The Underground Sessions: Recent Episodes
Millington Baptist Church
This episode is a recording from our live Underground Sessions event from October 3, 2020. Our topic was "Income Inequality" and our speaker was Dr. Anne Bradley. This is part 2 of a 3 part series from this event.
Income Inequality Recap
On October 3rd, 2020, MBC hosed its first ever virtual The Underground Sessions event where we discussed the important, and provocative, topic of “income inequality.” Our guest for this event was Dr. Anne Bradley, an expert economist who approaches this topic from a Christian worldview. After giving a keynote talk defining income inequality, she sat down with Pastor Bob and further discussed the related topics of socialism, capitalism, racial discrimination, as well as practical steps to address poverty in our world. You can watch the full-length session, or choose from three different segments on this page.
About the Speaker
Anne Bradley is the George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education and the Academic Director at the Fund for American Studies. She served as the Vice President of Economic Initiatives at The Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics, where she developed and commissioned research toward a systematic biblical theology of economic freedom. She is a visiting professor at Georgetown University and has previously taught at George Mason University and at Charles University, Prague. She is currently a visiting scholar at the Bernard Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy. She served as the Associate Director for the Program in Economics, Politics, and the Law at the James M. Buchanan Center at George Mason University.
Dr. Bradley’s academic work focuses on the political economy of terrorism with specific emphasis on the industrial organization of al-Qaeda. Her academic research has been published in scholarly journals and edited volumes. She is currently working on a book that analyzes the political economy of al-Qaeda post 9/11. Based on her academic research she also worked as an Economic Analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency’s Office of Terrorism Analysis.
Dr. Bradley is the author of several books, and served as the general editor of For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty, in which she frames a solid biblical & economic understanding of how best to care for the poor and foster economic development.
This episode is a recording from our live Underground Sessions event from October 3, 2020. Our topic was "Income Inequality" and our speaker was Dr. Anne Bradley.
Income Inequality Recap
On October 3rd, 2020, MBC hosed its first ever virtual The Underground Sessions event where we discussed the important, and provocative, topic of “income inequality.” Our guest for this event was Dr. Anne Bradley, an expert economist who approaches this topic from a Christian worldview. After giving a keynote talk defining income inequality, she sat down with Pastor Bob and further discussed the related topics of socialism, capitalism, racial discrimination, as well as practical steps to address poverty in our world. You can watch the full-length session, or choose from three different segments on this page.
About the Speaker
Anne Bradley is the George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education and the Academic Director at the Fund for American Studies. She served as the Vice President of Economic Initiatives at The Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics, where she developed and commissioned research toward a systematic biblical theology of economic freedom. She is a visiting professor at Georgetown University and has previously taught at George Mason University and at Charles University, Prague. She is currently a visiting scholar at the Bernard Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy. She served as the Associate Director for the Program in Economics, Politics, and the Law at the James M. Buchanan Center at George Mason University.
Dr. Bradley’s academic work focuses on the political economy of terrorism with specific emphasis on the industrial organization of al-Qaeda. Her academic research has been published in scholarly journals and edited volumes. She is currently working on a book that analyzes the political economy of al-Qaeda post 9/11. Based on her academic research she also worked as an Economic Analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency’s Office of Terrorism Analysis.
Dr. Bradley is the author of several books, and served as the general editor of For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty, in which she frames a solid biblical & economic understanding of how best to care for the poor and foster economic development.
Gov. Phil Murphy campaigned in 2017 on the promise to legalize marijuana within his first 100 days in office. But lawmakers could not muster enough votes in the state Senate to pass legislation sponsored by Sen. Nick Scutari, D-Union, and eventually voted to put it on the ballot for the people to decide.
And they did so Tuesday in a victory that wasn’t a surprise (early polling showed some 60% of voters were likely to approve the referendum.) On Nov. 3, 2020, New Jersey voters approved a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana, capping an effort launched by lawmakers three years ago and setting the stage for a big-money industry to do business in the Garden State. How should Christians respond to this new, ethical dilemma? Pastor Bob and Pastor Dave speak with Dr. Barnabas Sprinkle about this important subject.
