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This week’s Church Potluck is a powerful crossover episode with American Angst. Dale McConkey is joined by fellow United Methodist pastors Rev. Ash McEwen and Rev. Karen Kagiyama, along with political scientist Dr. Michael Bailey, for a wide-ranging conversation about immigration, protest, and what it means to follow Jesus in public life.

The discussion begins with the real-world impact of current immigration policies. Ash McEwen, whose ministry is deeply rooted in immigrant and Latino communities, describes the daily fear many families face—detention uncertainty, deportation confusion, and the emotional toll of accompaniment. Karen Kagiyama offers theological grounding, framing clergy protest not as partisan politics but as Christian witness, solidarity, and lament, shaped by prayer and Jesus’ own challenge to injustice.

Michael Bailey brings historical and political insight, exploring when protest actually works and why nonviolent movements have often driven lasting change. Dale McConkey guides the table through key faith questions, including Romans 13, Jesus turning over the tables, and the United Methodist baptismal vow to “resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.”

Blending seriousness with warmth and humor, the conversation provides an honest, pastoral conversation that insists immigration is not abstract, protest is not simple, and Christian discipleship is inseparable from how we treat the most vulnerable among us.

The views expressed on Church Potluck are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.

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This week’s Church Potluck looks a little different than usual. With guests postponed and a winter storm rolling across the country, Dale flies solo—no roundtable conversation, no lively banter, just a thoughtful monologue shaped like a Bible study.

The focus, however, could not be more timely. Few topics divide Christians today more deeply than the question of power—Christian nationalism, political power, national identity, moral authority, and how Christian faith should shape public life. Drawing from Scripture and history, Dale explores three broad Christian approaches to power: sovereignty, stewardship, and servanthood. Along the way, he reflects on Israel’s demand for a king, the Bible’s growing caution toward human authority, Jesus’ repeated rejection of domination, and Paul’s vision of Christ’s self-emptying love in Philippians 2. The episode does not pretend that all viewpoints are equally convincing—but it seeks to approach disagreement with humility, theological clarity, and genuine grace toward those who see these questions differently.

The views expressed on Church Potluck are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.

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In this episode of Church Potluck, Dale McConkey welcomes a bundle of chaplains for a thoughtful, funny, and deeply moving conversation about what chaplains do—and how their ministry differs from that of congregational pastors. Special guest Rev. James Henderson—a priest in the Anglican Church of North America who serves as both a hospital chaplain and an Air Force chaplain—joins returning guests Rev. Chris Barbieri (hospital chaplain) and Rev. Dr. Jonathan Huggins (college chaplain). Together with Dale (former college chaplain), they explore chaplaincy as ministry in pluralistic spaces where people may hold different beliefs, carry church wounds, or find themselves in moments of profound vulnerability.

Through powerful stories from hospitals, college campuses, and the military, the conversation highlights the heart of chaplaincy: presence over preaching, compassion over correction, and trust over outcomes. The guests reflect on grief, doubt, interfaith care, confidentiality, staff support, and the challenge of offering hope without agenda—sometimes through words, and sometimes simply by standing with someone on the worst day of their life. If you’ve ever wondered how faith shows up when there is no pulpit, no congregation, and no easy answers, this episode offers an honest, moving, and deeply human glimpse into ministry beyond the church walls.

The views expressed on Church Potluck are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.