Nathan's Neighborhood: Recent Episodes
Nathan Arledge
Welcome to Nathan's Neighborhood with Nathan Arledge. This podcast will take you to the front porch, fire pit, barbecuing, ice cream melting down your arm on the deck conversations, where we have all been. You will hear stories, reflections and perspectives that you will relate and have life intersections with. There will be tears, laughter, and most importantly connection. Friends, welcome to the neighborhood.
For more than a decade, Rev. Scott Chrostek has served his community as Executive Director of Ministry and Programs for Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area. Rev. Scott joins host Nathan Arledge for a conversation between pastors and old friends.
Scott speaks about his upbringing in Detroit, and how being a fan of the Tigers helped him form a foundation for prayer and ministry. He also recalls how working in sales early in his career gave him perspective on finding commonality and the importance of shared experiences. Nathan and Scott also talk about an experience Scott had with an elderly woman who lived behind the church he was a pastor at in NC that helped him find his pastoral voice. Finally, Scott touches on how the call of the church is to engage strangers so they can know you and you can know them, and together you can become the living body of Christ.
Senior Minister of Los Angeles First UMC Mandy McDow joins host Nathan Arledge on today's episode of Nathan's Neighborhood. Ever since connecting on a mission trip while Nathan was in Los Angeles, the two bonded over their shared passions of service, baseball, and Duke basketball.
LA UMC isn't your typical church that meets in a large building. Instead, they organize in a parking lot in downtown Los Angeles. In fact, their mission statement reads, "We are a houseless church. Until we can create a solution to DTLA’s homelessness crisis, we will remain in solidarity with our houseless neighbors."
Mandy and Nathan discuss her work with the church and her congregation. She discusses that loss of choice is one of the greatest tragedies of the home insecure. As an advocate for the LBGTQ+ community and marriage equality, Mandy also speaks about the reasons why many people from these communities have difficulty establishing trust with the church at large. Finally, Mandy emphasizes how important it is to stand up for what's right every day in everything you do.
Reverend Dr. Michael Waters is the founder and lead pastor of Abundant Life African Methodist Episcopal Church in Dallas, TX. He is a professor, social commentator, and published author, whose written on topics of social justice, systemic racism, faith and pop culture.
Dr. Waters joins host Nathan Arledge on today's episode of Nathan's Neighborhood about the deep roots he has in Texas, and the work he's subsequently done in his home state. Dr. Waters talks about redeeming the spaces, places and people that have been historically marginalized, breaking through a mindset of scarcity, and placing faith in modern day prophets.
Founding Executive Director of FAM Houston Hannah Terry joins Nathan Arledge on the podcast. Hannah's ministry in Houston revolves around FAM's mission to reach out and build community and engagement with immigrant and refugee communities.
Hannah and Nathan talk about how time and space are precious, and our need to bring people into that space. Hannah speaks to her experiences working with migrant populations, and how appreciating diversity can be life giving. Hannah also speaks to her experience during the pandemic that left her feeling isolated, a far different place than she was accustomed to.
Nathan speaks to Uyeion Kim, fellow pastor at Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC and native of South Korea. Uyeion's family moved to Lubbock, TX when he was young, and he applied to go to seminary in college. Kim then found his way to North Carolina via family in Greensboro and grad school at Duke Divinity.
Uyeion and Nathan have a conversation that touches on a variety of topics that show their friendship and respect for each other. They discuss how America is still a country people can come to and feel part of the fabric, despite their challenges. Kim speaks about the effects of assimilation on non-white children, what it means to get to know your neighbor, and how being present and committed helps you better connect.
Nathan speaks to speaker, author, and pastor Rachel Billups. Rachel is Senior Pastor at Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City in Dayton, OH.
In the months leading up and shifting into the pandemic, Rachel's community was faced with several challenges including a series of tornados, civil unrest in the streets, and shifting leadership within her own church. Rachel reflects on that time as some of the work she's most proud of and the lessons she learned.
Rachel speaks about how knowing yourself and being comfortable with who you are is important. Her and Nathan also talk about creating space for people and that being the first step towards helping people truly connect. Rachel also discusses how asking good questions, being able to freely disagree, and having hard conversations is vital to be able to continue to grow and accept others as Christ would.
Divinity does not exist in a vacuum, and knowing how it exists in the world via culture, language and society are an important skill for pastors to hone. Today's guest on Nathan's Neighborhood is Pastor Matt Rawle, who is also a speaker, author, musician, dad and fervent Disney fan.
Born in Louisiana, and currently a Methodist Elder, Matt speaks about a wide range of topics, including finding the divine in everything, Jesus as an act of life, and how the church and the world at large are not two separate things.
