Tag: church

267 – Jordan Forehand – Humanity, Education & Social Media

We took some time to talk to our son and extract some of his wisdom. Instagram Desert Sanctuary Resources Book:    Out Into the Desert Book:    The Hotel Book:     Being  Book:    The Being Journey companion guide Book: The Tea Shop  Book:    Apparent Faith Email:    Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com  Email Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@karl4hand42

266 – Stories from the Desert – Zack Hunt

Zack has spent the last decade writing about the interplay of faith and politics in the public sphere on his eponymous blog, Substack, and Patheos as well as contributing articles to multiple publications. He’s also made appearances in Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, Huffington Post, and various other media outlets. He is the author of…

265 – Stories from the Desert – Daryl Carlson

Daryl Carlson is a Certified Meta-Coach & NLP Master Practitioner who loves to help people free themselves from the deep indoctrination of Christianity. He knows that challenge all too well having been indoctrinated from birth, biblically trained at Moody Bible Institute, and worked for 15 years as a missionary in Alaska, Russia, and Ukraine. Daryl…

261 – Stories from the Desert – Justin Tang

Justin is an ex-vangelical, certified hypnotist, and trauma-informed coach who is passionate about change work and psycho-spiritual healing. After realizing that the church and religion didn’t have the answers to his deep pain and sense of inadequacy, Justin began to search outside of the church and deconstruct his deeply held core beliefs. It was in…

260 – Stories from the Desert – Kyle Butler

https://www.facebook.com/Kylelb23 Desert Sanctuary Resources Book:    Out Into the Desert Book:    The Hotel Book:     Being  Book:    The Being Journey companion guide Book: The Tea Shop  Book:    Apparent Faith Email:    Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com  Email Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@karl4hand42 Advertisements

258 – Stories from the Desert – Jodi & Jesse Thom

Jodi and Jesse were both raised in the Pentecostal church. Jesse’s family was heavily involved in their local Church of God. Jodi’s parents were evangelists; her aunt, uncles, and grandparents were pastors in the Assembly of God denomination. They met when Jodi’s parents stopped traveling and became pastors at the AG church Jesse’s family attended.…

257 – Stories from the Desert – Dr. Bruce Epperly

Bruce Epperly has served as a university and seminary professor, university chaplain, and local church pastor. He is the author of over 70 books, including Process Theology: Embracing Adventure with God, The Elephant is Running: Process and Open and Relational Theology and Religious Pluralism, One World: Process Theology and the Lord’s Prayer, and Prophetic Healing:…

255 – Stories from the Desert – Karl & Laura

This begins our series of stories from people who are moving forward in the Desert Desert Sanctuary Resources Book:    Out Into the Desert Book:    The Hotel Book:     Being  Book:    The Being Journey companion guide Book: The Tea Shop  Book:    Apparent Faith Email:    Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com  Email Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@karl4hand42

254 – Chad Bahl – Deconstructing Hell

Chad Bahl is a DThM candidate at Northwind Theological Seminary, where he specializes in the study of Open and Relational Theology. Bahl is the author of God Unbound: An Evangelical Reconsiders Tradition in Search of Truth and author/editor of Deconstructing Hell: Open and Relational Responses to the Doctrine of Eternal Conscious Torment. Desert Sanctuary Resources Book:    Out Into the Desert…

253 – Dr. Mark Karris – The Diabolical Trinity

Dr. Mark Gregory Karris is a licensed marriage and family therapist in full-time private practice in San Diego, California. He specializes in religious trauma, men’s issues, and couples therapy. He is a husband, father, and recording artist. Mark is the author of the best-selling books Divine Echoes: Reconciling Prayer with the Un-controlling Love of God and Religious…

252 – Vanessa R Brooks – Talk Out Loud

Vanessa R Brooks is a wife, mom, grandmother, and fur-baby mom. She is a Doctoral candidate, thought-leader, humanitarian, and entrepreneur. Vanessa served in the public sector in the social services industry, and pastor a church she founded for 14 years. She is the founder of Life After Church, a spiritual community where she provides spiritual…

