What Is Church and Main All About?

Why subscribe to another Substack, especially one on religion?

I’m a communicator, but I’m not a promoter.

Maybe it’s because I’m on the autism spectrum, but I’ve never been good at talking about myself or the work that I do. Part of me believes that the work should speak for itself. But popularity or virality happens not simply because of the quality of someone’s work, but because of the quantity of promotion, one does to make people pay attention to you and the work you do.

This is why I’m writing this essay.

In February 2021, I started a podcast. It’s something I wanted to do for a long time and it seemed now was the time. So I started it, but I really didn’t do the homework one is supposed to do before the first episode goes up. (That’s part of being on the spectrum for me, I tend to just do things instead of thinking it through.) That homework included finding a name, a honing in on what the podcast would be about. I knew I wanted to talk about religion and politics, but not much else. So, the process that I should have started before the first episode went live, I did as the show progressed. Which is probably not the best thing to do, but I’m me.

I started off calling the podcast, Polite Company because it was going to be about the two things you can’t talk about in polite company, religion and politics. But I learned there were a lot of podcasts with that name already and the name didn’t feel right. So I did some thinking and decided to change the name to Spheres of Influence with the same focus. But that didn’t last long either, partially because it might be hard to hear the word “sphere.” After more thought, I changed the name yet again to En Route. En Route was about the journey of life and it described me in that life is a process for me and in some cases, there is never a finished state.

That one stuck the longest, but as I started to focus on what I wanted to the podcast to be about. I wanted to talk more about the intersection of faith and modern life. Where did faith come in contact with the events of the day?

I was also trained as a journalist and I really am fascinated by how religion plays in the public square. Religion is the main road, but I am interested in the intersection of faith and politics, science, and other topics. To make it even more specific, I want to focus on mainline Protestantism. That tradition, of which I’m a part, has a storied history in American society. It was not unusual for pastors to show up on the cover of Time. Mainline Protestantism is in decline now and seems known these days more for what it did wrong to bring membership numbers down than for anything else.

But I think there are stories within this tradition. Why is it in decline? What can turn things around? What are its shortcomings? I want to get to know my tradition better and I want my audience to know more as well. It is a tradition that I think it is worth saving because it offers space to people who might not be comfortable in other traditions. I also get a bit frustrated because at times it seems like many within the tradition don’t really know the treasure that they take for granted.

Over the last few years, I’ve tried to tell the stories of hope and also the frustrations happening within Mainline Protestantism. So far, I’ve talked with a mentor about the role of communion in race relations, and chatted with the pastor of a growing mainline congregation, and the limits to inclusion among many episodes. I’m not interested in trying to be a cheerleader, but I want to cast and critical eye and tell stories that aren’t always shared.

A few months ago, I moved the podcast over to Substack after my podcast host decided to end podcast hosting. I decided then to start adding articles as well as my podcast and I’m also adding video with my weekly video called At the Intersection. All of them deal with the same focus: the intersection of faith and modern life with a focus on the Mainline Protestant tradition.

So why am I sharing this story?

Because I’d like for you to subscribe to Church and Main. I have a small group of followers so far, but I’d love to have more people join because I want to hear everyone’s stories as well. What issues are your faith communities dealing with? How is your church dealing with a rapidly changing world? How do we learn to live with each other when our society is so polarized? I want to hear from people, but for that to happen, I need folk to subscribe.

At the point, the Church and Main is free, but don’t let that stop you from becoming a paid subscriber! If you like what you read or hear, consider being a paid subscriber $5/month or $60/year (if subscribe now, get 20% off the price for one year!).

So welcome to Church and Main and join me at the intersection of faith and modern life!