New People // New Ways

Born and raised at Friendship UMC, Kelli Rae Merritt has lived a life as colorful as her tattoos—from studying agriculture and working as a professional piercer to serving as a certified lay minister and chair of her church’s Board of Stewards. She leads the PEZ (Public Education Zoo) ministry, serves with the local food pantry her father helped build, and brings church to places many wouldn’t expect—like tattoo shops and community...

In this episode we welcome Fresh Expressions practitioner Pastor Marlon Mack. New ways, same Gospel. Pastor Marlon Mack joins us to talk about faith, leadership, and the power of building the Kingdom together.

Born in Dallas and raised in Gary, Indiana, Pastor Marlon Mack has spent his life helping others discover purpose through faith and formation. From serving as a youth minister and educator to founding The Ecclesia, Inc. and K...

In this episode of New People, New Ways, we welcome Dr. Monika Ardelt—renowned sociologist, wisdom researcher, and pioneer in the study of spiritual aging. Dr. Ardelt is Professor of Sociology at the University of Florida and the creator of the widely used Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS). Her work explores what it means to live and die well, offering deep insights into the roles of wisdom, spirituality, and meaning throughou...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we welcome Rob Hutchinson. 

Rob has been in full-time pastoral ministry for over 27 years, serving in diverse settings that range from bustling church plants to intimate congregational gatherings. Currently, he is the Director of Church Development, where he pioneers new strategies to adapt and grow church communities in meaningful ways.

Rob's journey in faith is as unique as...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we welcome Christopher Wells. 

Christopher Wells is a seasoned technologist and strategy consultant with nearly 20 years of experience in AI and machine learning, specializing in generative AI, NLP, and data-driven transformation across industries like finance and aviation. He established Chatham Financial's data science division and later advanced Indico Data Solutions' NL...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we welcome Bishop Tom Berlin. 

Tom Berlin serves as Bishop of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Prior to being elected Bishop, he served as lead pastor of Floris United Methodist Church in suburban Washington, D.C. Tom is a graduate of Virginia Tech and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He is the author of numerous books, inc...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we welcome a true pioneer adventurer and a key figure in the Fresh Expressions Movement, Rev Leslie Newton. Born and raised in Lancaster, in the north of England,  Leslie studied Accountancy & Law at University before training and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant. His local Methodist Church nurtured his faith through the years and encouraged him to grow and develop th...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we welcome a true pioneer adventurer in church planting and a key figure in the Fresh Expressions Movement, Rev Graham Horsley. Graham began his ministry journey in 1980, and by 1992, he had taken on the role of British National Church Planting Officer while simultaneously leading a church that successfully planted two new congregations.

In 2000, he fully embraced his calling...

In this episode of "New People, New Ways," we are joined by Reverend Thea Curry-Fuson, an ordained elder in the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Reverend Thea's journey is a testament to transformative faith and ministry. Growing up unchurched with only a nominal faith and relational exposure to God overseas, she entered into a transformative relationship with Jesus at the age of 28. Almost imme...

In Episode 34, we are joined by Lori Jennings, Vice-President of American Baptist Churches of PA and DE (ABCOPAD), Head Coach of the Leadership Team, and Home Church leader for GraceCrossing Community Church in Phoenixville, PA. Lori also serves as a short-term missionary in Uganda, where she combats the prosperity gospel by sharing truth with pastors and teaching children about the real living God and the hope in Chr...

In Episode 33, we’re joined by Laceye Warner. Rev. Laceye C. Warner, PhD is Royce and Jane Reynolds, Associate Professor of the Practice of Evangelism and Methodist Studies and Associate Dean for Wesleyan Engagement at Duke University Divinity School. An elder in the Texas Conference, Dr. Warner was appointed to the faculty at Duke Divinity School in 2001. She is the author of several books including Knowing Who We Ar...

In Episode 32, we’re joined by Danielle Buwon Kim. Danielle was born in South Korea and moved to the United States during her middle school years. She is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and is currently appointed as the Associate Director of Research and Development at the North Texas Annual Conference. She is the pastor of Ka:ll Community, a community of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) ...

In Episode 31, we’re joined by Isaiah and Daniel Park. Isaiah and Daniel are pastors at Restoration Church in Reston, VA, a campus of Floris United Methodist Church where Isaiah also serves. At Restoration Reston, fresh expressions are being launched and cultivated as they actively mobilize and equip laity to co-create communities of faith that are involved in the well-being of Reston and beyond. Daniel and Isaiah are...

In Episode 30, we’re joined by Matt Stout. Matt is an elder in the United Methodist Church serving Garden City UMC near Savannah, GA. He has a wife, three kids, and an elderly dachshund. Matt is a nerd who enjoys fantasy and sci fi, tabletop games, and playing the banjo.

In this episode, we discuss gaming and spirituality, building community from our passions, and connecting spirituality with sci-fi and ...

In Episode 29, we’re joined by Angelic Williams. Angelic is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and is currently bi-vocational, pastoring St. Luke UMC in Baltimore and working full-time in insurance investigations. She is also a seminary student at St Mary’s Seminary. She has served the church in administration, youth ministry, and prayer ministry, but her true loves have always been evangelism, outreach, and internation...

In Episode 28, we’re joined by Dr. Brian Russell. Brian is an award-winning professor of biblical studies and a transformational coach for pastors and spiritually-minded professionals. He is the author of multiple books including his latest, Astonished by the Word: Reading Scripture for Deep Transformation, and the host of the podcast, Deep Dive Spirituality.

In this episode, we discuss contemplative pra...

In Episode 27, our guest is Martyn Atkins. Martyn is a minister, professor, and leader within Methodism and the Fresh Expressions Movement. He has served in the Methodist Church of Great Britain in a variety of appointments for over 40 years. In this episode, we discuss the history of the Fresh Expressions, the future of the movement, and his new book Saving Church with Ken Carter.

Order Saving Church he...

For Episode 26, our guest is Charles DiRico. Charles is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church who currently leads a network of meal-based fresh expressions of church that is known as Word on the Street, building community for persons who are experiencing homelessness and in a bilingual setting in a local mobile home community in the Charlotte, NC area.

In this episode, we discuss the power of ...