251 – Phil Drysdale – Love Yourself

Phil Drysdale is a public speaker, podcaster, researcher and coach specialising in the area of Deconstruction. For over a decade he’s helped people navigate the painful journey beyond their faith tradition. He does research into the Deconstruction community through The Deconstruction Network, runs a regular podcast about Deconstruction, provides free resources to help people on…

250 – Elizabeth Urban – Trust in You

Elizabeth Urban is a professional psychic and natural Witch. She has been intuitive all her life and has loved metaphysics and the occult since childhood. Self taught from the age of 13, she learned all things centered around the Craft, astrology, Tarot, etc. She lives in coastal North Carolina with her husband and sons.  Facebook *…

241 – Steve & Amy Patten – Our Story

Steve and Amy found themselves in a high-control religion that damaged the relationship with their daughter. This is their uncut story of pain and struggle as they attempt to move forward. Steve * Amy Desert Sanctuary Resources Book:    Out Into the Desert Book:    The Hotel Book:     Being  Book:    The Being Journey companion guide Book: The Tea…

240 – Jim Palmer – Don’t Leave Love Left Undone

Jim Palmer is an author, activist, speaker, spiritual director, professor, Chaplain with the American Humanist Association, and leading figure in the non-religious spirituality movement. Palmer received his Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Divinity School in Chicago, where he served as a pastor at the mega-church, Willow Creek Community Church. He was later the founding…

239 – Susan Cottrell – We Are In This Together

SUSAN COTTRELL is an international speaker whose TEDx talk, for a crowd of 5,000 at TedxMileHigh in Denver, has 1.6 million online views. OutSmart magazine calls her “The Mother of All MamaBears.” The Advocate dubs her “our favorite affirming matriarch.” She is a prominent voice for the LGBTQ+ community & their faith parents; allies; and others who…

238 – Will Harrison – Walk With Me

Will is a licensed clinical social worker who currently works as a therapist in the Detroit area. Will has been married to Heather for 16 years and they have 5 kids. Will has a lifelong disability called Moebius Syndrome and is passionate about advocating for those with disabilities. Will is also passionate about helping those…

237 – Jeff & Kareen King – You Are Good

Jeff is the founder and Director of Tansmuto, a nonprofit whose mission is to help people identify and overcome barriers to happiness, hope and wholeness.Jeff teaches and coaches individuals, couples, families and organizations to apply the wisdom of the Enneagram. His professional training in the Enneagram comes from The Narrative Enneagram (TNE). He hosts the…

236 – Sr. Marcia Ziska – Contemplative Companions

Sister Marcia has ministered in various capacities over the years.  She coordinated a Rome renewal program for eight summers, networking with English-speaking Benedictines world- wide. Currently, she is vocation director, provides spiritual direction, and is a staff member for Souljourners, the spiritual direction training program. When time permits, she enjoys making jelly for both the…

Out Into the Desert

Several years ago when I started questioning my beliefs, I began to feel lonely because everyone in my circle of friends thought much the same way I did. When I continued to change, it felt like I was wandering out into the Desert. Eventually, I resigned from the church that I was pastoring, and started…

234 – Laci Bean – Healing Isn’t Linear

Laci Bean is a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach who’s focus is Religious Trauma. Laci went from spending her teen years in a highly controlling religious cult to deconstructing herself all the way out of Christianity in her early 30’s. As she started her journey of deconstruction and healing, she began to share it on Tik…

232 – Dr. Paul Fitzgerald – Living Forward Wisely

Dr. Paul Fitzgerald earned the Doctor of Ministry with research in internalized shame and trauma. For more than 25 years he and his wife, Susanna, have assisted people in wholehearted, authentic living through HeartConnexion Seminars.  His professional training includes Inner Relationship Focusing and BioSpiritual Focusing. He is a member of the International Focusing Institute and…

