CW: This episode deals with intense topics such a child sexual abuse + religious trauma. In this episode, Kerry + David speak with Micki Morelli. When I (David) was in my 20s, I taught at a Christian school in Santa Barbara. Mickie was one of the students there, and I think I met her when she was about 8 years old. She survived her school experience because of her own intuition, her parents’ support, and a couple of compassionate teachers. Her reflections will be meaningful to anyone who attended a fundamentalist school as a child.

This will be especially true for those whose school who sadly did not consider the pain of fundamentalism, learning disabilities, dyslexia, sexism, homophobia, and especially white supremacy. Mickie is the definition of compassion.

In this episode, Kerry + David speak with Mac James. Mac James, known by the Santa Barbara community where he grew up as Gene James, is a former fundamentalist Christian who left the church in his late teens and spent the next several years searching for a way to connect with the world around him. This led to him becoming a Buddhist in the late nineties and later, a meditation teacher. His current interests lie in decolonization, equity, and diversity, with a particular focus around the Indigenous and rainbow communities. He currently lives on a small farm in New Zealand with his wife, son, two chickens, two pigs, and one mad dog.

In this episode, Kerry + David speak with Mac James. Mac James, known by the Santa Barbara community where he grew up as Gene James, is a former fundamentalist Christian who left the church in his late teens and spent the next several years searching for a way to connect with the world around him. This led to him becoming a Buddhist in the late nineties and later, a meditation teacher. His current interests lie in decolonization, equity, and diversity, with a particular focus around the Indigenous and rainbow communities. He currently lives on a small farm in New Zealand with his wife, son, two chickens, two pigs, and one mad dog.

In this episode, Kerry + David speak with Barb Parnet, who has a fascinating story of faith. "It was in Jerusalem in 1969 when i began to question the old testament God. I was on pilgrimage with forty 16 year olds from the Jewish community in Kansas City. Among us were those with various levels of religious observance.  Some kept Kosher, others were more reform.  We came from different synagogues and temples .  We were there to visit holy sites as well as the Dead Sea, Kibbutzim, archeological sites, the souk in the old city, the beach at Eilat. We even met David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel  at Sde Boker in the desert. One day, we were listening to a Rabbi talk to us about the 613 commandments in the Torah, the old testament.   I asked the Rabbi  “if I do not keep every one of the 613 commandments, does that mean I am not a good Jew?”,  and he said YES.

"Something happened to me at that moment.  My body was telling me in my gut that he was wrong.  I knew I was a good person. I did not know what that meant as far as God was concerned.  I still recited the Shema which is a declaration of faith to God that you declare on the door post of your house and upon your gates.  Mostly I felt rejected. There was no room for discussion, but something in me knew he was wrong.  I was a good girl and I knew better than to try and argue."

In this episode, Kerry + David speak with Barb Parnet, who has a fascinating story of faith. "It was in Jerusalem in 1969 when i began to question the old testament God. I was on pilgrimage with forty 16 year olds from the Jewish community in Kansas City. Among us were those with various levels of religious observance.  Some kept Kosher, others were more reform.  We came from different synagogues and temples .  We were there to visit holy sites as well as the Dead Sea, Kibbutzim, archeological sites, the souk in the old city, the beach at Eilat. We even met David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel  at Sde Boker in the desert. One day, we were listening to a Rabbi talk to us about the 613 commandments in the Torah, the old testament.   I asked the Rabbi  “if I do not keep every one of the 613 commandments, does that mean I am not a good Jew?”,  and he said YES.

"Something happened to me at that moment.  My body was telling me in my gut that he was wrong.  I knew I was a good person. I did not know what that meant as far as God was concerned.  I still recited the Shema which is a declaration of faith to God that you declare on the door post of your house and upon your gates.  Mostly I felt rejected. There was no room for discussion, but something in me knew he was wrong.  I was a good girl and I knew better than to try and argue."

