Difficult Conversations – Details, episodes & analysis

In this inaugural episode of Difficult Conversations, host Walter Kim interviews Dr. Jonathan Haidt, one of the world’s top experts on the psychology of morality and politics, to explore how we ended up so divided, including how technology and social media has shaped us and is shaping the next generation.

You’ll also meet Heather Zempel, discipleship pastor at National Community Church, located in the heart of Washington, D.C. Over the years, NCC has successfully encouraged church members, from both sides of the aisle, to engage with one another through small groups and Bible studies. But as she shares, that’s gotten more difficult as our world has become more polarized. 

Both Jonathan and Heather leave those who want to be peacemakers in our divided country with some practical next steps. Their recommendations may surprise you.

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As we’ve become more polarized and divided than ever, it feels like meaningful, respectful conversations between people who disagree have become a thing of the past. Is it still possible to have difficult conversations with people who see the world differently from us without sacrificing our deep convictions and beliefs? What is the role of Christians in this moment? How can Christians be peacemakers within their churches, and among the larger society?

From the National Association of Evangelicals comes a new podcast series, Difficult Conversations. It’s an exploration of how we ended up so polarized, and how Christians can become the peacemakers that Jesus called blessed. Hosted by NAE President Walter Kim, this series will share incredible stories of people who’ve stepped into enemy territory for the sake of building bridges, and you’ll hear from experts on why difficult conversations are so hard, how to have them, and why they matter for the kingdom of God.

The series features:

• Jonathan Haidt, renowned social psychologist and author of “The Anxious Generation”
• Dr. Francis Collins, acclaimed scientist and served as director of the National Institutes of Health during the COVID pandemic
• Derwin Gray, lead pastor of Transformation Church in Indian Land, NC
• Kaitlyn Schiess, public theologian and author of “The Ballot and the Bible”
• Christina Edmondson, author and cohost of the Truth’s Table podcast
• Mark DeYmaz, founder of Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas
• Sean McDowell, apologist, podcaster and author of “End the Stalemate”
• and many more…

Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts. The full series launches on September 26. To find found more: http://difficultconversationspod.org/

Do you like the podcast?

Give us a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. If you listen on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to be sure you never miss an episode. This is the best way for others to discover this series too. And don’t forget to pass your favorite episodes along to friends and family.

Welcome to Difficult Conversations

From the National Association of Evangelicals comes a new podcast series, Difficult Conversations. It’s an exploration of how we ended up so polarized, and how Christians can become the peacemakers that Jesus called blessed.

Hosted by NAE President Walter Kim, this series will share incredible stories of people who’ve stepped into enemy territory for the sake of building bridges, and you’ll hear from experts on why difficult conversations are so hard, how to have them, and why they matter for the kingdom of God.

Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts.

Do you like the podcast?

Give us a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. If you listen on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to be sure you never miss an episode. This is the best way for others to discover this series too. And don’t forget to pass your favorite episodes along to friends and family.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE!

This episode of Difficult Conversations features two Christians who sat on opposite sides of the COVID divide. As director of the National Institutes of Health from 2009 to 2021, Dr. Francis Collins played a pivotal role in the COVID response. Wilk Wilkinson, who lives in rural Minnesota, was intensely critical of how the government handled COVID and is the host of Derate the Hate podcast.

You’ll also hear from Amanda Ripley, a New York Times bestselling author and contributor for The Washington Post, about conflict entrepreneurs, the role of the media, and how to turn high conflict into good conflict. 

What can we learn from how we handled COVID in our churches, communities and national discourse? Is repair possible for the relationships that remain fractured? Our guests say that it’s not only possible but it’s essential to overcome the deep polarization in our country.

Go to Show Notes

Go to full interview of Amanda Ripley

Go to full interview of Dr. Francis Collins & Wilk Wilkinson

Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Carl talks about his experience growing up in Upstate New York and how he has grappled with his identity as a rural white American. He also sheds light on the complexities and diversity within rural America, the sense of loss that many rural residents feel, and the lure of Christian nationalism as a response to that loss.

This conversation peels back misconceptions of rural-urban divide and offers greater clarity for those seeking to be peacemakers among Americans with different lived experiences.

Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Do you like the podcast?

Give us a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. If you listen on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to be sure you never miss an episode. This is the best way for others to discover this series too. And don’t forget to pass your favorite episodes along to friends and family.

Go to Show Notes

Watch More

Are You TRAPPED in High Conflict? | Amanda Ripley

Dr. Francis Collins Talks With Outspoken COVID Response Critic

In 2020, Pastor Caleb Campbell watched Christian nationalism take over large swaths of his congregation in Phoenix, Arizona. He thought about giving up on the church, but over the years, he came to see himself as a missionary to Christian nationalists.

In Episode 3 of our Difficult Conversations series, Caleb shares his journey from skinhead to pastor, and from accusations of demonic influence to restored relationships. Along with Dr. Sheila Heen at Harvard Negotiation Project, he offers a hopeful way to engage with those who hold extreme views.

And you'll also hear Gabriel Salguero of National Latino Evangelical Coalition describe his own encounter with extreme views.

Listen on your favorite podcast app. Show notes here: http://nae.org/christian-nationalism-podcast

#difficultconversations #peacemakers #polarized #divided #church #christiannationalism

This episode of Difficult Conversations features candid discussions between members and leaders of Mosaic Church, a multiethnic church in Little Rock, Arkansas, on the messiness and the beauty that comes from working and worshiping with people from different backgrounds. And Pastor Mark DeYmaz shares what compelled him to leave a comfortable, culturally homogenous church to plant Mosaic in the first place.

You’ll also hear Pastor Derwin Gray’s journey from pro-football player to multiethnic church planter and his challenge for Christians to view the world through the lens of Jesus’ kingdom — not race, politics or any other thing. Lisa Fields, president of Jude 3 Project, calls attention to why this matters for the Church’s witness.

Show notes here: https://nae.org/multiethnic-church-podcast



Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Do you like the podcast?

Give us a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. If you listen on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to be sure you never miss an episode. This is the best way for others to discover this series too. And don’t forget to pass your favorite episodes along to friends and family.

Resources



• Full interview with Pastor Derwin Gray on YouTube
• A Multicultural Vision for the Church edition of the NAE magazine
• “Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church” by Mark DeYmaz
• “How to Heal Our Racial Divide” by Derwin Gray
• From Deconstruction to Reconstruction, NAE podcast with Lisa Fields
• Jude 3 Project
• NAE Racial Justice & Reconciliation Collaborative
• Cultural Intelligence Center

Daniel is now the national director of Churches of Welcome at World Relief, and previously served as the director of the Church Multiplication Institute at the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. His story demonstrates how crossing boundaries in Jesus’ name can transform lives and bear fruit for generations to come.

Along with Host Walter Kim, Daniel explores our responsibility to welcome the most vulnerable, the role of immigrant and multiethnic churches in American Christianity, and how we should always keep our focus on the vision of the greater Church that is to come. 

Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Do you like the podcast?

Give us a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. If you listen on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to be sure you never miss an episode. This is the best way for others to discover this series too. And don’t forget to pass your favorite episodes along to friends and family.

Find Show Notes Here: NAE.org/b2-global-church-daniel-yang-difficult-conversations-podcast/

Resources

• Churches of Welcome, a World Relief initiative
• “Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church” by Daniel Yang, Eric Costanzo and Matthew Soerens
• “The Multiethnic Church Movement Hasn’t Lived up to Its Promise” article by Korie Little Edwards
• A Multicultural Vision for the Church edition of the NAE magazine
• I Am Your Immigrant Neighbor video series