Pastor Katie Montgomery Mears joins host Nathan Arledge on today's episode. Pastor Mears has a long history of service to her community. Born in Louisiana and educated at SMU, Mears helped build homes through Habitat for Humanity before moving into fundraising. Seeing her work raising money for the needy as something of a ministry on its own, she eventually found her way to become an ordained pastor at St. Luke's in Houston, TX.
Katie talks with Nathan about her path to ministry, what she learned building houses, and meeting people on their level. Katie also speaks about being a mother, and how ministry does (and doesn't) play a role in raising her children. Finally, she also talks about the power of travel and how getting uncomfortable breeds empathy.
Pastor - St. Luke's Houston
Grew up in Louisiana (SMU Educated)
Worked in public health in Houston
Habitat for Humanity
In the second episode of the Season 4 "Binge" season, host Nathan Arledge sits down with fellow faith leader Rev. Lisa Yebuah of Southeast Raleigh Table. Lisa grew up in the American mid-Atlantic to immigrant parents of Ghanaian decent. Her experience growing up as a BIPOC person has given her a unique perspective on some of today's most pressing issues.
Nathan and Lisa sit down to talk about how BIPOC people have consistently been praised for their resilience, but we've rarely questioned why that resilience is necessary in the fist place. Lisa also talks about how abundant life is possible according to the scripture. Finally, the two talk about how fear's intoxicating and addictive nature makes it easy to spread in today's world.
Author, podcast host and pastor Matt Miofsky joins Nathan Arledge on the podcast today. Twenty years ago, Matt founded The Gathering UMC in St. Louis, MO, out of his love for community and connection. Matt has also written several books, holds a degree in mathematics, and hosts the podcast The F Word (faith).
Matt and Nathan speak about Matt's journey from math major to divinity studies to being a pastor. Matt talks about how to keep current congregants engaged while also reaching out to new ones too. Matt says that many times people struggling with issues in their life reject the church even though the problems they face are largely spiritual. Matt also talks about starting a church in St. Louis, shepherding the organization for more than 20 years, and how his years in that position have helped him make deeper and more meaningful connections.
Little did 12 year-old Jonathan Coleman know at the time, but a photo he would take at his sister's softball game would be the spark for a career in photography and media, one that would eventually lead to him becoming the the PR director at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jonathan would take his love of journalism and storytelling with him to school at Chapel Hill, professionally at local newspapers, and today representing North Carolina's grandest racing track.
Jonathan joins host Nathan Arledge to talk about how journalism is all about connection. Jonathan talks about how the essence of journalism is sparked by personal interest, and is an opportunity to build community. Jonathan also speaks about how the platform of journalism can be used for both good and bad.
Good Day Charlotte host Anne Wyatt Little joins host Nathan Arledge on today's episode of Nathan's Neighborhood. Anne talks about her background in journalism from school at Southern Methodist University in Texas to Fox46 here in Charlotte. Nathan and Anne also talk about how news stories are chosen, how she deals with grief on the job, and what stories she's covered have been most impactful to her.
As the Black Lives Matter protests raged on during the summer of 2020, countless images of the protests flooded our social media feeds. In Charlotte, it was almost impossible to miss the images coming from Queen City Nerve, a local alt-weekly. It was thanks to the tireless effort of Justin LaFrancois, the paper's publisher and business manager, that many of those images hit home.
Justin joins Nathan for a conversation about journalism's role as a social tool, an instrument of activism. Justin (who never trained to be a journalist), believes journalism is community involvement in many ways. Part of a journalist's purpose is to get people involved, teach people about their community, and get them to care. Justin also talks about how focusing on the often underrepresented voices instead of the "view from the helicopter" makes QC Nerve's coverage unique.
Fred Clasen-Kelly is an investigative reporter with USA Today, who has spent many years covering the same kinds of neighborhoods that he grew up in in Saginaw, Michigan. As a low-income area, Saginaw helped Fred understand the power and impact of community at a young age.
Today, Fred tells the stories of those impacted most by discriminatory housing practices, employment and immigration issues, and government accountability. In his work, he sees the same stories of resilience he saw in his youth.
Fred talks to Nathan about growing up in Saginaw, seeing the effects of poverty and racism first hand, and what it means to have to make the "best" bad choice you can.
Molly Grantham is a two-time Emmy-award winning journalist who has been named TV News Reporter of the Year for both Carolinas, one of Mecklenburg County’s “50 Most Influential Women” and most recently, Charlottean of the Year in 2020 by Charlotte Magazine. She published her second book last year in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, is a leader in social media, and is heavily involved in the Charlotte community.
Molly does all this while juggling the demands of being a mother. In today's episode of Nathan's Neighborhood, host Nathan Arledge talks to Molly about the concept of juggling. Both in terms of being the best news anchor she can be while also being the best parent she can be, but also balance in terms of how she does her job and how she delivers the news to her community. Molly also speaks to Nathan about being in the public spotlight, how she receives feedback and the unique scrutiny women in her position face.
