBREWS, a preaching commentary (2020).

Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Anne loves good Tex-Mex, afternoon thunderstorms, and the word “y’all.” An introvert at heart (Enneagram 4, INFJ), Anne enjoys learning, reading, poetry, game nights, puzzles, and good coffee conversations. Her main spiritual and physical practice is yoga, and she is renewed by spending time outdoors with her husband, Damon, their golden retriever, Deacon, and their stuffed monkey, Buster. They live in the Montclair area of Denver.

Links:

https://calvarydenver.org/

https://www.youtube.com/@CalvaryBaptistChurchOfDenver

Meet my friend and colleague, Jennifer Schneider!

Jennifer Schneider serves as the Associate Executive Minister for the American Baptist Churches of the Central Region. In this role, she is dedicated to supporting congregations across the region, with a particular passion for developing young leaders and helping churches create space for youth and emerging adults to grow in faith and leadership.
Jennifer earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas and her Master of Divinity from Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Jennifer lives in Olathe, Kansas, with her husband, John. They share their home with two golden retrievers and have three grown children. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys reading, walking, and traveling—finding renewal and inspiration in both new places and quiet moments.

Link to MPYC youth conference website:  https://www.mpyc-abc.org/

Matt and Tim chat with Meg about their book, From Distrust to Trust

How do you feel about your Ministry Hustle? Got Courage? Don't Miss this conversation!

The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. An ordained Baptist minister, Rev. Raushenbush is a longtime leader in the interfaith movement. At Interfaith Alliance he works with affiliates, networks and leaders in Washington, D.C. and across the country to forge powerful alliances among people of diverse faiths and beliefs to build a resilient, inclusive democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all.

Rev. Raushenbush also hosts the weekly podcast and radio show “The State of Belief” with the tagline Where Religion and Democracy Meet, distributed by Religion News Service. Recent guests include Timothy Snyder, Katherine Stewart, Skye Perryman, Bishop William Barber, Rabbi Sharon Brous, Najeeba Sayeed, Simran Jeet Singh, E.J. Dionne, Rob Reiner, and Tim Alberta.

Prior to coming to Interfaith Alliance, Rev. Raushenbush served as senior vice president of the Auburn Seminary, the founding and executive editor of HuffPost Religion, which under his leadership was the most visited religion website, while also winning a Webby. Raushenbush was associate dean of religious life and the chapel at Princeton University, a founding editor of Beliefnet.com, and most recently, the senior advisor for public affairs and innovation at Interfaith America.

Rev. Raushenbush has spoken about religious diversity and the importance of inclusive religious liberty at colleges, churches and institutes around the country including The Chautauqua Institute, the Center for American Progress, Council on Foreign Relations, the New America Foundation and the Aspen Institute. He is regularly invited to offer commentary on issues of religion and civil rights in national outlets including CSPAN, CNN, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, NPR, New York Times, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, BBC, The Hill, Vice, the Guardian, and Religion News Service. He has published two books and contributed essays to several volumes on faith in public life.

Paul is married to the author Brad Gooch and lives in New York City where they are raising their two children.

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet my former seminary advisor from Anderson University School of Theology (Anderson, IN), Rev. Dr. Kimberly Majeski. She is now the Executive Director of Christian Women Connection. 

https://christianwomenconnection.org/

Dr. Mario Joseph, a devoted Christian author, and a community pillar, embodies a life committed to faith, family, and service. Born into the Catholic faith, Mario's spiritual journey would lead him on a remarkable path of devotion and purpose.

In 1993, fate introduced Dr. Mario to Rolaine, who would later become his beloved wife for three decades and the nurturing mother of their five sons. This union was not just a love story but a catalyst for Dr. Mario's profound transformation. In 1994, under Rolaine's guidance, Dr. Mario made the life-altering decision to accept Jesus Christ as his savior. He symbolized this newfound faith through baptism shortly after that, marking his formal entry into the Bethel Baptist Church as an esteemed member.

Throughout the years, Dr. Mario's dedication to his church knew no bounds. He wholeheartedly embraced numerous roles, from leading the Music Department to serving as President of Administration and Chair of the Board of Trustees. His versatile talents extended to project management, media production, and sound engineering. Moreover, he inspired and guided the church youth as the Epic Youth Coordinator and founder of BHBC Epic Youth Nations.

Dr. Mario's academic achievements are equally impressive, reflecting his commitment to continuous learning. He holds bachelor’s degrees in organizational leadership and business administration and master’s degrees in organizational leadership and the pursuit of biblical studies. His pursuit of knowledge culminated in a Doctor of Business Administration focused on Information Technology Management. Furthermore, he honed his skills with a Mini-MBA in Digital Marketing, certifications in project management, applying for grants, managing, and grants writing.

Beyond his academic and ecclesiastical accomplishments, Bethel licenses Dr. Mario to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and puts Dr, Mario on the path for pastoral ordination. His life's journey is a testament to unwavering faith, family values, and an unyielding commitment to serving his community and Creator.

What happens when a guest leaves Meg speechless- Find out! 

Meet Rev. Dr. Robert Wallace, author of A Prism of Song: Seeing the Old Testament through the Psalms. This is life-changing reading! 

Rev. Dr. Wallace's first love is teaching, and he is currently the pastor of McLean Baptist Church in Virginia. He is also a self-proclaimed sci-fi nerd. 

You can purchase A Prism of Song: Seeing the Old Testament through the Psalms at https://amzn.to/3XN9qmd

This episode could also be called " Two Midwesterners talk about life." Join Meg and her guest, Melanie Hauser, as they discuss Melanie's dream job as Chaplain at Buena Vista University in Iowa, pitch-in dinners, and her life with Reepicheep the cat. Can a cat break down barriers? Listen and find out!

You can follow Reepicheep on Instagram @Reepicheepthecat 

The etsy page where you can buy Reepicheep’s calendar and coloring book is here: https://revdrmel.etsy.com

There is a bonfire account set up with t-shirts and tote bag merch here that supports our local animal rescue: https://www.bonfire.com/store/help-reepicheeps-peeps/

Here is the university website with information about spiritual life on campus: https://www.bvu.edu/spiritual-life

Here is a standard recipe for scotcheroos (not tested by me but looks pretty average): https://dancearoundthekitchen.com/best-ever-scotcheroos/