Practicing Presence: Nathan Hoff on Stability, Community, and a Rule of Life in Los Angeles (Part 1) | PT 147

What if the cure for modern ministry restlessness is staying put? In this episode, Pastor Nathan Hoff joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share his story of 20 years at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro, California. From a childhood marked by constant moves to forming a residential community in an unrooted city, Nathan reflects on the beauty of long obedience, shared rhythms, and a “rule of life” shaped by prayer and presence.🎙️ In This Episode:Growing up in a pastor’s family that moved 15 times before he turned 30The call to ministry at age eight—and how grace reshaped his vocationHow generational faith shaped Nathan’s theology of rootednessCreating a parish community with shared rhythms of prayer and lifeWhy stability is countercultural—and deeply spiritual—in urban ministry⏱️ Timestamps:04:00 – From constant moving to a life of rooted ministry07:00 – A childhood call to ministry and early formation10:00 – Discovering Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro13:00 – The influence of charismatic and sacramental renewal movements17:00 – Generational faith and the grace that carries through families20:00 – “On the block”: creating a shared residential community24:00 – Rule of life, rhythms of prayer, and the call to rootedness🔗 Resources & Links:Learn more about Trinity Lutheran Church → trinitysanpedro.orgExplore The Rule of Life and the Common Way → trinitysanpedro.org/ruleoflifeListen to Low in the Water (from the Eugene Peterson Center) → petersoncenter.org/low-in-the-water-podcastFollow Nathan Hoff’s writing → nathanhoff.substack.comExplore reflections on pastoral life → practicingbenediction.substack.comIn a world that prizes movement and novelty, Pastor Nathan Hoff reminds us that faithfulness often looks like staying put—rooting deeply in a place, a people, and the daily rhythms of grace.

What happens when grace rewrites your story from the inside out? In this second conversation, Pastor Katie Langston joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share how the gospel of grace led her from Mormonism to the waters of baptism and into the freedom of ministry. Katie opens up about her conversion, her calling as a Lutheran pastor, and why she now preaches grace as the Church’s most radical gift in an anxious world.🎙️ In This Episode:How Katie’s baptism became a moment of real deliveranceWhy law and gospel must be preached together—but not confusedThe tangible grace of communion for weary believersThe temptation to prove worthiness—even in ministryHow pastors can rest in being “sealed” by Christ’s finished work⏱️ Timestamps:03:00 – Discovering grace as a lived reality, not a doctrine08:00 – Luther Seminary and finding home in the Lutheran story11:00 – Baptism as exorcism and renewal15:00 – Learning to preach grace in a law-driven world18:00 – Pastoral care and the non-anxious presence of the gospel20:00 – Communion as Christ given “for you”24:00 – Why every culture worships worthiness26:00 – “You are sealed to Christ forever.”Grace doesn’t ask for your worthiness; it gives it. Katie’s story reminds pastors and believers alike that baptism marks us with the promise of a God who will never, ever let us go.

What happens when religion becomes a system for proving your worth? In this powerful conversation, Pastor Katie Langston shares her journey from growing up Mormon to discovering the freeing power of grace. With honesty and humor, she describes life in a worthiness-based system, her battle with scrupulosity, and the moment she first heard the gospel of grace through a Wheaton professor’s words: “I know enough of my deficiencies to be devastated.”🎙️ In This Episode:Growing up in a loving but rule-bound Mormon homeThe weight of worthiness interviews and religious anxietyBattling scrupulosity and finding a name for her struggleHearing the gospel for the first time—and believing itWhy grace and Mormon theology can’t coexist⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Introducing Pastor Katie Langston02:00 – Growing up in a faithful Mormon home05:00 – Worthiness interviews and the burden of perfection09:00 – Temple rituals, baptism for the dead, and Mormon theology13:00 – Missionary life in Bulgaria and early cracks in the system18:00 – Marriage, motherhood, and the onset of despair21:00 – OCD, scrupulosity, and the search for help23:00 – Hearing Jerry Root’s message on grace24:00 – “What if Christ has made me worthy?”26:00 – Ten years of wrestling between Mormonism and graceGrace is not another rule to keep; it’s the end of the "worthiness" game. Katie’s story invites weary pastors and believers alike to rest in the gospel that declares: you are already enough in Christ.