231 – Karl and Laura – Church Harm

Kicking off this month talking about church harm and mental health. Desert Sanctuary Resources Book:    Out Into the Desert Book:    The Hotel Book:     Being  Book:    The Being Journey companion guide now! Book:    Apparent Faith Website: https://karlforehand.com/  Email:    Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand

It’s Okay to Evolve

People have always been drawn towards things like religion to try to explain the things we could explain. The ceremonies and communities we built around our understanding and misunderstanding helped us shape some meaning into the world. I believe we can honor those traditions and, sometimes, even memorialize them while boldly and consciously moving into…

228 – The Secular Tourist – Out Into the Desert

Got to have an unstructured conversation with The Secular Tourist. We talked about our book, Out Into the Desert, atheism and organized religion. Desert Sanctuary Resources Book:    Out Into the Desert Book:    The Hotel Book:     Being  Book:    The Being Journey companion guide now! Book:    Apparent Faith Website: https://karlforehand.com/  Email:    Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand Advertisements

226 – Jory Micah – Emerging from Addiction

Jory Micah has an MA in Biblical Studies and Church History. She is passionate about helping people remember that they are children of God and worth far more than accepting systems responsible for oppression, inequities and injustices. Find her on social media @jorymicah. Facebook * Instagram * Twitter Desert Sanctuary Resources Book:    Out Into the DesertBook:…

225 – Ashley Easter – Anatomy of a Cult

Ashley Easter is a cult survivor turned survivor advocate. She is the founder of Courage 365, a non-profit for abuse survivors (especially those abused in faith contexts) and a television producer focused on highlighting stories of meaning and mission. She is also an intuition life coach specializing in helping women take back their power and…

222 – Karl and Laura – Deconstructing the Holidays

We made it through Thanksgiving. So, we sat down to talk about stroke recovery and navigating the holidays. Grab your favorite drink and join us. Desert Sanctuary Resources Book:    Out Into the Desert Book:    The Hotel Book:     Being  Book:    The Being Journey companion guide now! Book:    Apparent Faith Website: https://karlforehand.com/  Email:    Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand

219 – Brad Jersak – Out of the Embers

Brad Jersak is an author and teacher based in Abbotsford, BC. He currently serves as the Dean of Theology & Culture at St. Stephen’s University (SSU.ca/graduate) in New Brunswick and teaches peace studies courses with IRPJ.org and is a regular speaker with the Open Table Conference crew. He writes regularly for the Clarion Journal and CWR magazine. Through his books and seminars,…

218 – Aaron Tomlinson – It’s About Meaning

Aaron and I talk about taboos: religion and politics. Desert Sanctuary Resources Book:    Out Into the Desert Book:    The Hotel Book:     Being  Book:    The Being Journey companion guide now! Book:    Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart Website: https://karlforehand.com/  Email:    Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand

Outgrowing Our Religion

In my best evaluation, people have always been drawn towards things like religion to try to explain the things we could explain. The ceremonies and communities we built around our understanding and misunderstanding helped us shape some meaning into the world. I believe we can honor those traditions and, sometimes, even memorialize them while boldly…

The Church is Out of Space

Recently I listened to a discussion about a book I’m involved with called Parenting Deconstructed. It’s a great book for people that are making changes in their spiritual life and exploring different options, commonly known as deconstruction. A couple of the authors that I love talked about making space for their children. What they meant…

217 – Austin Noll – Hold on Loosely

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Austin Noll studied screenwriting at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television before moving to Austin, Texas to continue pursuing his writing endeavors. He is a first time author of the book “A Jumble of Crumpled Papers.” Though his focus has primarily been writing for the screen, his…

216 – Joanne McAfee Maldonado – Borders, Barriers and Believing

A native Delawarean, residing on the ceded lands of the Nanticoke and Lenape tribes, Joanne McAfee – Maldonado lives in Delaware with her husband, Carlos, and two adult children. She’s served in roles such as youth pastor, assistant pastor, Bible Study teacher, and healing ministry facilitator, but left traditional church in 2019 to follow a…

