Our Church Speaks

Episode 66 - Saints & Scrupulosity (OCS Q&A part 3) 13.04.2026 47min

In this final episode of season 4, Ben and Dan tackle several additional questions submitted by listeners. // More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review.

Episode 65 - Can we pray to saints? What is a patron saint? (OCS Q&A episode with Ben and Dan - Part 2) 06.04.2026 46min

Ben and Dan tackle more questions submitted by the audience, including "What do you think about prayers to the saints?" and "Who is your patron saint?" // More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review.

Episode 64 - What is a saint? How are saints canonized? (OCS Q&A episode with Ben & Dan - Part 1) 30.03.2026 30min

Ben and Dan take your questions about church history, the saints, the Our Church Speaks project, and more. "What is a Saint?" and "How are saints canonized?" are a couple questions discussed in this episode. // More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 63 - The Martyrs of Sudan (with Kristen Barredo from the ARDF) 23.03.2026 45min

In this special episode of the Our Church Speaks podcast, Ben welcomes Kristen Barredo, Executive Director of the ARDF (the Anglican Relief & Development Fund) to discuss the current humanitarian crisis in Sudan and the needs of the church in this war-torn region. Learn more about the ARDF at www.ardf.org and donate to their relief efforts. // More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review.

Episode 62 - Justin Martyr, Teacher of the Faith 16.03.2026 50min

Ben and Dan discuss the life of Justin Martyr, an aspiring Greek philosopher who became a defender of Christian beliefs in the early church. // More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 61 - Sadhu Sundar Singh (Part 2) 09.03.2026 30min

Ben and Dan continue the story of Sadhu Sundar Singh, the remarkable Indian evangelist who traveled to many regions in Tibet, Nepal, India, and Pakistan sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. // More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 60 - Sadhu Sundar Singh (Part 1) 02.03.2026 34min

Ben and Dan discuss the remarkable life of Indian Saint Sadhu Sundar Singh. In part 1 of our conversation, we talk about his early life and his journey to faith as he is brought to point of despair as a teenager and miraculously saved by Jesus. // More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 59 - What is Lent? 23.02.2026 22min

Ben and Dan chat between Ash Wednesday services about Lent, it's history, and why Christians should consider participating in this ancient practice of fasting, pentitence, and worship. // More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Bonus Episode - Myths about the Council of Nicaea (thanks to the Church History for Chumps podcast) 16.02.2026 1h

Ben has had a few health struggles in the past month (including temporarily losing his voice), so we're posting another bonus episode featuring Ben as a guest on the Church History for Chumps podcast (originally released November, 2024). In this episode we tackle misconceptions about the Council of Nicaea and what it accomplished and how to correct popular misinformation with verifiable history. Be sure to subscribe to the Church History for Chumps podcast and follow them on Instagram @churchhistory4chumps More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 58 - Moses the Ethiopian, Monastic Leader & Martyr 09.02.2026 42min

Ben and Dan chat about the African desert father and martyr, Moses the Ethiopian and his inspiring story of redemption. More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 57 - Alcuin of York, Deacon & Abbot 02.02.2026 40min

In this episode, hosts Ben and Dan discuss the significance of the 8th century deacon and scholar, Alcuin of York and his articulation of the faith to the powers of his day.   More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 56 - Part 2 of Martin Luther King, Jr. Renewer of Society (with Dr. Mika Edmondson) 26.01.2026 37min

The Rev. Dr. Mika Edmondson joins us on the podcast for a discussion about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy. Mika Edmondson is the pastor of Koinonia Church in Nashville, TN. He earned a PhD in systematic theology from Calvin Seminary and wrote The Power of Unearned Suffering, a book about Martin Luther King Jr.’s theology of suffering. You can learn more about Dr. Edmondson at https://www.koinonianashville.com. In this episode, we discuss the concept of theodicy in Dr. King's teaching and spend some time answering common criticism of MLK. Finally, we conclude talking about his legacy today and what aspects of his vision are yet to be realized. More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 55 - Part 1 of Martin Luther King, Jr., Renewer of Society (with special guest Dr. Mika Edmondson) 19.01.2026 44min

Ben invites the Rev. Dr. Mika Edmondson onto the podcast for our discussion of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy. Mika Edmondson is the pastor of Koinonia Church in Nashville, TN. He earned a PhD in systematic theology from Calvin Seminary and wrote The Power of Unearned Suffering, a book about Martin Luther King Jr.’s theology of suffering. In this episode, we discuss MLK's life and the influence and inspiration he received from the American black church tradition. You can learn more about Dr. Edmondson at https://www.koinonianashville.com. More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

BONUS Episode - An interview with Ben Lansing, founder of Our Church Speaks (thanks to the Church History for Chumps Podcast) 12.01.2026 1h 12min

In this bonus episode of Our Church Speaks, we're sharing an episode from the podcast Church History for Chumps and their interview of Ben Lansing. In this episode, Ben shares some of his background and the vision behind why he started Our Church Speaks. Be sure to subscribe to the Church History for Chumps podcast and follow them on Instagram @churchhistory4chumps More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 54 - Benedict & Scholastica, Monastic Leaders 15.12.2025 52min

In this final episode of season 3 of the Our Church Speaks podcast, Ben and Dan discuss the life and work of Benedict and Scholastica, founders of the monastic Benedictine order. Along the way, they reflect on the importance of a rule of life and the necessity of submission to a way of life deeper than our individual, spiritual preferences. Season 4 of the Our Church Speaks episode will return in January, 2026. More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 53 - Pandita Mary Ramabai, Translator of the Scriptures & Renewer of Society 08.12.2025 40min

Ben and Dan tell the remarkable story of the Indian writer, activist, and Bible translator Pandita Mary Ramabai. Cover art by Ben Lansing. More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast, leaving a review, and supporting financially.

Episode 52 - Olga & Vladimir, Patrons of the Church in Russia & Ukraine 01.12.2025 36min

Ben and Dan tell the story of Olga, a merciless pagan queen of the Dark Ages who was transformed by the profound mercy of Jesus Christ, and her grandson, Vladimir, who was forever changed by Olga's faith. Cover art by Ben Lansing. More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 51 - John Bunyan, Puritan & Spiritual Writer 24.11.2025 45min

Ben and Dan reflect on the life and times of John Bunyan, a 17th century Puritan Baptist preacher and author of the seminal work of English literature, The Pilgrim's Progress. Cover art by Ben Lansing. More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast, leaving a review, and supporting financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1 For more about the English Civil War era of church history, listen to Ben's interview about King Charles I on the Church History for Chumps podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/church-history-for-chumps/id1686344331?i=1000697609691

Episode 50 - Macrina the Younger, Church Mother & Teacher of the Faith 17.11.2025 45min

Dan and Ben discuss the life and work of Macrina the Younger, an early church mother who inherited the apostle's teaching and defended the faith through her prayer and service. More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast and leaving a review. You can support the Our Church Speaks project financially at https://buymeacoffee.com/ourchurchspeaks?new=1

Episode 49 - Olaudah Equiano & William Wilberforce 10.11.2025 44min

Ben and Dan recount the remarkable stories of Olaudah Equiano, William Wilberforce, and the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, including the influence of the first Great Awakening on this remarkable evangelical social reform movement. Cover art by Ben Lansing. More about the Our Church Speaks book and the Our Church Speaks project at ourchurchspeaks.com If you've benefited from this podcast, your support would do so much to help promote this content to a wider audience. Please consider rating our podcast, leaving a review, and supporting financially.