Verónica is a neurodivergent indigenous woman who doesn't fit-in anywhere but belongs everywhere; "ni de aqui, ni de alla" ("neither from here, nor there"). Verónica was born in San Jose, California and was raised in the border-town of Calexico, California; she is the daughter of an urban Native-American vietnam war veteran father (protestant pentecostal) and a rural-farming Mexican immigrant mother (former roman catholic). While earning her master's of arts in theology, Verónica served at a Presbyterian church in Highland Park, where she realized the glass ceiling for women in ministry was lowered but removed. While working with various populations with similar traumas as hers and her families, she decided to pursue a master's of science in marital and family therapy. After working 13+ years as a psychotherapist in various contexts and settings, Verónica now considers herself an "outlier of outliers" clinician who's calling in life has, is and always will be, to serve the marginalized communities that surround her, while "following the Jesus way", as elder Richard Twiss (Lakota/Siux) would say. *(Book reference: One Church, Many Tribes: Following Jesus the Way God Made You).

Verónica is a neurodivergent indigenous woman who doesn't fit-in anywhere but belongs everywhere; "ni de aqui, ni de alla" ("neither from here, nor there"). Verónica was born in San Jose, California and was raised in the border-town of Calexico, California; she is the daughter of an urban Native-American vietnam war veteran father (protestant pentecostal) and a rural-farming Mexican immigrant mother (former roman catholic). While earning her master's of arts in theology, Verónica served at a Presbyterian church in Highland Park, where she realized the glass ceiling for women in ministry was lowered but removed. While working with various populations with similar traumas as hers and her families, she decided to pursue a master's of science in marital and family therapy. After working 13+ years as a psychotherapist in various contexts and settings, Verónica now considers herself an "outlier of outliers" clinician who's calling in life has, is and always will be, to serve the marginalized communities that surround her, while "following the Jesus way", as elder Richard Twiss (Lakota/Siux) would say. *(Book reference: One Church, Many Tribes: Following Jesus the Way God Made You).

In this episode, David and Kerry speak with award-winning film-maker, writer, and entrepreneur, Lisa Alexander about her upcoming film, My Father, the Queen — a story that explores the relationship of a closeted gay Black man and his daughter, Kelly. The relationship turns cold after Walter is exposed by his wife Carolyn. Kelly is desperate for validation and approval and compromises herself to get it. The two are forced together during the pandemic when Walter catches COVID and lists Kelly as his next of kin. The film spans the 70s, 80s, 90s, and current day.

In this episode, David and Kerry speak with award-winning film-maker, writer, and entrepreneur, Lisa Alexander about her upcoming film, My Father, the Queen — a story that explores the relationship of a closeted gay Black man and his daughter, Kelly. The relationship turns cold after Walter is exposed by his wife Carolyn. Kelly is desperate for validation and approval and compromises herself to get it. The two are forced together during the pandemic when Walter catches COVID and lists Kelly as his next of kin. The film spans the 70s, 80s, 90s, and current day.

Samuel Kim is a Korean American Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. He obtained his M.S. in marriage and family therapy from Fuller’s School of Psychology and graduated from Wheaton College with a B.A. in psychology. He currently works at Oak and Stone Therapy, where he sees individual and couple clients struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, and relational conflict. His experience includes work in private practice, community mental health, faith-based, and school settings. A significant part of Samuel Kim’s passion for his work comes from his multicultural background. Aside from being born in a Korean immigrant family, Samuel grew up in southern China as a missionary kid from when he was 5 years old to when he graduated high school. He gained more awareness of his racial identity in college, where he also met his spouse, Sara Pineda, a Honduran international student. As a result of his multiple identities, Samuel is passionate about supporting people navigating their racial, spiritual, and cultural identities, and he loves working with people in non-profit or helping professions.As a missionary kid, Samuel attended Christian schools all the way through graduate school except for one year in 4th grade. A few years ago, due to challenges with the U.S. church, Samuel chose to take a step back from organized religion. Recently, he has slowly and cautiously started to re-enter church community again, balancing connection with others while remaining authentic to his own faith and self.