Why I Had to Go Further

by Karl Forehand While it’s true that many millions of people are deconstructing their faith, some of them will be convinced to stop short of total deconstruction. I don’t want to judge or criticize them for this. Deconstruction is hard. But for many of us, it was necessary to continue on the journey that we…

213 – Sherri Bothwell – Pastor’s Wife Losing Religion, Gaining a Voice

Sherri has been in leadership positions and ministry in Independent Baptist Churches from the time she was saved at the age of 11. her and her husband planted a church after leaving the Independent Fundamental Baptist denomination due to waking up to the spiritual abuse we both suffered from the-pulpit-to-the-pew all our lives. They desired…

212 – Us and Kyle – Deconstructing Isn’t Easy

Topics: Brad Jersak’s new book, Deconstructing Isn’t Easy, Important things to keep. Discussion with us and Kyle Butler Desert Sanctuary Resources Book:    Out Into the Desert Book:    The Hotel Book:     Being  Book:    The Being Journey companion guide now! Book:    Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart Website: https://karlforehand.com/  Email:    Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64 Twitter: @karl4hand

209 – Kerri Hummingbird & Tracy King – Evolving, Healing & Integrating

Tracy King activates potential. For more than 20 years she has dedicated her career to designing transformational experiences. She is a master learning designer, professional development consultant, bestselling author, and owns an instructional design agency. Her work synthesizing how brains learn into a model for crafting transformational experiences has been featured on NBC, ABC, FOX,…

208 – Megan & Dominique Benninger – Baptists Beware

Dominique and Megan have survived spiritual abuse in a variety of institutional settings including a religious cult, a charismatic nondenominational church, and a Southern Baptist church. Together they founded Baptist Accountability, an online database that tracks abuse within Baptist churches. Megan works tirelessly to educate others about spiritual and sexual abuse within churches and religious…

207 – Sheri Pallas – Fireside Creators

Rev. Dr. Sheri Pallas is an author, ally, and activist. She hosts a weekly live stream, Fireside Creators, with experts and the experienced, tackling tough topics. Sheri was raised between two extremes of judgment and hate. Her father, a drug dealing ex-con once nominated to be a Grand Dragon in the KKK. Her mom was…

206 – Emily Loggins – The Feral Pastor’s Wife

Emily Loggins is a religious deconstruction advocate and the creator of Feral Pastor’s Wife, a rapidly growing TikTok community of over 30,000 people. Emily uses humor and critical analysis to question high-demand religion, while creating a soft landing place for those who were brave enough to leave. Instagram * @feral_pastors_wife on Tik Tok

The Things That Hurt

In 20 years of ministry, I have never had anyone refuse to take communion from me. But this guy quietly told me he was not going to accept what we called The Lord’s Supper. I said, “okay” suspiciously, to which he replied, “I’ll talk to you later about it.” Sure enough, we had supper later…

203 – Kathy Weber-Jacobitz – How I Lost Myself

Kathy is a mom of many. A high school teacher. Former social worker, A homeschooling mom, marriage, and church – drop out. An ex-evangelical and alcoholic in recovery, in equal parts. A connoisseur of history, theology, and useless trivia. Fueled by a deep desire to validate the voices and experiences of people who, habitually, have…

201 – Wren Margaret Grace – Beeing Loud

Wren Margaret Grace is a neurodivergent adoptee, mother of 6, Domestic Violence survivor, chronic illness warrior, and passionate about moving Humanity through our existential crisis with the hopes of a better future for all of us, especially the future generations. Wren was raised as Independent Fundamental Baptist, graduated from a strict Bible college, and after…

199b – Celebrating in the Desert

We got together, one week after the book release, to celebrate. Out into the Desert was #1 for new releases for most of that time. It continues to do well. Keith Giles and Jason Elam came along for the ride! Order the book on Amazon, rate, review and tell your friends! Order Out Into the Desert…

