The Art of Holiness

Carol Ward has a unique call on her life, to "go where no one wants to go." That call has sent her into some of the darkest places in the world, including war-torn regions of Uganda and South Sudan, where she shares love with those who feel most forgotten. Carol, the child of missionaries, is the founder and director of Favor of God Ministries, which seeks to change whole nations one person and one prayer at a time. Join us for a conversation with a woman of God who is living at the radical edge of obedience.

Friends, we are so excited about Carolyn Moore's new book When Women Lead. Carolyn is not only one of our co-host for the Art of Holiness Podcast, but she is also a church planter, speaker, writer, and most importantly a wife, mom, and grandmama. Carolyn's new book looks at the topic of Women Leading from a biblical, practical, and cultural view point. This book is for you!We are on our way to NewRoom Conference 2022 and we hope you will enjoy this podcast as you make your way there as well! 

Rev. Dr. Jo Anne Lyon is General Superintendent Emerita of The Wesleyan Church. She serves now as The Ambassador — a position specifically created by action of the General Board of The Wesleyan Church to retain the considerable connections and influence of of Dr. Lyon. It is a great title for a role she plays naturally, not just for The Wesleyan Church but for the whole Church of Jesus Christ. Dr. Lyon also serves on the executive committee of the National Association of Evangelicals along with a ton of other national organizations that advance the Kingdom of God. She is the founder and CEO of World Hope International, and organization formed to direct faith-based relief from suffering and injustice into over 30 countries around the world. In addition to all that, she speaks daily into the lives of those just stepping into ministry. Her heart is clearly for passing the mantle on to those ready to step up and serve the cause of Christ. This is a conversation with a true elder of the Church. 

Mark Barrow is the CEO of Aldersgate Ministries, a renewal movement within the United Methodist Church that has been contending for Spirit-filled ministry for decades. Aldersgate’s mission is offer opportunities for every follower of Jesus to experience transforming growth through the love of the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mark’s work as a leader in this ministry is to connect local churches with opportunities for growth and renewal. We wanted to talk to Mark about where he is seeing moves of the Spirit in the American Church. We hope you listen. 

Scott Kelso is a writer, a community organizer, and a prophet to the Church. Currently, he serves as the General Overseer of the 5 Points Greater Columbus Apostolic Network, which is an alliance of churches and ministries gathered to see the Kingdom of God established and maintained in the greater Columbus, Ohio area. He has served with Aldersgate Renewal  Ministries and as the President of the Charismatic Leaders Fellowship, which is a national group of leaders comprising denominational, non-denominational and Catholic fellowships. Scott has authored two books - Ice On Fire, and Theological Violence in the 21st Century. In this episode, we’ll talk with him about theological education, what it means to be a prophetic Church, and the values of God. 

We’ve tried with this series of interviews to focus a little more on the value of community, and that’s what led us to Sean. He was part of an intentional community in Texas, then moved to Lexington, Kentucky where he became part of another intentional community in the MLK neighborhood of Lexington. Sean is also part of the larger 12-step community and he will talk about alll these projects and ways of being during our conversation. Sean is just a cool guy. He describes his first book, The Story of God, the Story of Us  as an attempt to tell the ‘Big Story’ that unfolds in the pages of the bible. It is a marvelous telling of the over-arching narrative of the Bible. I give it out all the time and highly recommend it. His second book, TEN: Words of Life for an Addicted, Compulsive, Cynical, Divided and Worn-out Culture, was also published with IVP. So much to talk about with Sean. Let’s dive in. 

Bob Garrett is the General Coordinator for the Alleluia Community, an ecumenical, charismatic community in Augusta, Georgia. The Alleluia Community is not a church. It is an intentional  community of more than 200 households seeking to help one another live lives that glorify God through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. For fifty years this community has explored what it means to live in covenant together, and how that might impact the world around them. Bob has been part of this community since its inception, giving him a unique perspective on community, ecumenism, spirituality, and discipleship. 

Jessica LaGrone is the Dean of the Chapel at Asbury Theological Seminary, where she leads an amazingly creative team of musicians, worship leaders and servants, prayer warriors, and Levites, or what I like to call holy organizers. She also teaches preaching at Asbury and has a very cool online practice called Preacher's Block … where pastors can block off time to prepare in community but without distraction. We’ll say more about that in a minute. She has written three beautiful Bible studies: Set Apart, Broken and Blessed, and Namesake. And today we’ll be talking about her latest book, Out of Chaos: How God Makes New things from the Broken Pieces of Life. But before we go to this conversation, I want to say that for both Pierce and me, Jessica is more than the sum total of her resume. She’s a wise and anchoring voice, a solid leader in the Methodist movement, and a real friend … the kind who answers texts and phone calls even though miles and time separate us. That kind of person is not so common … it is a true grace to have Jessica with us at the Art of Holiness.

Dr. Sandra Richter is an internationally known Old Testament scholar. She is the author of the extraordinary Epic of Eden Bible study, and professor and Dean at Westmont College. Her areas of expertise include Deuteronomy, Isaiah, and ancient languages, as well as a forthcoming book on environmental theology. We tapped Sandra so we could talk with her about supernatural ministry in the Old Testament, but she shares so much more. 

Well it has been a minute for The Art of Holiness Podcast and we are thrilled to be back with you all. In this episode you will hear what we have coming up on this season and what has been happening in the life of Carolyn and Pierce. Let's just say one of them is moving across the country, so don't skip this episode. Thanks for listening! 

