Proximity Podcast

Separation of Church and Hate: Civility with Reggie Camarse

In this thoughtful and energizing conversation, Reggie Camarse invites listeners to reimagine civility not as politeness, passivity, or avoiding the hard stuff, but as a Kingdom-shaped way of engaging conflict with conviction, compassion, and restraint. As a pastor and leader who has navigated ministry across generational, political, and cultural lines, Reggie brings a grounded perspective on what it means for followers of Jesus to resist the escalating hostility of our age and embody a more excellent way.  Reggie begins by reframing civility through the lens of discipleship. Civility is not the suppression of truth but the transformation of our tone. It is the discipline of approaching people with dignity, listening before assuming, and refusing to let disagreement become dehumanization. Throughout the episode, he shares stories from ministry and personal life in which choosing civility opened doors that anger would have slammed shut—conversations that moved forward, relationships that were preserved, and tensions that softened simply because someone chose to remain calm, curious, and compassionate. Together, you unpack the cultural pressures that push us toward outrage: algorithm-driven polarization, spiritual fatigue, and the subtle seduction of “us versus them.” Reggie speaks honestly about the emotional and spiritual work required to show up differently—to lead with empathy, to stay slow when others escalate, and to keep our identity rooted in Jesus rather than in winning arguments. He also offers practical ways to cultivate civility: asking better questions, naming emotions without weaponizing them, checking motivations before responding, and creating spaces in the church where people can process disagreement without fear. According to Reggie, civility doesn’t weaken the church’s witness—it strengthens it. It gives credibility to our convictions, clarity to our message, and Christlikeness to our posture. Ultimately, Reggie challenges listeners to imagine a church that isn’t known for reacting, but for responding with grace. In a culture of heat, civility becomes a light—the kind that points back to Jesus. Connect with Mission Church MSP: Website: missionchurchmsp.org  Instagram: instagram.com/MissionChurchMSP  Facebook: facebook.com/@MissionChurchMSP  YouTube: youtube.com/@MissionChurchMSP

The Separation of Church and Hate: Dignity with Chris Bellanger

In this deeply human and compelling episode, Chris Bellanger helps us rediscover a truth often forgotten in a polarized culture: every person carries inherent dignity. Drawing from decades of ministry, community work, and personal encounters across socioeconomic and cultural divides, Chris offers a grounded and practical perspective on seeing—really seeing—people the way Jesus does. The conversation begins with a simple but profound conviction: dignity isn’t something we give; it’s something we recognize. Chris shares stories from his pastoral life and community leadership, where he witnessed the transformative power of treating people not as problems to fix but as image-bearers worth honoring. Whether sitting with someone experiencing homelessness, leading in diverse ministry spaces, or navigating high-tension social issues, Chris has learned that dignity is the starting point for genuine change. Throughout the episode, Chris challenges the assumptions that often fuel division. He explains how labeling, dismissing, or dehumanizing—even subtly—erodes our ability to love well. In contrast, approaching people with dignity builds bridges, opens conversations, and restores trust. He unpacks how this posture shifts the tone of our engagement: listening replaces lecturing, compassion replaces contempt, and presence replaces performance. Chris also offers practical ways to cultivate a culture of dignity within the church: slowing down, entering conversations with curiosity, acknowledging our blind spots, and choosing empathy over assumptions. He emphasizes that dignity does not negate truth-telling—it strengthens it. When people feel seen and valued, even difficult conversations can lead toward healing rather than hostility. Through honest stories and thoughtful wisdom, Chris calls the church to model a better way in a world too quick to shame or silence. Dignity, he reminds us, is not optional for followers of Jesus—it is the way of Jesus. And when the church leads with dignity, it becomes a refuge of hope in a culture shaped by division. Interviewee: Chris Bellanger Chris Bellanger is the City Director for LINC Twin Cities, a nonprofit ministry committed to empowering local grassroots leaders to reach their communities with the hope of the Gospel. Under Chris’s leadership, LINC equips emerging leaders through coaching, training, strategic planning, and relational support, helping them launch and strengthen church plants, nonprofits, and Kingdom-minded businesses throughout the Twin Cities. Grounded in the belief that “No leader walks alone,” Chris is passionate about championing voices that are often overlooked, bridging diverse communities, and building collaborative partnerships across the Body of Christ. His heartbeat is to see every neighborhood saturated with the Gospel, where every person has the opportunity to encounter Jesus in a way they can understand, through someone they personally know. Chris is a Husband, Father, Pastor, and Community Leader. Who is deeply committed to seeing leaders thrive, cities healed, and lives transformed through the power of the Gospel. Connect with Mission Church MSP: Website: missionchurchmsp.org  Instagram: instagram.com/MissionChurchMSP  Facebook: facebook.com/@MissionChurchMSP  YouTube: youtube.com/@MissionChurchMSP

