What does it look like to pursue kingdom justice and mercy in a deeply divided cultural moment? In this episode of the Collective Leadership Podcast, Interim District Superintendent Omar Niebles and Kingdom Justice and Mercy Coordinator Jasmine Young sit down with Rev. Phil Gilmore, lead pastor of Saint John's Community Baptist Church in Newark, NJ.

With over 25 years in pastoral ministry — serving the same neighborhood where he grew up — Phil shares how his church and city come together across differences to meet real needs, from food distribution to workforce development. The conversation dives into the challenges pastors face navigating divisive cultural and political conversations, the importance of maintaining a prophetic voice rooted in Scripture rather than partisan allegiance, and how the church can engage issues of poverty, immigration, and justice without losing its identity in Christ.

Phil also shares practical wisdom on having hard conversations with grace, encouraging believers to approach others with a posture of education over judgment — and challenges all of us to consider what it means to be "purple" in a red-and-blue world.

Whether you're a pastor wrestling with how to lead through division or a believer trying to stay rooted in the kingdom, this conversation will encourage and challenge you.