71. Reclaiming Testify to Love (Michael Passons' Story)

71. Reclaiming Testify to Love (Michael Passons' Story)

Michael Passons spent years as a member of Avalon, one of the most successful groups in Christian music. In this episode, he shares his journey from breaking into the industry and rising to fame, to navigating life as a gay man in a world that taught him his sexuality needed to be changed. Michael opens up about undergoing conversion therapy, the impact it had on his mental health, and the pressure of trying to reconcile his faith with his identity. We also talk about what happened when Michael was ultimately removed from Avalon, the grief of losing a career and community he loved, and the healing that followed. In the last few weeks, Michael rereleased Testify to Love with his close friends, reclaiming the song with an affirming message of inclusion and belonging. The project has been deeply healing for many LGBTQ+ people who grew up in Christian spaces believing they had to change themselves to be loved by God.  - Michael Passons’ Website: https://michaelpassons.com/ [https://michaelpassons.com/] Michael Passons’ IG :https://www.instagram.com/michaelpassons/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/michaelpassons/?hl=en] Michael Passons’ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelpassonsmusic [https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelpassonsmusic] - Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/Healedish⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/c/Healedish] Follow for more:   Jubilee’s TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jubileedawns⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@jubileedawns]  Jubilee’s IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jubileedawns⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jubileedawns]  Healed-ish TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@healedishpodcast⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@healedishpodcast]  Healed-ish IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/healedishpodcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/healedishpodcast]  Apply To Share Your Story: ⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/23f8SPBX1VntsqUU8⁠ [https://forms.gle/23f8SPBX1VntsqUU8] https://www.patreon.com/TheOvershareHour [https://www.patreon.com/TheOvershareHour]

70. A Bill Nye Debate Sparked My Deconstruction: Part 2 (David's Story)

In this episode, I’m joined by David from Deep Drinks. After a powerful encounter with God, he became a youth pastor at just 19, but being pushed out of ministry led him into a season of questioning everything. We talk about his experience with OCD, including intrusive thoughts and compulsions to confess, and what it looked like to finally seek treatment. Then we dive into his deconstruction, including how a Bill Nye debate on creationism unexpectedly became a turning point in his beliefs. - Deep Drinks Podcast:⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DeepDrinks⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@DeepDrinks] Deep Drinks IG: https://www.instagram.com/deepdrinkspodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/deepdrinkspodcast/] David’s IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/davidmcdonald89/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/davidmcdonald89/] - Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/Healedish⁠⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/c/Healedish] Follow for more:   Jubilee’s TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jubileedawns⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@jubileedawns]  Jubilee’s IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jubileedawns⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jubileedawns]  Healed-ish TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@healedishpodcast⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@healedishpodcast]  Healed-ish IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/healedishpodcast⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/healedishpodcast]  Apply To Share Your Story: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/23f8SPBX1VntsqUU8⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/23f8SPBX1VntsqUU8]

69. A Bill Nye Debate Sparked My Deconstruction: Part 1 (David's Story)

In this episode, I’m joined by David from Deep Drinks. After a powerful encounter with God, he became a youth pastor at just 19, but being pushed out of ministry led him into a season of questioning everything. We talk about his experience with OCD, including intrusive thoughts and compulsions to confess, and what it looked like to finally seek treatment. Then we dive into his deconstruction, including how a Bill Nye debate on creationism unexpectedly became a turning point in his beliefs. - Deep Drinks Podcast:⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DeepDrinks⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@DeepDrinks] Deep Drinks IG: https://www.instagram.com/deepdrinkspodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/deepdrinkspodcast/] David’s IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/davidmcdonald89/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/davidmcdonald89/] - Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/Healedish⁠⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/c/Healedish] Follow for more:   Jubilee’s TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jubileedawns⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@jubileedawns]  Jubilee’s IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jubileedawns⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jubileedawns]  Healed-ish TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@healedishpodcast⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@healedishpodcast]  Healed-ish IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/healedishpodcast⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/healedishpodcast]  Apply To Share Your Story: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/23f8SPBX1VntsqUU8⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/23f8SPBX1VntsqUU8]

68. When Everything Stopped Being Black and White (Stephanie Stalvey's Story)

In this episode, I’m joined by author and artist Stephanie Stalvey to talk about growing up in the church, navigating purity culture, and what it looks like to begin questioning the beliefs you were taught. We also talk about how becoming a mother shifted her perspective on God, identity, and love, and why some of those beliefs no longer felt aligned with the life she was living. Stephanie’s graphic novel Everything in Color explores her journey of healing and finding herself again. - Stephanie’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/stephanie.stalvey.artist/ [https://www.instagram.com/stephanie.stalvey.artist/] Stephanie’s Website: https://stephaniestalvey.com/ [https://stephaniestalvey.com/] - Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/Healedish⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/c/Healedish] Follow for more:   Jubilee’s TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jubileedawns⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@jubileedawns]  Jubilee’s IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jubileedawns⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jubileedawns]  Healed-ish TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@healedishpodcast⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@healedishpodcast]  Healed-ish IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/healedishpodcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/healedishpodcast]  Apply To Share Your Story: ⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/23f8SPBX1VntsqUU8⁠ [https://forms.gle/23f8SPBX1VntsqUU8]

67. From Megachurch Pastor to Skeptic Pastor (Jeremy Steele's Story)

When Jeremy Steele was a growing up, a woman at church told him God wanted him to become a pastor. From that moment on, he devoted his life to Christianity, eventually attending seminary, becoming a youth pastor, and spending 12 years working inside a megachurch system. In this episode, Jeremy shares the bizarre and harmful youth group culture he witnessed, including a game involving frozen spoons passed underneath teenagers’ clothes that he immediately shut down. He also opens up about the financial practices inside megachurches that deeply troubled him and the questions that slowly led him to reevaluate his beliefs. Now known online as “Skeptic Pastor,” Jeremy joins us to unpack and challenge some of Christianity’s most debated ideas, including hell, the rapture, and whether being gay is actually a sin. We also talk about curiosity, uncertainty, and creating space for people reexamining their faith without fear. - Jeremy’s Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skeptic.pastor [https://www.tiktok.com/@skeptic.pastor] Jeremy’s Book: https://jeremy-steele.com/rituals [https://jeremy-steele.com/rituals] Jeremy’s podcast: https://unbeliefpodcast.com/ [https://unbeliefpodcast.com/] Jeremy’s linktree: https://jeremy-steele.com/links [https://jeremy-steele.com/links] - Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/Healedish⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/c/Healedish] Follow for more:   Jubilee’s TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@jubileedawns⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@jubileedawns]  Jubilee’s IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jubileedawns⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jubileedawns]  Healed-ish TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@healedishpodcast⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@healedishpodcast]  Healed-ish IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/healedishpodcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/healedishpodcast]  Apply To Share Your Story: ⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/23f8SPBX1VntsqUU8⁠ [https://forms.gle/23f8SPBX1VntsqUU8]