Ohio Conference Cast
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://ohiomennoniteconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/19_09_14_Susan-Schultz-Huxman_-Submitted.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Google Podcasts |…
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…
An Update with Dick Barrett
After a hiatus of several months, the Ohio Conference Cast podcast has returned. In this episode host Thomas Dunn is joined by a guest co-host, Jacob Dodson, pastor of Wooster Mennonite Church, for a conversation with Conference Minister Dick Barrett. “I’m excited about the people we have in Conference….I’m excited about where God is leading us in the months and…
Celebrating 50 years of the Ohio Conference
This episode of the Ohio Conference Cast features a discussion which took place Saturday, March 9, at the 2019 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) at Salem Mennonite Church in Kidron. Two long-time pastors, Eldon King and David Tijerina, share their memories of the Ohio Conference and reflect on some of the changes which have taken place in the past 50 years.…
ACA Wrap-up: Celebration, Immigration, Missional Living
In this episode of Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Bill Seymour and Thomas Dunn take a break from podcasting. Instead, the podcast’s number one fan, Lucas Johnson of Valley View Mennonite Church in Spartansburg, Pa., takes a look back at the 2019 Missional Conference and Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) with three other ACA participants: Kevin Himes, pastor of Salem Mennonite Church…
Immigration — Welcoming the Stranger, Part II
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Thomas Dunn and Bill Seymour talk about immigration with two members of the Ohio Conference Immigration Resource Team, Hannah Troyer of Summit Mennonite Church; and Kelsey Troyer of Oak Grove Mennonite Church in Smithville. Bill and Thomas talk with Hannah and Kelsey about how the resource team worked to develop…
Merry Christmas from Ohio Conference Cast
The final Ohio Conference Cast episode of 2018 includes Christmas greetings from co-hosts Bill Seymour and Thomas Dunn, as well as a look back at the previous 21 episodes from this past year. Listen to this episode to hear about their favorite podcast memories from 2018. You might even hear Paula Snyder Belousek sing part of the Ohio Conference Cast theme…
Immigration — Welcoming the Stranger
In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Thomas Dunn and Bill Seymour talk about immigration with Dan King, a member of the Ohio Conference Ministry Development Team. While Dan is officially retired as an Ohio Conference pastor, he continues to minister through his part-time job as an interpreter at Dover High School, working primarily with students from Guatemala.…
Talking about what binds us together
When is the last time you heard someone describe a multi-hour meeting as “fun”? If you’ve never had that experience (or even if you have), listen to this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast to learn about a laughter-filled five-and-a-half-hour meeting of Ohio Conference pastors which took place Nov. 8. While the pastors’ discussion may have been about important topics,…
CLC — A place to build relationships together denominationally
In the latest episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast, co-hosts Bill Seymour and Thomas Dunn talk with Conference Minister Dick Barrett and Paula Snyder Belousek, pastor of Salem Mennonite Church in Elida, about their experience at the October meeting of the Constituency Leaders Council (CLC). Snyder Belousek describes the CLC as “a place to build relationships together denominationally.” This episode, which…
What can we learn from others in Mennonite World Conference?
For many North American Mennonites, the words “Mennonite World Conference” bring thoughts of a world-wide gathering of Anabaptists every six years. However, as Ohio Conference Cast hosts Thomas Dunn and Bill Seymour learn in this episode of Ohio Conference Cast, there’s much more to Mennonite World Conference than these large events. Helping Thomas and Bill to learn more about Mennonite World…
What does it mean when we say, “Jesus is our center?”
What does it mean when we say, “Jesus is our center?” What are our core beliefs? Ohio Conference credentialed leaders will be discussing these questions on Nov. 8 when they meet at the Upper Sandusky Library in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Thomas Dunn and Bill Seymour talk with Dan Hooley, one of…
Ralph returns refreshed — a reflection on time away and re-engaging in ministry
What happened to Ohio Conference Regional Pastor Ralph Reinford during his three-month leave earlier this year, and how were rhinos and crocodiles involved? Listen to this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast to find out. Reflecting on his time away from his Ohio Conference work, Ralph talks with Ohio Conference Cast hosts Bill Seymour and Thomas Dunn about things he…