Dr. Jay Augustine: Prophetic, Not Partisan

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Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/178803/fan_mail/new] Jesus spoke truth to power, confronted injustice, and stood with people pushed to the margins. But does that make the church political—and if so, how can it engage public life without becoming captive to a political party? In this Summer Series conversation, Tim Stewart is joined by Rev. Dr. Jonathan C. “Jay” Augustine, Senior Pastor of Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta. Dr. Augustine is a pastor, author, legal scholar, educator, military veteran, and public theologian whose work brings together faith, justice, reconciliation, and the public calling of the church. Jay shares how his mother’s instruction to “call a thing a thing” shaped his life in law, ministry, and public service. He and Tim explore the crucial difference between being prophetic and being partisan, why Jesus provides the clearest model of speaking truth to institutions of power, and what happens when the church becomes more interested in acquiring power than following Christ. The conversation also moves beyond public statements and political debates. What does a communal gospel require of us? How can churches stand alongside people affected by injustice, meet practical needs, and become living signs of reconciliation? And why does faithful civic participation still matter? IN THIS EPISODE ● What it means to “call a thing a thing” ● Why prophetic ministry is political—but not partisan ● Jesus as the model for speaking truth to power ● How Christian nationalism can confuse faith with the pursuit of power ● Why Christian faith is communal, not merely individual ● How churches can meet the practical needs of marginalized communities ● The vertical and horizontal dimensions of reconciliation ● Why informed civic participation and voting still matter Follow or subscribe to the Impact Nations Podcast for more honest conversations about following Jesus in the real world. If this episode challenges or encourages you, share it with someone wrestling with the church’s role in public life. FEATURED RESOURCES Dr. Jay Augustine: https://www.jayaugustine.com [https://www.jayaugustine.com/] Big Bethel AME Church: https://www.bigbethelame.org [https://www.bigbethelame.org/] When Prophets Preach: Leadership and the Politics of the Pulpit Called to Reconciliation: How the Church Can Model Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion EXPLORE IMPACT NATIONS Impact Nations: https://www.impactnations.com [https://www.impactnations.com/] Journeys of Compassion: https://www.impactnations.com/journeys-of-compassion [https://www.impactnations.com/journeys-of-compassion] Give: https://www.impactnations.com/donate [https://www.impactnations.com/donate] Follow Impact Nations on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@impact_nations [https://www.tiktok.com/@impact_nations] HASHTAGS #JayAugustine #FaithAndJustice #ChurchAndPolitics #ChristianPodcast #ImpactNations

Dr. Bradley Jersak: Finding Christ Where We Were Taught Not to Look | Summer Series 2026

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/178803/fan_mail/new] What if Christ is already present in the people we overlook—and what if sin has not separated us from the God who is holding us together? In this Summer Series conversation, Tim Stewart sits down with his dear friend Dr. Bradley Jersak, Principal of St. Stephen’s University, Director of the SSU School of Theology & Culture, author of more than twenty books—including A More Christlike God and A More Christlike Word—and a member of the Impact Nations Board of Directors. Bradley begins with the message at the heart of his life and work: “God is exactly like Jesus.” From there, Tim and Bradley explore what it means to encounter Christ in unexpected people and places, especially among those the Church has been trained to approach as projects rather than partners. They reconsider familiar assumptions about Christian mission, the Great Commission, salvation, and separation from God. Bradley shares stories of meeting Christ among unhoused neighbours, learning from Indigenous wisdom, and witnessing restoration in someone experiencing profound addiction and brokenness. The conversation also turns inward. How much of our anger, judgment, and religious certainty is driven by fear or untreated wounds? How can we understand the wounds beneath destructive behaviour without excusing the harm? And how do we pursue justice without allowing resentment, contempt, or rage bait to shape our hearts? This is a warm, candid conversation about mercy, mutuality, healing, and learning to recognize the work Christ may already be doing before we arrive. In This Episode * Why “God is exactly like Jesus” has become Bradley’s central life message * How younger people respond to a more Christlike vision of God * Why serving marginalized people must involve listening, partnership, and mutuality * The Indigenous elder who told Christian visitors, “Christ was here 500 years before the first Christians arrived” * How colonial assumptions have shaped common readings of the Great Commission * What it means to say that all people exist in Christ * Why Bradley distinguishes alienation from actual separation from God * Salvation as a past, present, and future journey of whole-person restoration * How fear, wounds, resentment, and contempt affect the way we treat others If this conversation gives you something new to consider, follow or subscribe to the Impact Nations Podcast so you don’t miss the rest of the Summer Series. Share this episode with someone who is rethinking mission, salvation, or what it means to recognize Christ in others. Featured Resources Bradley Jersak’s website: https://bradjersak.com [https://bradjersak.com/] Bradley Jersak on Substack: https://substack.com/@bradleyjersak [https://substack.com/@bradleyjersak] Bradley Jersak on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradley.jersak/ [https://www.instagram.com/bradley.jersak/] Bradley’s books, including A More Christlike God and A More Christlike Word: https://bradjersak.com/books/ [https://bradjersak.com/books/] St. Stephen’s University: https://www.ssu.ca [https://www.ssu.ca/] Certificate in Transformative Leadership: https://www.ssu.ca/cert-in-transformative-leadership [https://www.ssu.ca/cert-in-transformative-leadership] Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership: https://www.ssu.ca/ma-in-transformative-leadership [https://www.ssu.ca/ma-in-transformative-leadership] Connect With Impact Nations Website: https://www.impactnations.com [https://www.impactnations.com/] Journeys of Compassion: https://www.impactnations.com/journeys-of-compassion [https://www.impactnations.com/journeys-of-compassion] All Impact Nations links: https://linktr.ee/impact.nations [https://linktr.ee/impact.nations] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ImpactNations [https://www.youtube.com/@ImpactNations] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/impactnationsministries [https://www.facebook.com/impactnationsministries] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impact.nations [https://www.instagram.com/impact.nations] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-nations-international-ministries-inc [https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-nations-international-ministries-inc] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@impact_nations [https://www.tiktok.com/@impact_nations] Help Make Restoration Possible Become a Monthly Impact Champion and help Impact Nations keep showing up with practical compassion, trusted local leadership, and long-term pathways toward restoration: https://www.impactnations.com/monthly-impact-champions [https://www.impactnations.com/monthly-impact-champions] Give to Impact Nations: https://www.impactnations.com/donate [https://www.impactnations.com/donate] #BradleyJersak #SummerSeries2026 #ChristianPodcast #ImpactNations #ChristlikeGod #FaithAndJustice #ChristianMission #Restoration

6. Aug. 20261 h 5 min

Dr. Jay Augustine: Prophetic, Not Partisan | Summer Series 2026

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