What does it mean to be a radiant witness for Christ? In this episode, Heather talks to pastor and author Tara Beth Leach about the difficulties of being a woman in ministry as well as the struggles of being a faithful Christian in increasingly divided times. Tara has endured attacks on her witness both online and offline but has continued to pour her heart into the work to which God has called her.
Despite the battered reputation of the North American church, Tara is optimistic about the church’s future. She is honest, reflective, and blunt about the present state of evangelicalism, while affirming the abiding hope that Christians have in Christ.
Tara Beth Leach is a pastor, preacher, and writer. She speaks widely at conferences, retreats, and universities across America on church leadership, women in ministry, and the call to be a “radiant witness.” She is a pastor at Christ Church of Oak Brook in the western suburbs of Chicago and previously served as senior pastor of First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena (“PazNaz”) in Southern California. She is the author of Emboldened: A Vision for Empowering Women in Ministry, and her latest book is Radiant Church: Restoring the Credibility of our Witness. Find her on Twitter @TaraBeth82.
Reach out to Heather at heatherthompsonday.com, on Twitter @HeatherTDay, and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday. And here’s the Newsweek.com article by Heather that’s referenced in this episode: “Americans No Longer Trust the Church, the Government or Even Big Money. Is There a New Power Rising?”
Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today
Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day
Producer: Loren Joseph
Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath
Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper
Associate Producer of CT Podcasts: Azurae Phelps