With this episode, we wrap up season three of The Art of Holiness, and we do so with a ton of gratitude for you. Our podcast community is a great blessing to us. Thanks for listening. Today, we're giving you a double dose of good conversation with two of our favorite people. Dr. Alec Rowlands is the senior pastor of Westgate Chapel in Edmonds, Washington, and the founder of Church Awakening, which equips pastors for spiritual awakening. Rev. Matt Reynolds is the pastor of Stillwater Church in Dayton, Ohio, and the director of Spirit and Truth, a movement among Spirit-filled Methodists who long for a more vibrant Church. These two men share a deep desire to see the Church in America enlivened by the Holy Spirit, and our conversations with them reflect that passion. We hope you listen.

In a season when anxiety and hopelessness seem to be at record highs, today's conversation with Dr. Matthew Sleeth is especially poignant. Dr. Sleeth is a former emergency room physician and Chief of Staff, who resigned from his position to teach, preach, and write about faith and health. He has spoken at more than one thousand churches, campuses, and events, including serving as a monthly guest preacher at the Washington National Cathedral. Recognized by Newsweek as one of the nation’s most influential Christian leaders, Dr. Sleeth is the executive director of Blessed Earth and author of numerous articles and books. In this podcast, we'll talk through his latest book, Hope Always: How To Be a Force for Life in a Culture of Suicide. We hope you listen. 

It has been a sheer joy to get to know Dr. Ivan Filby. You're going to love this conversation with him. Ivan has all the credentials of a scholar (he has served as president of Greenville University in Illinois, and taught business studies at Trinity College Dublin for 16 years), and all the heart, soul, and wisdom of a true prophet.  Ivan has helped people learn how to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit on five continents for over thirty years, and if you stand still long enough he'll find his way over to you with a word from the Lord! We talked to him in this podcast about his latest book, Livestream, which is all about learning how to hear and follow the voice of God. We hope you listen. 

Rich Villodas was raised up under the ministry of Pete Scazzero (author of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and other books in that same theme), and succeeded him as the lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church with more than seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Rich is uniquely gifted to lead this urban and diverse community of faith. His book, The Deeply Formed Life, leads us into the spiritual practices that help us live out some of the most controversial issues facing our culture. We talked to Rich about his book, about holy rhythms, and about what it means to lead in a controversial time. 

In this episode, we had a great conversation with Tara Beth Leach about what the Church can be. Tara Beth is a pastor, speaker, writer, and encourager, who has served as a pastor in the Nazarene tradition in Pasadena, California and suburban Chicago. She is the author of Kingdom Culture, Emboldened, and most recently,  Radiant Church: Restoring the Credibility of Our Witness. She calls herself a “prisoner of hope” — with a vision for seeing the Church find itself in revival in our day. That heart comes through in this conversation. We hope you listen. 

We sat down for an incredible conversation with Bishop Dr.. Todd Hunter at New Room Conference 2021. Dr. Hunter is the founding bishop of The Anglican Diocese, Churches for the Sake of Others. He is a past president of Alpha USA and former national director for the Association of Vineyard Churches. An adjunct professor at several seminaries, he is author of Christianity Beyond Belief, Giving Church Another Chance, The Outsider Interviews, The Accidental Anglican, Our Favorite Sins, and Our Character at Work.

Jo Saxton trains women to lead, which makes her an automatic hero to us. She is a podcast co-host along with Steph O-Brien (the podcast is called Leading Stories), an internationally known speaker, the author of four books (More than Enchanting, The Dream of You), and a leadership coach focusing on helping women find their voice. Her newest book is called Ready to Rise. Using her own story as a backdrop, Jo uses these pages to help women find the relationships, tools, and voice they need to lead well.  

This week, we are honored to air a recent conversation recorded with Dr. William J. "Billy" Abraham. It was a privilege that Billy graciously gave us his time during the NewRoom Conference to talk about a broad range of issues. Tragically, just two weeks later, Billy passed from this life unexpectedly. Pierce and I  want to remember him by airing this conversation together with two friends who were an integral part of this final chapter of Billy’s life. Ryan Barnett, pastor of Waco First United Methodist Church, will talk with us about the establishment of The Wesley House of Studies and Billy’s work there. After we hear the conversation with Billy, Kevin Watson will help us to put words around where his vision of a renewed Methodism can go from here. 

We were honored to sit down at NewRoom Conference 2021 with Allen Hood. Allen is first and foremost a lover of Jesus, Husband, and Dad. Allen served as the Associate Director of IHOPKC from 2000-2020 and as the President of the International House of Prayer University from 2003-2016. In January 2019, Allen founded the Excellencies of Christ Ministries, which exists to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth and to disciple the body of Christ through prayer, preaching, creative resources, and the building up of the local church. Allen also regularly travels, ministers, and consults with various churches and ministries around the world.We pray this is a blessings for you as it has been for us! 

This week, you’ll listen in as we talk with three friends about the love of God. Two you’ve heard from before. Jorge Acevedo is co-pastor of Grace Church in Cape Coral, Florida, and Tom Tanner is the pastor of Riverstone Church in Kennesaw, Georgia. Our third guest is new to The Art of Holiness. Jerry Coleman is with The Francis Asbury Society in Wilmore, Kentucky. In these three conversations, we hear stories of God’s love experienced cross-culturally, as brotherly love, in seasons of ministry. This is rich conversation offered by faithful friends. We hope you listen.