194 – Religious Bullying

Everyone doesn’t agree with you, and you cant bully the rest of us into agreeing with you. Religion and politics are ripe with bulling, and it’s not always the guy stealing your lunch money. Order The Hotel Order Being or the The Being Journey companion guide now! Website: https://karlforehand.com/  Message us at any time if you have questions: karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64 Find…

184 – Out Into The Desert – The Things That Hurt

What is it about organized religion that is dangerous? Jason Elam and Karl and Laura discuss their experience with hurt in their ministry experience.  Order Being or the The Being Journey companion guide now!Website: https://karlforehand.com/ https://ratethispodcast.com/thedesertsanctuary·  Message us at any time if you have questions: karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com·  Find me on Twitter·  See our new Facebook Page: The Desert Sanctuary·  Book, Apparent Faith: What…

183 – Out into the Desert – We Can Do Better

Aaron Tomlinson joins us to talk about issues with the church and how we handle trauma.  Order Being or the The Being Journey companion guide now!Website: https://karlforehand.com/ https://ratethispodcast.com/thedesertsanctuary·  Message us at any time if you have questions: karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com·  Find me on Twitter·  See our new Facebook Page: The Desert Sanctuary·  Book, Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s HeartBook: The…

169 – Organized Religion

So, Karl why don’t you just leave religion alone and pursue what you want to pursue? Because religion is part of my roots and religion affects people. I know that people involved in organized religion don’t have evil intentions, but the system is systemically inadequate to deal with the trauma that it often creates. Please…

120 – Karl and Laura – Out into the Desert

Our discussion about the release of the e-book, now offered free on the website. Find the e-book https://karlforehand.com/books-by-karl-forehand This conversation, like the e-book, is somewhat vulnerable. Support us on Patreon  *   The Desert Sanctuary Website Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About…

117 – Karl and Laura – Community

Today, we sat down to talk about Community. By far, when people talk about why we should participate in organized religion, they tell us we need community. But Do we really find community at church?What is real community?Can you find commuity online?What is the Desert Sanctuary Community online? Image by Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels Website: https://karlforehand.com/…

70 – Mental Health and COVID-19 Crisis

Got together with some mental health professionals and talked about the current crisis and how it is unique in it’s characteristics. How is this crisis unique? How can we cope effectively with the crisis. What is common to all of this? What did the participants hope for our near future? Join our guests: Dr. Mary…

Finding Community – 3 of 3

Several months ago, when we stopped going to church, the most common injunction from people was, “Community is important.” As I said before, “I couldn’t agree more.” The best way I can answer this issue is to describe my current communities. That’s right, it’s plural. I don’t think any of us just have one community.…

The Main Thing

Karl I am pretty sure I heard the phrase first from one of my mentors.  Although I very well could have heard in a secular boardroom. The phrase goes something like this,  “We have to keep the main thing the main thing.”   It is a little more than establishing goals or even priorities.  The phrase…

Addicted to Church?

“Religion is the opiate of the masses.”  Karl Marx  Recently, we interviewed Cindy Wang Brandt on our podcast, The Desert Sanctuary.  Don’t blame her for anything I say, but her suggestion inspired this thought process.  She stressed that everyone should take a “gap year off” from church.  Although I agree with this now, I couldn’t…

Would Jesus Go to Church?

Recently we decided not to go to church anymore.  We don’t really know whether this is a permanent decision or just what we are doing right now.  It probably depends upon which one of us you talk to and what day it is.  One thing is for sure, we need some time to heal up…

Part 3 – Church?

Disclaimers:   I respect my pastor friends that want to preserve the local church.  Most of them agree, it needs to be re imagined.  That’s what I think i’m doing here – imagining. This series of blogs is about what I’m thinking about.  I think it’s good to think through things occasionally, especially in times like…

Part 2 – Church?

Disclaimers:   I respect my pastor friends that want to preserve the local church.  Most of them agree, it needs to be re imagined.  That’s what I think i’m doing here – imagining. This series of blogs is about what I’m thinking about.  I think it’s good to think through things occasionally, especially in times like…