Barnabas Sprinkle is the Pastor of Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church in Liberty Corner NJ.
Barnabas' name means “son of encouragement,” and he strives to live up to it. His passion is helping people experience eternal and abundant life in Jesus Christ. He has lived out this passion at three churches before Liberty Corner, in Texas, Georgia, and most recently in Medford, Oregon where he has served for eight years.
Barnabas earned degrees in physics and communication before getting a Master of Divinity degree and Spiritual Formation Certificate at Columbia Seminary as well as a Doctorate in Ministry from Fuller Seminary emphasizing missional leadership. He enjoys woodworking and has recently tried his hand at wood turning.
His partner in marriage and ministry is Emi, a professional counselor who has started both counseling centers and wholeness ministries. She grew up in Romania (attending the Hungarian Reformed Church) and came to the U.S. as a political refugee before the fall of communism. She has two master’s degrees in counseling and public administration, and a spiritual formation certificate. Emi is the musical one, playing piano and hammered dulcimer.
The Sprinkles have three children: Joshua, Matthew, and Hannah. All three enjoy scouts and piano. Together, the family enjoys camping and hiking in God’s creation. Barnabas is the author of the new book, Jesus and Mary Jane: Navigating Marijuana in Light of Science and Scripture. You can buy the book on amazon.com here:
As cases are rising around the country, and specifically in NJ, what are we to make of the so-called “second wave” of COVID-19? What do infection rates mean to the average person? What mitigation strategies are effective and sustainable? Pastor Bob speaks with Dr. Raymond Zakhari, a nurse practitioner based in Manhattan about these important questions.
Dr. Raymond Zakhari is a triple board certified nurse practitioner (Adult Adolescent Health, Family Practice, and Psychiatric Mental Health), trained in Sex Therapy and has a diverse clinical background ranging from critical care to mental health. Over the years has worked at the bedside with patients infected with MERS, SARS, H1N1). This season he has swabbed over 500 patients and counting for Covid-19. In 2009 he founded Metro Medical Direct, a concierge web enhanced medical and psychiatric house calls private practice in Manhattan. He was a former Air Force officer and deployed to Iraq in 2006 in the role of an emergency room nurse. He has published in peer reviewed journals and presented at national and regional conferences on a range of topics from critical care care to mental health. This year he published The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certification Review Manual.
RESOURCES:
www.MetroMedicalDirect.com (Dr. Zakhari's private practice website)
Overview of public health: https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/index.html
Data on COVID-19 mortality risk: https://ourworldindata.org/mortality-risk-covid?fbclid=IwAR1UMlcHP-8ZoQ--sfrFvYLPmILXjkZVf84lY3zYFPtdACoJQOYQqvHCG5w
CORRECTION:
During the H1N1 (Swine Flu) epidemic, the country experienced 100k deaths and 300k hospitalizations. It was incorrectly spoken as the other way around during the recording.
Welcome to season 2 of the Underground Sessions Podcast! It’s hard to believe that 2020 is almost over—what a year it’s been! That also means that we have lots of topics to discuss as it relates to faith, culture and politics. Coronavirus Pandemics, governmental lockdowns, mask wearing… and of course racial strife and policing issues. In this episode, we are going to cover that last topic, which has generated quite a bit of conversation and controversy over the last year. Pastor Bob speaks with Timothy Hsiao and Aaron Brake who recently wrote an article entitled, “A Thinking Person’s Guide to Police Shootings," at www.humanevents.com.
Tim Hsiao is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Grantham University and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at Johnson County Community College. He is also trained as a master pistol instructor and patrol rifle instructor through Missouri POST. His website is timhsiao.org
Aaron Brake received his BA in Criminal Justice and MA in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. He has worked in law enforcement for 20 years and taught academy classes on arrest and control techniques, use of force, and assaultive behavior.