The Separation of Church and Hate: Humility with Clynt Reddy

In this rich and timely conversation, Pastor Clynt Reddy invites listeners into a deeper understanding of humility—not as weakness, timid politeness, or quiet disengagement, but as a transformative posture that shapes how we show up in a divided world. Drawing from his cross-cultural background, pastoral experience, and formative years in post-apartheid South Africa, Clynt shows how humility becomes a spiritual discipline that can heal relationships, restore trust, and create space for meaningful reconciliation.  Throughout the episode, Clynt unpacks the difference between performative humility and embodied humility. Performative humility avoids conflict, seeks approval, and often masks pride. Embodied humility, however, is rooted in the life of Jesus—honest, courageous, self-examining, and willing to sacrifice comfort for the good of others. He shares the practices that keep him grounded: slowing down enough to truly listen, acknowledging what he doesn’t know, choosing presence over platform, and creating environments where people feel safe to share their experiences without fear of dismissal.  Clynt reflects honestly on the tensions he navigates as a pastor—leading a diverse congregation, holding complex stories, and resisting the pressure to have quick, definitive answers to every cultural moment. Humility, he argues, is what keeps a leader teachable and a church approachable. It becomes a way of resisting the combative posture of our age and a countercultural witness that refuses the cycle of outrage.  The conversation also explores how humility strengthens community life: it softens hardened assumptions, interrupts polarization, and invites people to move toward one another with curiosity rather than contempt. Clynt’s stories—from growing up in a country learning to reconcile, to pastoring in the Twin Cities—offer a real and hopeful vision for what becomes possible when the church embraces humility as a way of being, not just a trait to admire. Interviewee: Clynt Reddy Clynt Reddy is the Executive Pastor and Campus Pastor at Westwood Community Church, where he also serves on the teaching team. Originally from Durban, South Africa, Clynt has more than a decade of ministry and nonprofit leadership experience, spanning roles in discipleship, operations, and teaching. He holds degrees from the University of Minnesota and Bethel University, and is passionate about connecting the church with businesses, nonprofits, and education to make Kingdom impact. Clynt and his wife, Annie, live in Chanhassen, Minnesota with their four children and their dog, Rosie. He loves business and finance, good food, and traveling. Resources Humility: The Beauty of Holiness - tinyurl.com/29f994u6 Westwood Community Church - westwoodcc.org Connect with Mission Church MSP Website: missionchurchmsp.org  Instagram: instagram.com/MissionChurchMSP  Facebook: facebook.com/@MissionChurchMSP  YouTube: youtube.com/@MissionChurchMSP