Samuel Kim is a Korean American Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. He obtained his M.S. in marriage and family therapy from Fuller’s School of Psychology and graduated from Wheaton College with a B.A. in psychology. He currently works at Oak and Stone Therapy, where he sees individual and couple clients struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, and relational conflict. His experience includes work in private practice, community mental health, faith-based, and school settings. A significant part of Samuel Kim’s passion for his work comes from his multicultural background. Aside from being born in a Korean immigrant family, Samuel grew up in southern China as a missionary kid from when he was 5 years old to when he graduated high school. He gained more awareness of his racial identity in college, where he also met his spouse, Sara Pineda, a Honduran international student. As a result of his multiple identities, Samuel is passionate about supporting people navigating their racial, spiritual, and cultural identities, and he loves working with people in non-profit or helping professions.As a missionary kid, Samuel attended Christian schools all the way through graduate school except for one year in 4th grade. A few years ago, due to challenges with the U.S. church, Samuel chose to take a step back from organized religion. Recently, he has slowly and cautiously started to re-enter church community again, balancing connection with others while remaining authentic to his own faith and self.

In this episode, David and Kerry give a quick rundown about the EXCITING guests we have coming up for Season 2.

In this episode, get to know co-host Kerry Connelly a bit more and hear about her journey out of fundamental Christianity, through progressive spaces and into what she now calls an expansive faith that may or may not be riddled with angels.

In this episode, get to know co-host Kerry Connelly a bit more and hear about her journey out of fundamental Christianity, through progressive spaces and into what she now calls an expansive faith that may or may not be riddled with angels.

Zack has spent the last decade writing about the interplay of faith and politics in the public sphere on his eponymous blog, Substack, and Patheos as well as contributing articles to multiple publications. He’s also made appearances in Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, Huffington Post, and various other media outlets. Zack’s work culminated in the launch of his first book, Unraptured, in 2019 which Publishers Weekly called “a piquant debut.” Using stories drawn from his own faith deconstruction, Unraptured reimagined the biblical theology and application of Revelation to see it not as mysterious code to be unraveled, but a source of hope and liberation, particularly for the least of these among us. His next book, Godbreathed: What It Really Means For the Bible To Be Inspired, will release in the spring of 2023. LEARN MORE ABOUT ZACK HERE.

Assistant Professor of African American Studies, American Indian Studies, and History at UCLA, the best way to introduce Kyle T. Mays is with a quote from the distinguished documentarian Raoul Peck, director of I Am Not Your Negro and Exterminate All the Brutes, who writes, "Only twenty years ago, Kyle Mays’s voice wouldn’t even have passed through academia’s and media’s gatekeepers. The fact that a voice like this can be heard today and tell his own story is unexpected great news for America . . . and it’s just the beginning.” Kyle T. Mays wrote "An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States.” Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz calls it "required reading to comprehend the deep historical relationship between the Indigenous peoples who were transported from Africa into chattel slavery and the Indigenous peoples who were displaced by European settler colonialism."

Assistant Professor of African American Studies, American Indian Studies, and History at UCLA, the best way to introduce Kyle T. Mays is with a quote from the distinguished documentarian Raoul Peck, director of I Am Not Your Negro and Exterminate All the Brutes, who writes, "Only twenty years ago, Kyle Mays’s voice wouldn’t even have passed through academia’s and media’s gatekeepers. The fact that a voice like this can be heard today and tell his own story is unexpected great news for America . . . and it’s just the beginning.” Kyle T. Mays wrote "An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States.” Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz calls it "required reading to comprehend the deep historical relationship between the Indigenous peoples who were transported from Africa into chattel slavery and the Indigenous peoples who were displaced by European settler colonialism."

Celebrated Christian Children's author, Matthew Paul Turner, made waves in 2020 when he and his wife announced their divorce, and Matthew came out as gay. In this episode we talk about his journey and his faith.

Celebrated Christian Children's author, Matthew Paul Turner, made waves in 2020 when he and his wife announced their divorce, and Matthew came out as gay. In this episode we talk about his journey and his faith.

Sydney Smanpongse is a Master of Public Policy student at the University of California, Los Angeles. They hold a Bachelor's degree in sociology and political science from the University of California, Irvine. As a Los Angeles native, they have witnessed firsthand the vast disparities that disproportionately affect individuals from various minority backgrounds. As a growing policy practitioner, they are passionate about the opportunity to improve the quality of life for people and their communities through social policy. Sydney is pursuing a career as a nonprofit policy analyst to address issues that have the greatest impact on low-income communities such as racism, labor rights, and lack of protections for the LGBTQIA+ community. 

In their free time, they enjoy cheering on Los Angeles' best basketball team (go Clippers!) and watching terrible movies.