What if you didn’t get to choose where you served, but trusted the Spirit and the Church to send you? In Part 2 of this conversation, Pastor Benji Van Fleet joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to unpack the Methodist system of itinerancy and what it teaches us about obedience, humility, and trust. From matchmaker bishops to Methodist “March Madness,” Benji shares a vision of ministry rooted in submission rather than self-promotion, and a faith that follows wherever God leads.🎙️ In This Episode:What the Methodist itinerant system teaches about calling and surrenderHow being sent shapes a pastor’s humility and courageThe dangers of “pastor as CEO” and the freedom of not owning your churchHow diversity flourishes through a Spirit-led appointment processWhy obedience to the Church’s discernment can deepen faith⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – The theology behind being sent rather than hired03:00 – Contextualizing mission: unity without uniformity07:00 – The “matchmaker” role of bishops and discernment in appointments11:00 – Fresh eyes and prophetic courage in short tenures15:00 – Undermining the “pastor as CEO” model20:00 – Methodist March Madness and the beauty of discernment24:00 – Diversity and the Kingdom of God in appointment systems32:00 – A phone call on Holy Week that changed everything36:00 – Saying yes when it could’ve only been six months38:00 – Submission, humility, and the Spirit’s surprising workMinistry is not a career we climb; it’s a call we receive. Benji’s story reminds us that when we live as sent ones rather than stationed ones, we find the freedom to trust God’s wisdom over our own plans.

What happens when your theology of calling collides with your understanding of ownership in the church? In this episode, Pastor Benji Van Fleet joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom from Abilene, Texas, to talk about his journey from architecture student to Methodist pastor, how cancer and heartbreak became catalysts for his call, and why he describes himself not as a shepherd—but a sheepdog.🎙️ In This Episode:How a broken engagement and a tumor redirected Benji’s life toward ministryThe moment God spoke when everything else fell apartWhat it means to be a “sent” pastor in the Methodist itinerant systemWhy Benji refuses to call St. Paul “his” church—and what that means for pastoral health⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – The world of Abilene and Texas-sized hospitality04:00 – The story of St. Paul UMC and its 100-year legacy07:00 – Benji’s faith upbringing and the “zebra” of denominations10:00 – Losing everything—and hearing God’s voice for the first time13:00 – “Exactly. Now we can start again.” A calling moment15:00 – Sharing the gospel in Russia and being called as God’s diplomat20:00 – Seminary, marriage, and the Methodist call system23:00 – Going where you’re sent: the theology of itinerancy26:00 – Why Benji says, “I’m not the shepherd—I’m the sheepdog.”29:00 – The cult of personality and pointing people to JesusPastors are not owners of the church; they’re guides pointing the flock toward the Good Shepherd. Benji’s story reminds us that calling often begins in surrender, and ministry flourishes when we lead with open hands.

What happens when personal pain becomes public platform? In this candid conversation, Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom reflect on Tara Beth’s widely shared Substack essay, When the Wounded Take the Mic. They explore the rise of “wounded influencers,” the temptation for pastors to preach from fresh wounds rather than healed scars, and how leaders can discern the difference between prophetic truth-telling and reactive venting.Read the article here: https://tarabethleach.substack.com/p/when-the-wounded-take-the-mic 🎙️ In This Episode:Why woundedness has become a new form of credibility in the churchThe danger of confusing deconstruction with discipleshipLessons Tara Beth learned from preaching with fresh woundsHow pastors can lead from scars instead of unhealed painWhy the church—flawed and fallen—remains God’s chosen place of healing⏱️ Timestamps:02:00 – The rise of wounded influencers and the pull of platform06:00 – When honesty and rawness aren’t the same as holiness and wisdom10:00 – Tara Beth’s personal reflections on preaching while wounded15:00 – How the church itself became a place of healing20:00 – The danger of binary thinking: victim vs. villain24:00 – Family systems theory and the culture of shared anger27:00 – Mark’s reflection: preaching while angry and what changed28:00 – Pastors will always lead while wounded—the question is howEvery pastor carries wounds, but not every wound should be amplified. Ministry rooted in healing scars—rather than raw pain—creates space for true discipleship, renewal, and hope in the body of Christ.

What happens when ministry wounds you so deeply that you wonder if you’ll ever serve again? In this conversation, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share how a decade away from the pastorate became a season of theological reflection, healing, and rediscovery of God’s mercy. From the theology of the cross to the false lure of utopian church ideals, Sarah offers hard-won wisdom for pastors whose hearts are broken.🎙️ In This Episode:Why stepping away from the pastorate was necessary for recoveryThe dangers of chasing validation in ministryHow churches confuse the theology of the cross with gloryFacing sin in the church without losing hopeReturning to your first love as a pastor⏱️ Timestamps:01:05 Sarah’s season away from ministry05:00 Wrestling with anger and recovery09:30 Lessons from failure and immaturity13:50 Roots vs. fruits: pursuing word and sacrament16:20 Cross and resurrection held together20:00 The church’s sins and the call to confession28:00 American utopianism in church life30:30 A word for pastors with broken heartsHealing after ministry wounds is slow, but it is holy work. By returning to our first love in Christ and trusting God’s mercy, pastors can find hope beyond anger and rediscover the joy of serving God’s people.