Separation of Church and Hate: Unity - with Dr. Michelle Reyes

In this episode of The Proximity Podcast, Dr. Michelle Reyes invites listeners into a courageous and practical conversation about unity—not as sameness, but as the Spirit-empowered work of loving across cultural, ideological, and relational divides. As a pastor, author, and cultural intelligence scholar, Dr. Reyes offers a distinctly hope-filled and actionable vision for what unity could look like in the modern church. Drawing from her experience as a Latina leader and co-founder of the Asian American Christian Collaborative, Michelle brings a deep awareness of how cultural identity shapes discipleship and community. She unpacks how true unity begins with humility—a willingness to listen, lament, and learn from one another. Rather than glossing over difference, she reminds us that biblical unity is forged in the tension of diversity. Throughout the conversation, Michelle and the Proximity team reflect on the difference between performative peace and genuine reconciliation, exploring what it means to create “brave spaces” instead of merely “safe spaces.” She shares stories that illuminate how empathy and proximity become spiritual disciplines in a divided age, calling the church to live out Jesus’ prayer in John 17—that we would be one, not by erasing our distinctions, but by embodying love in the midst of them. In a world defined by outrage and echo chambers, Dr. Reyes helps us imagine a faith that listens first, loves deeply, and leads toward the kind of unity that turns enemies into neighbors and strangers into family. Interviewee - Dr. Michelle Reyes Dr. Michelle Reyes is a professor of cultural engagement at Wheaton College, the author of the award-winning book Becoming All Things, and a culturally-informed leadership coach, who has worked with over 800 leaders around the world. Her work has been featured on Good Morning, America and she’s been quoted in the New York Times, LA Times, and NBC.com [http://nbc.com] among others. Get a free excerpt of her book when you subscribe to her Success Culture newsletter on Substack: substack.com/@michelleamireyes?utm_source=user-menu Authored Books: michelleamireyes.com/becoming-all-things Website: michelleamireyes.com Connect with Mission Church MSP:  Website: missionchurchmsp.org Instagram: instagram.com/MissionChurchMSP Facebook: facebook.com/@MissionChurchMSP YouTube: youtube.com/@MissionChurchMSP

Separation of Church and Hate: Identity - with Dr. Efrem Smith

In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Efrem Smith joins The Proximity Podcast to explore the vital intersection of faith, race, and identity. Growing up in Minneapolis, Pastor Efrem’s story weaves through the complexities of belonging, the beauty of diversity, and the deep wounds of division that shape both the church and the city he calls home. As a pastor, author, and national voice for reconciliation and the multiethnic church, Dr. Smith brings an unfiltered honesty to what it means to follow Jesus in an era defined by polarization and pain. Pastor Efrem’s perspective on identity is both deeply personal and profoundly theological. He reminds us that identity in Christ does not erase ethnicity—it redeems it. Through stories of his own formation in North Minneapolis and his leadership in multiethnic ministry, he challenges listeners to see how the church can embody the Kingdom of God as a reconciling community that celebrates difference rather than fears it. This episode dismantles the false narrative that unity requires uniformity. Pastor Efrem paints a vision for a church rooted in the Gospel’s radical call to love beyond categories of color, culture, or class. In a time when faith communities can be drawn into the culture wars of division, Dr. Smith invites us back to the cross—the place where identity is reclaimed, dignity is restored, and love triumphs over hate. Interviewee: Dr. Efrem Smith Pastor Efrem Smith is an internationally recognized leader who uses motivational speaking and preaching to equip people for a life of transformation. He consults on issues of multi-ethnicity, leadership, and community development. Efrem is the former president and CEO of World Impact: an urban mission, church planting and leadership-development organization. He’s the author of several books, including his latest, “Killing Us Softly.” Efrem is a graduate of Saint John’s University and Luther Theological Seminary and received an honorary doctor of ministry degree from Ashland Theological Seminary and most recently earned his Doctor of Ministry degree in Church Leadership and Reconciliation Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. Efrem is married to Donecia and has two daughters. He’s excited to be a part of all that God is doing in and through the Church. He, Pastor Bob, and Pastor Susie are encouraged by the rapid growth of Midtown Church and are eager to work together and share the love of God throughout the Sacramento region. Authored Books:  • www.amazon.com/Church-Everyone-Multi-Inclusive-Community-Generations/dp/1514005506  • www.amazon.com/Post-Black-Post-White-Church-Community-Multi-Ethnic/dp/1118036581  Connect with Mission Church MSP: Website: missionchurchmsp.org Instagram: instagram.com/MissionChurchMSP Facebook: facebook.com/@MissionChurchMSP YouTube: youtube.com/@MissionChurchMSP