The Calling

Sho Baraka: Black Communities' Problems Need Black Theology's Solutions by Christianity Today

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H.B. Charles, Jr.: I Was a Teenage Pastor by Christianity Today

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Chris Castaldo's Solution to the Evangelical-Catholic Divide by Christianity Today

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Bryan Loritts, Lead Pastor of Mountainview, California’s Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, is one Christian leader who has decided to welcome both the promises and challenges of multiethnic ministry with open arms. As the former cofounder of a multiethnic church plant in Memphis and the current president of the Kainos Movement, Loritts has seen firsthand how diversity can change churches for the better. Now, with the tech industry drawing people from across the world to his church’s Silicon Valley home, he’s learned a thing or two about how churches everywhere can respond to national questions of race and ethnicity. On this week’s episode of The Calling, join CT managing editor Richard Clark as Loritts tells him about life in Silicon Valley, his experience planting a church in America’s most racially divided city, and why he thinks the American church is on the cusp of a multi-ethnic renaissance.

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In Her Fight against Slavery, Bianca Juarez Olthoff Isn’t Afraid to Play with Fire by Christianity Today

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Shauna Niequist's Recipe for a Hospitable Church by Christianity Today

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When Brent Gudgel was a kid growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, he already had the makings of the filmmaker he’d later become. Looking back now, he recalls watching reruns of The A-Team, MacGyver, and Knight Rider and thinking, “I want to be in stories like that with my friends.” With his VHS camera, he would channel his favorite shows by enacting and shooting stories about himself and his friends trying to protect their neighborhood from Columbian drug lords—bringing justice to evildoers and defending the helpless from harm. Nowadays, Gudgel may not be an A-team member or a superstar director of action blockbusters, but in many ways, his present work recalls the justice-seeking spirit of those first creative endeavors. As CEO and co-founder of the non-profit documentary film company Deidox, Brent has directed more than 250 short documentaries, many of which examine social issues affecting the poor and marginalized in more than 20 countries. He’s also the co-founder of Chronicle Project, a production company that specializes in marketing and fundraising videos for nonprofit organizations while helping to fight against AIDS, poverty, deforestation, sex trafficking, homelessness, and persecution in closed countries. Most recently, though, Gudgel has been screening and promoting Deidox’s newest film, The Ordinance, which tells the story of how Texas cities—with the help of local churches—are working to bring an end to predatory payday lending businesses. In a recent conversation with CT, Gudgel had the opportunity to reflect on what working on films like The Ordinance has taught him about how churches can share their experiences. On this week’s episode of The Calling, join CT managing editor Richard Clark as he invites Gudgel to share about his many filmmaking projects, how he kept himself interested during mandatory chapel services at his Christian college, and how following people around with a microphone and camera may be one of the best ways to show what God is doing in the world.

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The fact that rapper, writer, publisher, and pastor Tommy “Urban D.” Kyllonen feels called to minister to the inner city is no great surprise—“urban” is literally his middle name, after all. What is surprising, however, is the number of ways in which he’s managed to do it. Whether serving as lead pastor for Tampa’s multi-ethnic, multi-generational Crossover Church, performing hip-hop and spoken word concerts around the world, or writing books like Un.orthodox or ReBuild, Kyllonen has spent the last 20 years in ministry venture after ministry venture, bringing the gospel into every available nook and cranny of the city he calls home. But for someone who’s so keen on serving in neighborhoods where many churches won’t go, there are still some lines Urban D. won’t cross. For instance, while he’s been at the forefront of cultivating a hip-hop-friendly culture at Crossover, he’s also learned the hard way that when a church copies the world’s culture rather than creating one of its own, it can lead to confusion over what that church is really all about. If that tension sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Join us this week on The Calling, as CT managing editor Richard Clark chats with Urban D. about his brief stint as a Bible college rebel, how he used basketball to build a youth group, and what two decades of urban ministry have taught him about the church’s crucial role in America’s metropolitan future.

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Steve Addison doesn’t seem like the kind of man who’d have to wonder if he’s made an impact. For more than 25 years, Addison has followed his calling to “spark church planting movements,” first as a church-planter himself in Melbourne, Australia, then as a trainer and author, and now as the leader of MOVE, a mission agency dedicated to “multiplying disciples and churches everywhere.” With decades of ministry experience under his belt, he’s got a resume that would make many church leaders green with envy. Eight years ago, however, Addison felt the wheels coming off the wagon. He’d struggled with depression throughout his life and had learned to manage it well, but as he reached his fifties, he began to feel like he’d undershot the vision he’d once had for his life. On this week’s episode of The Calling, join Addison as he chats with CT managing editor Richard Clark about being an introvert, why he likes Queen Elizabeth II, and why he no longer worries about leaving a legacy.

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What’s it like to be a woman on the cutting edge of evangelical leadership? There may be few people more qualified to answer that question today than Katelyn Beaty, the managing editor of Christianity Today’s print magazine. As both the first woman and the youngest person to hold her position, Beaty is no stranger to breaking new ground for women—and she encourages others to do so not only in her work as founder and editor of CT’s Her.meneutics blog, but also in her newly published book A Woman’s Place, released just yesterday. But success and influence have come with their share of challenges for Beaty. As an evangelical arguing for a broader inclusion of women in public life, she’s drawn criticism from all sides for her nuanced approach to the issue of women in leadership. At the same time, she’s struggled with a church dating culture that doesn’t always value women’s professional achievements. On this week’s episode of The Calling, join CT managing editor Richard Clark as Beaty tells him about taking the helm of CT’s print magazine, the pivotal role that chicken fingers played in her choice of colleges, and how women can embrace their wide-ranging, world-changing callings.

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