Find out more about Molly on her website, mollygrantham.com.
Host Nathan Arledge brings it back home by talking to James and Lisa Howell. James is the senior pastor at Myers Park United Methodist Church, and his wife Lisa works diligently with the community as an activist and a photographer.
Nathan, James and Lisa join together for a cozy conversation on the Howell's patio. They discuss how to stay rooted when history is torn down around us, how communities change forever when residents get uprooted, and the natural wonder and beauty of diversity as evidenced across cultures and the lessons we can learn from it.
Host Nathan Arledge has made countless trips to the US/Mexico border and several other areas in Central America to help serve the immigrant community, welcoming our new neighbors. He can't do this work on his own, however, and today's guest has accompanied Nathan on many of the trips he's made.
Angelica Garnett (or 'Lica as her friends call her) is originally from Bogotá, Colombia and immigrated to the US when her father moved the family to Miami when she was in high school. Her first-hand experiences with the discomfort many Americans have towards immigrants has informed her world view and fueled the work she does today.
Nathan and Angelica talk about the underground networks that migrants often are forced to rely upon for support, the abundance of God, and the dreams we have for ourselves and others.
One of the reasons we embrace the stories of our neighbors is because of the vast diversity of cultures that weave together around the world on a daily basis. Today's guest, Rosie Molinary, is a living example of how these different worlds exist together. Born in Germany to parents in the Army, she was raised in South Carolina but followed her family around the world. She's built a life from those experiences that have led her to become a published author and a professor at UNC Charlotte.
Rosie speaks to Nathan about how we grapple with making ways for ourselves but don't make way for others, how not relating to others diminishes everyone's experience, and how education allows us to be aware and empathetic.
A big part of shifting the collective mindset towards one of a more humane acceptance of immigrants is to remind ourselves of the lives and families that are at stake here. For those of us who are comfortable in our daily American lives, immigration can often feel removed, more of a policy choice than a hard-hitting reality.
Today's guest is David Rodriguez, Executive Director of Faith Ministry, a series of mutual aid stations in both Mexico and Texas near the border. David helps pool resources to families who are navigating the often daunting immigration process.
David and Nathan sit down to talk about what it's like to be on the front lines, what he sees as the obstacles many immigrants face, and how social capital and meeting people on their level is the best thing people can give their new neighbors.
It's no secret one of Nathan's biggest passions is bringing the stories of the less fortunate the attention and humanity they deserve. On today's episode of Nathan's Neighborhood, Nathan talks to Guadalupe, who tells him about her journey across the border from Central America.
Through a translator, Guadalupe shares stories with Nathan about how the violence and corruption in her home country left her with no choice but to try to flee to America. She talks about the dangers she faced along the way, including getting thrown from a moving truck. Guadalupe also sheds light on how poor she and many of her fellow migrants were, but despite that, were still able to band together to support each other.
For many people born in Central and South America, the journey it takes to become a US citizen can be both a figurative and a literal one. Almost all of them endure treks of several hundred miles through unforgiving conditions with any number of physical threats along the way, and that's before going through the asylum and detention process. Once across the border, the journey becomes a true battle of attrition as the naturalization process takes years if not decades, your existence constantly threatened by tedious paperwork and deportation, and your daily lives ruled by contingency plans in case you were to get the wrong knock on your door.
Nathan's guest today has experienced all of that and endured to get an education and a career with the North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Ismael Ruiz-Millan was born in a small border town in Mexico, immigrated to the US in 2003, and joins Nathan today to talk about the often arduous path to naturalization, working to get his education, and how his work with the church has helped him work towards immigration progress. Contemplate with Ismael and Nathan as they discuss the juxtaposition from hospitality to hostility and how we, as good neighbors must embrace more hospitality.
When it works the way it's supposed to, immigrating into the US can and should produce beautiful results. Manolo Betancur was a native of Colombia when he entered into the US in 2002, knowing only enough English to count to ten. From there, he was able to obtain a path to education, served time in the Colombian Navy, and eventually settled into Charlotte as the owner of Manolo's bakery.
Manolo sits down with Nathan to talk about his journey to the US through the legal naturalization process, how immigrant voices are suppressed and mischaracterized, the effects that deportation has had on both him and his family, and the devastating ICE raids that swept the city in 2017 that even struck his own business.
This episode of Nathan's Neighborhood kicks off a full season of episodes on a topic that is near to Nathan's heart: immigration. If you know Nathan, you know that he spends countless hours of his time working with immigrant and refugee populations, particularly along the southern border. In his work, Nathan strives to have the humanity of the immigrant population recognized over their labor or lazy stereotypes.