RESOURCES:
www.timhsiao.org
"A Thinking Person's Guide to Police Shootings," https://humanevents.com/2020/09/25/a-thinking-persons-guide-to-police-shootings/
"Jesus Endorsed Armed Self-Defense," https://freethinkingministries.com/jesus-endorsed-armed-self-defense/
On this episode of the Underground Sessions Podcast, Pastor Bob interviews legal expert Jesse Nash on some important decisions handed down by the Supreme Court during the 2020 term. There are five important cases we cover in this episode:
- June Medical Services vs. Russo
- Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
- Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru
- Little Sisters of the Poor v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Bostock v. Clayton County
What impact will they have on religious liberty in the future? Listen to hear Jesse's take.
This episode looks at the journey of Father Rick Morley into the Episcopalian tradition. Rick leads a local clergy council and Basking Ridge. He grew up in Ocean City, NJ and graduated from Saint Joseph’s University in 1996 with a BA in Theology and a BS in Psychology. Rick holds a MDiv from The Candler School of Theology at Emory University, which he received in 2002. He grew up in the United Methodist Church but became a member of the Episcopal Church in college, and has served as a priest in the Episcopal Church since 2002. Rick and his wife wife, Karen, just celebrated our 20th anniversary last week, and they have two daughters—one in High School and one in Middle School. Rick came to St Mark’s in Basking Ridge in 2009 and he enjoys painting, tennis, and hanging with our backyard chickens.
In this episode, we continue our conversation about home education with Alex DePierro. Specific focus was given to Classical Conversations, as well as the challenges and benefits of home education with a large family.
In this episode, Pastor Bob and Dave talk about how Christians should engage the government. This discussion involves a robust understanding of Scripture and the tradition you come from. They also discuss current events and offer resources for further study.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, parents are having to wrestling with teaching their kids at home while at the same time working two jobs. People have taken to social media to talk about their "homeschooling" adventures. But... is this true home education? In this episode, Bob talks with homeschool veterans Mary Alice Landau and Ruth Lica about their experience and the benefits of home education.,
In this episode, Pastor Bob talks with other members of MBC's Family Ministry Team about the "Post Christian" world view that is shaping our youth. What is Post Christian? What are it's effects on Gen Z? We will offer some definitions and considerations, as well as suggestions on how to tell a better story that captures the hearts of Gen Z.
Resources:
www.barna.com
www.axis.org
In this episode, Bob speaks with Jayson Casper, the Middle East correspondent for Christianity Today. He reports on news at the intersection of religion, politics, and culture. He resides with his family in Beirut, Lebanon, having relocated recently following nine years in Cairo, Egypt. He has lived also in Tunisia, Jordan, and Mauritania, and appreciates the ministry God has given him to be a bridge between peoples who often misunderstand each other. He speaks Arabic, and has a MA in Islamic Studies.
Resources:
www.asenseofbelonging.org
Pastor Bob is joined by his wife, Amanda, to discuss the significance of Mother's Day, as well as the challenges of pregnancy and preparing for children. This is a heartwarming episode with some laughs and poignancy.
In this episode, Pastor Bob speaks with Paul DeMena who runs an international school and clinic in Wuhan, China. Paul has ministered there for almost 20 years, and has been on the front lines of dealing with the COVID-19 Virus. Bob and Paul talk about his experience, as well as what to expect in the coming months here in the US.
Bob is joined by fellow Pastors Peter Pendell, Chad Boudreaux, and Dave Hentschel to discuss the church's impact and response to the COVID-19 Crisis. Topics we cover are: (1) Discovering Missional Opportunities in the Crisis (2) Developing Good Theology of Suffering (3) Artistic Reflections (4) Shepherding People well.
Episode Notes:
Breakpoint Article- https://breakpoint.org/running-into-the-coronavirus-crisis-with-lettuce-and-love/?_hsenc=p2ANqtz--4qx1vpDV-NG_El03sU5zNqcVjGz_nrnuqsxXon1cjktYBIYoHfwcLRAHSWWgckSafgWTwlFNiYuaMhC4Fij6yFk4dyw&_hsmi=85302467
Songs of Reflection:
Lord from Sorrows Deep I Call https://youtu.be/KYGhnbXtqbU
My Worth Is Not in What I Own https://youtu.be/MV5x6M38ea8
Christ our Hope in Life and Death https://youtu.be/OibIi1rz7mw
I Will Wait for You https://youtu.be/l8pCbtLeXzc
Is He Worthy? https://youtu.be/OIahc83Kvp4
Build My Life https://youtu.be/Z32HiCoFzlU
Pastors Bob and Dave continue their conversation about the authority and veracity of the Bible in our modern age.
