Matthew Bennett unpacks sin, forgiveness and atonement – comparing the Biblical and Quranic views. In a conversation between Muslims and Christians, the same word can communicate very different ideas. Those unexplored differences can become obvious in how the afterlife is described. How is the Quran’s Paradise understood in comparison to the Bible’s description of Heaven? Takeaways: What are the meanings of sin and forgiveness in the Quran compared to the Bible How Quranic concepts may have impacted Arabic-speakers whether or not the community is Muslim How Christians can offer better explanations and increase understanding when talking about sin and forgiveness…

Pastor Michael Herbert shares about the attitude, expectations and gifting that contribute to a thriving ministry for pastors and church planters in New York City. Episode Summary: Pastor Michael Herbert is the son of Caribbean immigrants. After becoming a follower of Jesus, he was led into serving as a pastor and in cross-cultural ministry. Today, he serves as the Pastor of the English Congregation of the Chinese Evangel Mission Church of Queens and as the Dean of the New York School of the Bible (NYSB). He shares insight about cross-cultural ministry, urban ministry and pastoring in New York City. Scripture…

Dr. Ron Walborn serves as the Dean of a seminary in the heart of New York City, where the goal is to prepare the hearts as well as the minds of students. Episode Summary: Dr. Ron Walborn serves as the Dean of Alliance Theological Seminary that recently relocated all campus activity to New York City’s downtown where students can engage an international community. He is committed to preparing servant leaders for the future, not the past. He discusses the importance of incarnational discipleship. Scripture Related to the Episode: Luke 9:23 Topics Discussed: The attractional model and consumer Christianity in the…

Shirley Annan serves as the chair of Spark of Justice, the social justice ministry of Bethel Gospel Assembly, an evangelical church in Upper Manhattan, NYC. Episode Summary: Shirley Annan serves as the Ministry Coordinator and Chair of Spark of Justice for a New York City, evangelical, Pentecostal church. She talks about the needs of the church’s neighborhood, the ministry of reconciliation, and looks at social justice through the lens of Biblical justice. Scripture Related to Episode: Proverbs 31:8-9 Topics Discussed: How does Spark of Justice (SOJ) ministry work? Christians as agents of reconciliation Secular social justice compared to Biblical justice…

Valerie Althouse, D. Min., provides insight about how campus ministry adapted during covid19 restrictions, mobilizing the church’s multi-cultural, multi-ethnic urban residents as local missionaries and reaching unreached people groups scattered throughout American towns and cities. She desires to connect missional believers to serve and reach students and individuals who come from an international community. Episode Summary: Valerie Althouse, D. Min., serves as the Northern Mid-Atlantic Area Director for International Students Inc (ISI), a trainer, an emotional intelligence coach and an adjunct professor for Alliance Theological Seminary (ATS) in the areas of Missions and Evangelism. She talks about how local believers can…

Pastor Walter Sotelo shares about the challenges of church planting in New York City and the privilege of engaging the lost in a modern day Babylon that has a global influence. He has served in New York City for over 25 years as a pastor, mobilizer, church planter and more recently he has seen the need to be a peacemaker Episode Summary: Pastor Walter Sotelo shares about the challenges of church planting in New York City, casting vision within a new church plant and his hope for the church in America’s cities. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the Board…

Pastor Mimsie Robinson offers insights about a traditionally African-American, Harlem church in the face of a changing neighborhood, immigration, gentrification, crime and injustice. He is a native New Yorker and native Harlemite who serves as the Missions Pastor of Bethel Gospel Assembly in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City. Episode summary: Pastor Mimsie Robinson serves as the Missions Pastor of Bethel Gospel Assembly which is a traditionally African-American, Pentecostal congregation in Harlem, in New York City.  He shares his unique perspective as the church’s neighborhood experiences change, gentrification, crime, injustice and a wave of new immigration from Muslim West Africans.…

Pastor Jerry discusses the church as a missionary sending agency, benefits of short-term missions, and founding an international organization that holistically serves the poor and persecuted through relief, medical care, development and training. Pastor Jerry began his career as a computer programmer; he founded a not-for-profit and worked on Wall Street as he served at Brooklyn Tabernacle Church, a multi-ethnic congregation in the heart of downtown Brooklyn in New York City. Later, he joined the church’s staff full-time, overseeing missions. Episode summary: Pastor Jerry serves as an Associate Pastor at Brooklyn Tabernacle Church, a multi-ethnic congregation where he began the church’s…

George Russ shares his bird’s eye view of approximately 250 Baptist churches in metro New York City that have been impacted by COVID-19, recent racial justice movements, immigration and more. He serves a diverse group of Baptist churches in New York City, helping them to stay on mission and multiply. Episode Summary: George Russ, a native New Yorker, serves as the Executive Director of the Metro NY Baptist Association, a diverse family of approximately 250 metro churches that share the vision of the great commission—to make disciples of all the nations.  He oversees the organization as it connects existing churches,…

Chris Clayman shares insights about cities being strategic platforms for international missions to unengaged and unreached people groups who have migrated to urban areas. Chris Clayman went from Austin, Texas to England and Mali in order to get to the mission field in New York City. Episode summary: Chris Clayman, Associate Director and Co-Founder of Global Gates, talks about how God cultivated his call to missions and how time in England and Mali allowed him to see new opportunities for missions among unengaged and/ or unreached people groups in New York City. Scripture Referenced in Episode: Romans 10:14 Acts 17:26-27…