To kick off this conversation, Nathan sits down with Patty Arcia, Director of Outreach at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. Patty is herself an immigrant of El Salvador. In their conversation, Patty talks about how she's had to adapt to life in America as an "other," what systems she has in place to deal with police and ICE, and how to recognize migrants as your brothers and sisters.
As we wind down the first season of Nathan's Neighborhood, we thought it would be a good idea to have a casual conversation with one of Nathan's closest friends and colleagues, Rev. Ray McKinnon. Ray is an ordained minister, formerly of South Tryon Community UMC in Charlotte, NC, and also a leadership development and recruitment professional.
After they met through their work in the church, Ray and Nathan became fast friends. In this episode of Nathan's Neighborhood, the two swap stories of how they met (including Nathan making Ray wait for more than four hours), the impact of their work, why you can't give everything of yourself to everyone, and what their favorite flavor of ice cream is.
When the COVID-19 pandemic turned life upside down in March 2020, it put an incredible burden on our front line health care workers. A heavy emphasis was placed on the concept on contact tracing, making it true race against time to track down people who had come into contact with positive cases to get them tested and quarantined.
Leading the charge here in Mecklenburg county was Autumn Watson. Autumn, a veteran health care professional with the county for more than a decade, took the reins of this impossible task right away. Under her stewardship, Mecklenburg County created a contact tracing system, along with workplace regulations, hotline and vaccination programs.
Autumn joins Nathan to talk about the COVID-19 experience, particularly in the early days of the pandemic. She shares her experience trying to communicate a complicated and constantly evolving message with the community, as well as how she deals with the inherent stress of her job.
Being a nurse requires a level of compassion that exceeds the norm. Today's guest has spent her entire life training and working to be a nurse, including ample work with the elderly population in hospice care. Today, Lauren Smith is the Parrish Nurse for Myers Park UMC in Charlotte, NC. Lauren sits down with Nathan to talk about her experiences in hospice care and her proximity to so many end of life situations. She also talks about a pandemic-infused year at the church helped her become more resourceful.
Forget the medical degrees, the training, the residencies and the book smarts. An essential part of being a good doctor is the ability to be present with one's patients. That's according to recently retired Dr. Greg Underwood, who spent 30 plus years serving Charlotteans at some of the highest and lowest moments of their lives.
On today's episode of Nathan's neighborhood, host Nathan Arledge sits down with Dr. Underwood to talk about what it means to be present with his patients, the years of work it takes to build trust with the people he sees, and how he found comfort in understanding that he was the right person to deliver bad news to the patients he cares for.
For the patient, who may be putting themselves or someone they love in the hands of a medical professional, the experience doesn't have to be a one way street. Patients need to educate themselves on their particular circumstances, and be ready to communicate their needs with their caregivers.
On today's episode of Nathan's Neighborhood, host Nathan Arledge talks to OBGYN Dr. Nathan Givens. In his work, Dr. Givens works most directly in the delivery room, including having been part of Nathan's son's delivering process.
Host Nathan talks to guest Nathan about what his motivations are for being in his position now, what the relationships he tries to build with his patients mean to him, why being able to communicate with doctors and nurses is so important, and when to ask for a second opinion. Dr. Givens also shares a touching story about his experience on the other side of the medical experience when he talks about moving his family to Boston for a month during COVID as his son battled a heart issue.
The pursuit of joy is something that takes on deep personal meaning that is different for all of us. For today's guest on Nathan's Neighborhood, her journey to joy began in Charlotte, but took her to Jackson, Wyoming unexpectedly after a visit while on break from work.
Ellen Weddinton is a registered nurse in the ICU and emergency room. She began her career at one of the large hospitals in Charlotte, but ended up pursuing the wide open skies of Wyoming.
In today's episode, Nathan talks to Ellen about making the move from Charlotte to Jackson, the unexpected joy of working in the ICU, and the ways the need for social justice manifests itself in the medical setting.
One of the common threads of building community is joy. So in Nathan’s Neighborhood with your host Nathan Arledge you will experience joy. You experience new things. You will also be taken back to moments in your own life where you have a common story with the guest that you've listened to. Welcome to the neighborhood!
In Nathan's Neighborhood, we believe that joy can be found anywhere, from the most euphoric of moments to the darkest depths. Nathan's guest on today's show has seen all ends of the spectrum.
Today we talk to Dr. Stacy Nicholson, President of Children's Services and Chair of Pediatrics for Levine Children's hospital in Charlotte, NC. Throughout his long tenured career, Dr. Nicholson has been on the front lines of care for young patients and their families. While more than 80% of children with cancer can be treated and cured by modern medicine, that means that several patients can't.
Dr. Nicholson speaks to how he's able to balance his duty of care and the inherent nature of his work, why trust is so important between him and his patients, and the need for professionalism in roles like his.