Pastor Dave Hentschel joins Pastor Bob to discuss current challenges to Bible's authority. This will be a two part episode the covers MBC's articles of faith as it relates to the Bible.
In this episode, Pastor Bob is joined by the Family Ministry Team from Millington Baptist Church to discuss current trends and implications of ministering to the next generation. The millenial generation has received outsized attention, but generation z are the new up and comers. How do we reach and parent them effectively?
Rachel Rickershauser, Director Children's Ministry
Kamilla Dening, Coordinator of Middle School Ministry
Johnny Graves, Director of Youth and Young Adults
Resources:
www.axis.org
www.fulleryouthinstitute.org
www.barna.com
The Tech Wise Family, Andy Crouch
Growing Young, Kara Powell
Meet Generation Z, James White
How You Phone Is Changing You, Tony Reinke
In this episode, Pastor Bob takes the conversation on religious freedom deeper with Jesse Nash, a recent panelist at our Underground Session event. What is religious freedom? Why is it important? How does it benefit society? These are the questions we'll answer in depth in our wide ranging discussion.
Jesse is a pastor's kid, venture capital/tech lawyer, and is very interested in developments in the law that impact religious liberty.
Episode Resources:
- www.erlc.com
- www.adflegal.org
- www.heritage.org
- www.becketlaw.org
Pastor Bob is joined today by Pastor Nithin Thompson of Liquid Church in Parsippany, NJ. This episode features a thought-provoking discussion about challenges confronting the future of the American church in five areas: technology, communication, politics, race, and secularism. Nithin is married to Jackie and they have two kids: Selah and Wesley. He is a 3rd generation pastor and is a graduate of Alliance Theological Seminary.
Resources:
www.liquidchurch.com
www.nithinthompson.com
As a follow up to the recent Spiritual Gifts Summit held at MBC, Pastor Bob Erbig and Pastor Dave Hentschel discuss the different views related to the supernatural, or sign gifts discussed in the Bible. The main scriptures related to spiritual gifts are 1 Corinthians 12 & 14; Ephesians 4; Romans 12. Bob and Dave serve at the Pastoral Leadership Team at MBC, a shared leadership model where both share leadership and preaching responsibilities. Bob received his MDiv from Denver Seminary, and Dave received his ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary.
In this episode, Bob welcomes Dr. Rosette Adera to the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation. They discuss her story of leaving Rwandan during the genocide in the 1990s, as well as the hot topic of immigration. Dr. Adera is the Chair of the Business Administration Department at Pillar College where she enjoys infusing Biblical principles into curriculum design and instruction. She is a student of Management, Leadership and Organizational Behavior where she engages in the Christian’s response to the issues of identity, diversity and inclusion. She is also currently serving on the Board of Garden of Hope Foundation, an initiative that is lifting the lives of youth, women and children from the slums of Nairobi.
Resources:
https://pillar.edu/opioid-awareness-conference-2019/
https://pillar.edu/pillar-college-move-the-chains-conference-november-14-2019/
In this episode, Pastor Bob talks with Tom Russo about local NJ politics, his book There Are No Politics In Heaven, and how Jesus Christ transformed his life.
