Ohio Conference Cast
Food justice in Ohio
Why do so many Ohioans have difficulty getting food that is affordable, nutritious, culturally acceptable, and accessible? The newest Ohio Conference Cast podcast explores this topic with Dr. Brandy Phipps, associate professor at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Dr. Phipps works with others throughout Ohio and the Midwest to create new options for people to grow and access food…
Podcast series focuses on shalom
Grace & Groundings, Ohio Conference’s resource team focused on racial awareness and reconciliation, is sponsoring a series of monthly podcasts about social righteousness and shalom. The series began in January, with plans to publish one episode each month through May. Each episode focuses on a different topic designed to draw listeners into deeper conversations about issues of social righteousness and…
ACA Preview – Talking with Meghan Larissa Good
“What would it take for us, for our churches to get on board with what the Spirit is doing and making possible in this period of turmoil and change?” — Meghan Larissa Good In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, host Alex Dye talks with Meghan Larissa Good, who will be the featured speaker at the 2024 Annual Conference…
Building a new life in Ohio
What is life like for refugees who come to Ohio? The latest episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast tells the story of one immigrant family that has ended up in Kidron, Ohio, after fleeing the war in Ukraine. Listen to this episode to hear the conversation between host Kevin Himes and his two guests, Alex Murza and Terry Shue.…
Getting to know Ohio Conference’s newest staff members
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Jacob Dodson and Paula Snyder Belousek talk with Ohio Conference’s newest staff members, Interim Conference Minister Dan Miller and Interim Regional Pastor Larry Rohrer, who serves the eastern part of the Conference. Listen to this episode to hear Dan and Larry’s hopes for the Ohio Conference in the coming years. You’ll…
Building Bridges and Seeking Shalom
How can we build bridges between people, working toward social righteousness and shalom? In a new episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, Doug Zehr introduces a series of podcasts from Grace & Groundings, Ohio Conference’s racial reconciliation resource team. Listen to this episode to learn more about this five-part podcast series and to hear Doug discuss five common misconceptions about…
ACA and hopes for the years ahead
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, host Jacob Dodson, pastor of Wooster Mennonite Church, talks with Conference Minister Dick Barrett about the upcoming Annual Conference Assembly (ACA), which will take place March 3-4 at Central Christian School in Kidron. In the course of their conversation, Dick reflects on what he has learned during this time of discernment for…
Bangladesh — Seeing a Need and Responding
International service can have long-term effects on those serving. In the case of Bill Schumacher, his voluntary service term in Bangladesh in the 1980s left him with an enduring interest in the welfare of the people there. In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Jared Chase and Jacob Dodson talk with Bill and Carole Schumacher of Sharon Mennonite…
Praying Together as a Conference
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, Assistant Moderator Paula Snyder Belousek and Regional Pastor Sherah-Leigh Gerber introduce listeners to the Conference-wide prayer times planned for this fall. All are invited to take part in these prayer times, which will be held on Zoom on Wednesdays at noon, starting Sept. 14. We will be using Take Our Moments and Our…
How is the Holy Spirit at work in the Ohio Conference?
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, Jacob Dodson and Bill Seymour talk with Conference Minister Dick Barrett about the current season of review and discernment taking place in the Ohio Conference. Listen to the episode to hear Dick Barrett discuss how the Holy Spirit is at work during this time and to hear his reflections on how the…
Ohio Conference Cast Update
Ohio Conference Cast returns! In this episode Jacob Dodson and Thomas Dunn share ideas for the podcast in a new season, announce a number of upcoming Ohio Conference events, and reflect on the recent gathering of Ohio Conference pastors and credentialed leaders in Plain City. Thomas says, “I think Ohio Conference is at its best when we are listening to…
Being the church — challenge and calling
This episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast features an interview with Conference Minister Dick Barrett. Hosts Corben Weaver Boshart and Ramon Lianez talk with Dick about challenges facing the church today. Dick notes that he has been encouraged to view challenges as opportunities. “God has called us in this time for a specific reason,” he says. Listen to this…
Equipping youth workers — an interview with Glen Guyton
How do we disciple young people in the church? How can we help them discover their calling in a cluttered world? In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast, Glen Guyton, the executive director of Mennonite Church USA, considers these questions and reflects on his years in youth ministry. He notes that we often don’t realize the long-term effects…
Military service from a Mennonite perspective
Picture this scene: Three Mennonite pastors, two of whom are military veterans, sit down for a discussion of Mennonites and the military. This scenario may sound unlikely, but it’s actually a description of the latest episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast. In this podcast episode, hosts Corben Weaver Boshart and Ramon Lianez talk with Lucas Johnson, pastor of Valley…
Where are you going next on your journey?