What happens when God calls you back into ministry after deep wounds? In Part 2 of her story, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson reflects on moving from disillusionment in New Jersey to surprising renewal in Tokyo. With honesty and humor, she describes serving a fragile, English-speaking congregation during COVID, watching people show up because Jesus himself drew them, and discovering her pastoral heart restored.🎙️ In This Episode:Recovering from disillusionment and learning to be a parishioner againMoving to Tokyo and reluctantly stepping back into pastoral ministryThe loneliness of Japan—and the surprising ways God calls people to churchHow catechesis shaped new believers and renewed her pastoral heart⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Leaving Trenton and healing in Strasbourg03:00 – Becoming a supportive parishioner before pastoring again06:00 – Moving to Tokyo and reluctantly accepting a call09:00 – Serving in a city of 40 million isolated people11:00 – COVID, reopening, and an unexpected growth in the church13:00 – “Jesus told me to come to church”: new believers in Tokyo17:00 – Using the Small Catechism as an evangelism tool20:00 – Formation vs. just getting people in the door24:00 – A renewed pastoral heart and the gift of a faithful congregationGod doesn’t waste seasons of pain. In Tokyo, Sarah discovered that even when she felt unqualified, God was faithful to bring people, heal her wounds, and give her back a pastoral heart.

What happens when ministry doesn’t go as planned? In this riveting conversation, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson shares her story of growing up in a third-generation pastoral family, wrestling with her call as a woman, and stepping into a church full of both history and heartbreak. From dollar-priced communion to deep theological reflection, Sarah’s story reminds us that God often works through unexpected twists.Learn more about Sarah's writing at sarahhinlickywilson.com🎙️ In This Episode:Growing up in a healthy Lutheran family and finding her call to ministryWrestling with being a woman pastor—and discovering unlikely mentorsHer first call in Trenton, NJ, and the painful reality of a declining churchNostalgia, culture, and the surprising places God redirects us⏱️ Timestamps:04:00 – Third-generation pastor with a happy church upbringing07:00 – Wrestling with women in ministry through theology and mentors10:00 – From PhD work to ordination13:00 – First call: a struggling Slovak Lutheran church in Trenton17:00 – Communion for a dollar? The odd traditions she inherited20:00 – Facing racism, loss, and resistance in a shrinking congregation24:00 – The deeper challenge of nostalgia and bound wills30:00 – God’s unexpected redirection: Strasbourg, FranceMinistry is rarely a straight line. Sarah’s story reveals how even in broken churches and cultural tensions, God is still at work redirecting us, reshaping us, and surprising us with new callings.

What happens when your call to ministry feels buried, but never really dies? In this special episode, the tables turn as Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom interview their producer, and now executive pastor, Chaz Robbins. From a childhood shaped by faithful mentors to an RV road trip with his family, Chaz opens up about his winding path through ministry, media, church planting, and finally, back into pastoral leadership.🎙️ In This Episode:How a youth pastor at Taco Bell modeled the love of JesusThe moment Chaz’s grandfather called him into ministry: “You were made for this”Lessons from planting a church—and letting it go in 2020What a year on the road in an RV taught about community and resilienceWhy stepping into executive ministry feels like coming home⏱️ Timestamps:05:00 – Growing up in Missouri, football dreams, and broken bones08:30 – A youth pastor’s presence that changed everything10:00 – Called into ministry at a Nebraska retreat12:00 – From Ozark Christian College to Northern Seminary16:00 – Learning ministry through Next Steps & Rooted at Parkview18:00 – Church planting residency and the dream of a coffeehouse church20:00 – Planting in Colorado… and closing during COVID17:00 – Selling everything and living a year in an RV with two toddlers23:00 – The bittersweet ache of stepping away from pastoral ministry26:00 – The long road of healing and rediscovering call31:00 – A new chapter: becoming Executive Pastor at Osage Hills33:00 – Why Jesus’ promise “I will build my church” matters most🔗 Resources & Mentions:The Great Morning Revolution by Tara Beth Leach → Amazon linkThreaded Bible Study by Tara Beth Leach → Amazon linkEven when ministry dreams fall apart, God wastes nothing. The same call that sparked at a Taco Bell table and a Nebraska retreat still echoes today: you were made for this—to love people with the presence of Jesus.