Mr. Russo currently serves as Town Manager in Newton, NJ, with over eleven years of dedicated service to the County Seat of Sussex County, NJ. Mr. Russo has over 21 years of experience in municipal and county government as well as the nonprofit sector. Mr. Russo previously served as an elected official in two NJ municipalities. He was a Committeeman in Bernards Township from 2014–2017. He served as a Councilman, Council Vice President, and Council President in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township from 1998–2005, earning the distinction as the youngest-ever elected Governing Body member in the history of the Township. Mr. Russo has a Certified Public Manager (CPM) degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University/State of NJ, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Seton Hall University, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in both Communication and Political Science from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He is an adjunct professor in the undergraduate LEAD program at Pillar College, Newark, NJ, and an adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at his alma mater, Seton Hall University, in South Orange, NJ, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on nonprofit management and leadership. He recently published his first book, a memoir of his life experiences and how he gave up New Jersey politics and found faith as a born again Christian. The purpose of his book, There Are No Politics In Heaven, is to help individuals work through their brokenness and improve their lives with Jesus as their cornerstone. He currently attends Grace Fellowship Chapel with his family in Bedminster, NJ and serves as a volunteer with Pause Mens Ministries in Basking Ridge, NJ, an organization committed to the recovery and restoration of men through biblical teachings and principles. He resides in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, NJ with his wife Patricia, Director of The Children’s Corner Preschool, the largest ministry of Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church. They have two college-age daughters, Ashley (The Pennsylvania State University) and Krista (Florida State University).
Resources:
www.nopoliticsinheaven.com
www.pauseministries.org
This episode was recorded at our live Underground Sessions event on October 5, 2019. The topic of the evening was Religious Liberty and The Disintegration of Social Discourse. This episode featured panel responses to audience questions. The panel was comprised on Dr. Doug Groothuis, Jesse Nash, and Dr. Rosette Adera.
Resources:
www.DouglasGroothuis.com
www.denverseminary.edu
www.pillar.edu
This episode features a panel discussion from our live Underground Sessions event on October 5, 2019. The topic of the event was Religious Liberty and The Disintegration of Social Discourse. The participants of the panel were Dr. Douglas Groothuis, Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary, Jesse Nash a local business lawyer, and Dr. Rosette Adera of Pillar College.
Resources:
www.DouglasGroothuis.com
www.denverseminary.edu
www.pillar.edu
This episode was recorded as part of our live Underground Sessions event on October 5, 2019. The topic of the event was Religious Liberty and the Disintegration of Social Discourse. Our keynote speaker was Dr. Douglas Groothuis who spoke on the topic of "Christians, Religious Liberty and Loving Your Political Enemies." Dr. Groothuis is Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary, where he heads the Apologetics and Ethics MA. He is the author of twelve books, including Christian Apologetics, Philosophy in Seven Sentences, and Walking Through Twilight.
Resources:
www.DouglasGroothuis.com
www.denverseminary.edu
www.adflegal.org
In this episode, Pastor Bob talks with Aimee Huber about the current abortion debate and the work of crisis pregnancy centers. Aimee grew up as a pastor's daughter and has attended MBC since she was 10 years old. She holds a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University in Political Science. She has served at First Choice Women's Resource Centers since 1990 and has had the privilege of seeing God grow their ministry in New Jersey from one to five locations. First Choice's mission is to protect the unborn by empowering women and Aimee currently serves as the Executive Director. She lives in Warren, NJ with her husband and two children.
Episode Resources:
First Choice Website: www.1stchoice.org
40 Days For Life Website: www.40daysforlife.com
In this episode, Pastor Bob and Dr. Harish Radha discuss the hot topic of gene editing and GMO production. Dr. Radha offers some helpful insights into how Christians should respond to this fast moving and controversial field. Dr. Radha is a cell biologist who has worked in academia, the food and beverage industry and biotech. He received his Ph.D. in cell biology from UMBC in Maryland and did his postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Harish was an assistant professor in biology at Georgia Tech from 1999-2005. He then worked at the Coca-Cola Company fro six years identifying new technologies for ingredient innovation before moving to New Jersey in 2011 to work for Chromocell Corporation. While there, Harish managed ingredient discovery projects with several multinational food and beverage companies. Harish went back to his first love of teaching and is currently teaching high school science at St. Vincent Academy, a private school in Newark, NJ.
Episode Resources:
The Human Genome Research Institute at the NIH is a great resource for information on gene editing-
https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/what-is-Genome-Editing
This is a video by the inventor of CRISPR Cas9 technology, Jennifer, Doudna on TED Talks-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdBAHexVYzc
In this episode, Andi Williams shares her thoughts on the current opioid crisis and details the work of Community in Crisis.