Are you paying attention to what the Spirit is saying to you and calling you to do for the next stage of your life? The special guest for this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast, Jewel Gingerich Longenecker, would encourage everyone to consider that question. Jewel Gingerich Longenecker is dean of lifelong learning at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS)…
How essential is prayer for renewal? The conversation with Brad Roth continues
How essential is prayer for renewal? This episode of the Ohio Conference Cast features discussion of this question with Brad Roth, the featured speaker at Ohio Conference’s recent missional conference. Listen to this episode to learn how Brad has seen the fruits of prayer in his own ministry. You can also hear some suggestions for incorporating prayer and fasting into…
The Ohio Conference Cast returns with new hosts
After a hiatus of several months, the Ohio Conference Cast podcast is back with two new hosts, Corben Weaver Boshart and Ramon Lianez. These two friends from Northwest Ohio are both pastors of Ohio Conference congregations, but they aren’t carbon copies of each other. Listen to their first episode to learn more about Corben and Ramon. You’ll even find out…
Sharing our faith with others — Count the casts, not the fish
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Corben Weaver Boshart and Ramon Lianez talk about evangelism with Brad Roth, who was the speaker at Ohio Conference’s 2021 missional conference. Corben, Ramon and Brad discuss evangelism, especially in a rural setting. Listen to this episode to learn why curiosity and asking questions are important as we share our faith,…
Ohio Conference Cast 2.0 — Meet our new hosts
After a hiatus of several months, the Ohio Conference Cast podcast is back! In this episode, our new hosts, Corben Weaver Boshart and Ramon Lianez, introduce themselves. These two friends from Northwest Ohio are both pastors of Ohio Conference congregations, but they aren’t carbon copies of each other. Listen to this episode to learn more about Corben and Ramon. You’ll…
Bill and Thomas reflect on their time as Ohio Conference Cast hosts
After more than three years, Bill Seymour and Thomas Dunn have decided to conclude their time as hosts of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast. In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, Bill and Thomas reflect on their time as hosts of the podcast, which began in the fall of 2016. They talk with Ohio Conference Assistant Moderator Paula Snyder…
New podcast hosts sought
After more than three years, Bill Seymour and Thomas Dunn have decided to conclude their time as hosts of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast. The Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team is seeking new hosts for the podcast. If you are interested in hosting the podcast, or you have suggestions for new hosts, please contact Assistant Moderator Paula Snyder Belousek at…
Podcast hosts to conclude their work
After more than three years and dozens of podcast episodes, Thomas Dunn and Bill Seymour have decided to resign as hosts of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast. The Ohio Conference Cast began in the fall of 2016 with the goal of creating another avenue for people to learn about happenings within the Ohio Conference. Since that time, Bill and Thomas…
Growing Disciples, Part 5 — Ecumenical Rebuking
This episode of the Ohio Conference Cast is the final podcast in a series about Missional Discipleship Groups. Lucas Johnson of Valley View Mennonite Church in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, talks with Nate, a member of his Missional Discipleship Group. Nate and Lucas talk about rebuking, ecumenism, ministry, and love — all from a guy’s perspective. For more information about Missional…
Growing Disciples, Part 4 — Building Trust
This episode of the Ohio Conference Cast is the fourth installment in a series about Missional Discipleship Groups. In this episode, Lucas Johnson of Valley View Mennonite Church talks with Randi about her three-person small group and the trust that has developed between the members of the group. “It’s just turned into my favorite time of the week,” Randi says.…
Growing Disciples, Part 3 — Developing Relationships
The Ohio Conference Cast podcast is back with the third installment in a series exploring Missional Discipleship Groups. In this episode, Lucas Johnson of Valley View Mennonite Church in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, talks with several people about how these small groups are building relationships and changing lives. For more information about Missional Discipleship Groups, see these articles: http://bit.ly/YourInvitationToMakeDisciples http://bit.ly/DisciplesMakeDisciples http://bit.ly/WindoftheSpirit…
Growing Disciples, Part 2 — Seeing God at Work
This podcast episode is the second in a series exploring Missional Discipleship Groups. Guest host Lucas Johnson, pastoral team member at Valley View Mennonite Church in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, talks with several people who are participating in these weekly small groups. Listen to this episode to hear Casey and Gail, two members of a women’s small group, reflect on how God…
Growing Disciples, Part 1 — The Explosion
Sometimes growth takes a while, but patience can pay off. That’s been the experience at Valley View Mennonite Church in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania. In the latest episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, Lucas Johnson and Robb Esh, pastoral team members at Valley View Mennonite, talk about the growth of Missional Discipleship Groups in their area of Pennsylvania. The groups now include…
How do we #BringThePeace? A conversation with Glen Guyton
How do we #BringThePeace to our communities? Mennonite Church USA Executive Director Glen Guyton says, “People say that we are a historic peace church, but I say, hey, we need to be a peace church of today.” Learn more about Mennonite Church USA’s #BringThePeace campaign by listening to this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast. While visiting Ohio this month,…
Why faith-based education? A conversation with Susan Schultz Huxman of EMU
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, host Thomas Dunn talks about Mennonite colleges and faith-based education with Susan Schultz Huxman, president of Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Also joining the conversation are guest co-hosts Doug and Miriam Zehr, pastors at Oak Grove Mennonite Church in Smithville. https://media.blubrry.com/3716337/ohiomennoniteconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/19_09_14_Susan-Schultz-Huxman_-Submitted.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
Missional festival is coming in 2020
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, host Thomas Dunn and his guest co-host Dick Barrett talk about mission with Jacob Dodson, pastor of Wooster Mennonite Church and a member of the Ohio Conference Missional Planning Team. Listen to this episode to hear about plans for a summer missional festival in 2020. You will also learn more about some…