Who Ya Gonna Call?

Christians like to talk about answering the call of God, but if you look at the weekly headlines, you might wonder where that’s actually happening. A Republican debate looks more like a playground squabble, and PEPFAR, a major humanitarian program, stands on the precipice of demise because of rumor-spreading. This week on The Bulletin, hosts Mike Cosper and Nicole Martin draw back the headlines to investigate the deeper stories in politics with the help of special guests New York Times columnist Peter Wehner and CT staff reporter Emily Belz. Then, guests Scott McConnell and Enid Almanzar bring a hopeful word about Hispanic church growth in a conversation with Nicole that will encourage and inspire. Daniel Silliman pops by to talk with Mike Cosper about where to find Jesus in the phone book in this week’s special “What’s Weird?”

Joining us this week:

Peter Wehner is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum. His books include The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump; City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era, which he cowrote with Michael J. Gerson; and Wealth and Justice: The Morality of Democratic Capitalism. He was formerly a speechwriter for George W. Bush and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Wehner is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, and his work also appears in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Affairs.
Emily Belz is a staff writer with Christianity Today. She is a former senior reporter for World magazine. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and also previously reported for the New York Daily News, The Indianapolis Star, and Philanthropy magazine. Emily resides in New York City.
Scott McConnell has researched the needs and preferences of church leaders, laity, and the unchurched for Lifeway Christian Resources for over 25 years. His in-depth studies and national polls have generated relevant insights on today’s church and culture. For 15 years, Scott has led Lifeway Research’s national polling that regularly measures the views of Americans, churchgoers, and Protestant pastors. His team has conducted numerous in-depth research studies designed to help church leaders.
Rev. Enid M. Almanzar is the executive director for the First Bible Enterprise at American Bible Society, where she provides strategic oversight to programs that remove barriers to Bible access in over 240 nations and territories. With a special focus on marginalized communities, Almanzar has led with a vision of impacting the most difficult to reach areas of the globe. She serves as chairwoman of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition was also identified as one of “15 Women of Faith on the Frontlines” by the Center for Faith Based Partnerships at the US Department of Health and Human Services for her visionary leadership.
Daniel Silliman is a journalist and a historian. He is a news editor for Christianity Today, the author of a history of bestselling evangelical fiction, and teaches humanities at Milligan University. Daniel spent several years as a crime reporter outside Atlanta before pursuing higher education in Germany, earning a MA from Tübingen University and a doctoral degree from Heidelberg University. He has reported and edited news coverage for CT since 2019.

Resources Referenced: “The Republican Betrayal of PEPFAR” – The Atlantic “What the US Can Learn from PEPFAR” | News & Reporting | Christianity Today “PEPFAR Fight Worries African Christian Leaders | News & Reporting” | Christianity Today “Pro-Life Dispute Leaves Program for HIV/AIDS Patients in Peril” | News & Reporting | Christianity Today “Survey: Hispanic Protestant Churches Are Young, First Gen, and Growing” | News & Reporting | Christianity Today

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