{"podcast":{"title":"Life After Ministry","slug":"life-after-ministry-6573611","podcast_index_feed_id":6573611,"rss_url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting/Q7dyZo24.rss","website_url":"https://lifeafterministry.podbean.com","image_url":"https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/imports/podcasts/fac660fe-98c1-4a31-9ea1-72e91819fd5c/Life_After_Ministry_Coverayrcd.jpg","author":"Matt & Marilee Davis","episode_count":96,"summary":"Many of us have experienced the sting of losing a job. But there’s something uniquely challenging about leaving a position in full-time vocational ministry. Whether you’re stepping down from a church or leaving a kingdom nonprofit, it’s not as simple as just changing jobs. Suddenly, everything changes. You’re left navigating not just a career transition, but also a profound shift in identity, community, and daily routines. It feels like stepping into an unknown, filled with questions like, ”What’s next? How do I redefine myself outside the ministry? How do I maintain my faith amidst this transition?” Welcome to the Life After Ministry Podcast. We’ve been there, navigating the complex journey from vocational ministry to a new chapter in our lives. We’ll explore stories of transformation, hear from those who’ve walked this path before, and provide practical strategies to turn your transition into transformation.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-15T08:22:15.146726+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/life-after-ministry-6573611"},"episode":{"title":"Leaving Willow, Finding Wilderness (featuring Steve Carter)","slug":"leaving-willow-finding-wilderness-featuring-steve-carter","published_at":"2025-10-07T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/life-after-ministry-6573611/leaving-willow-finding-wilderness-featuring-steve-carter","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/life-after-ministry-6573611","url":"https://lifeafterministry.podbean.com/e/leaving-willow-finding-wilderness-what-integrity-costs-and-why-its-worth-it-featuring-steve-carter/","audio_url":"https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/56ff519669d177cee226ca96ffaae128b4ca08b2bb23ad04e1c91d37c6f61a66/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIyNDIzNWQ3YS1mYmI0LTQ1OTYtOTZhNS02Mzc2OTc3ODYyZjYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiJmYWM2NjBmZS05OGMxLTRhMzEtOWVhMS03MmU5MTgxOWZkNWMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2MzdhYjc0MDg5YzVkMjAwMGNhYmNmNjMiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvaW1wb3J0cy9wb2RjYXN0cy9mYWM2NjBmZS05OGMxLTRhMzEtOWVhMS03MmU5MTgxOWZkNWMvZXBpc29kZXMvMjQyMzVkN2EtZmJiNC00NTk2LTk2YTUtNjM3Njk3Nzg2MmY2L0xpZmVfQWZ0ZXJfTWluaXN0cnlfUG9kY2FzdF9FcGlzb2RlXzY1YWh1ZHMubXAzIn0=.mp3","summary":"When the New York Times ran with allegations surrounding Willow Creek’s founding pastor, Steve Carter had a choice: keep the machine running or protect the trust of the people in the room. He chose integrity - and walked away from the stage that had defined his career. In this conversation, Steve names the real costs: the silence inside the institution, the “values higher than the chaos” that guided him, and the morning-after reality that there was no job, no safety net, and no way to control the narrative. He talks about the anger he absorbed, the outside leaders who showed up, and the therapist’s hard question that kept him from repeating patterns. But the story doesn’t end in exile. It moves through a real wilderness - grief, breathing, waiting - and into a humbler, healthier life: moving back to the Midwest, choosing place over platform, and becoming the lead pastor at Christ Church. What emerges is a field guide for anyone facing a crisis of integrity in Christian leadership. Key Takeaways Integrity over institutional preservation: Trust is sacred; don’t trade it for optics. Name “values higher than the chaos”: Decide in advance what you won’t violate when pressure comes. Healing is not transferable: There’s first-hand wounding and first-hand healing; your family needs its own path. Interrogate attraction to unhealthy systems: Ask why certain leaders and cultures feel “safe.” Grief takes the time it takes: Practice a Holy Saturday rhythm - don’t rush from Friday to Sunday. Choose place over platform: Calling is often geographic and relational, not positional. Lead from scars, not spin: Wounds can become witness when truth is told and humility is practiced. Chapter Markers 00:00 — Cold open: Why transitions are never just “staff changes” 04:53 — “These are my peopl…","meta_description":"When the New York Times ran with allegations surrounding Willow Creek’s founding pastor, Steve Carter had a choice: keep the machine running or protect th…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2996,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/life-after-ministry-6573611/episodes/leaving-willow-finding-wilderness-featuring-steve-carter/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/life-after-ministry-6573611/leaving-willow-finding-wilderness-featuring-steve-carter.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}