THE UN-SILENT CHURCH

Dawson Allen was raised in the ninth largest church in America, but then 2016 happened. When 81% of white evangelicals showed up in the polling data, he started asking questions his church had no space for. That search led him from megachurch world to the academy, and from the academy to organizing in the immigrant rights movement in East Tennessee. In this conversation, Dawson breaks down what real movement looks like—not the kind everyone likes to use to describe their brand—and why the American church has largely forfeited its public witness since the 1970s. We talk about what it would take to build kingdom-of-God alternatives to the forces shaping our world right now, along with social movement ecology, the 3.5% tipping point, why faith and creativity are two of the most underplayed tools we have, and why hosting a potluck might matter more than the typical pulpit preaching happening at most churches.

Derrick Parks wasn't looking to plant a church, but a random trip to see about a dog in Wilmington, Delaware changed everything. From the core team of Epiphany Fellowship in Philly to navigating church hurt, celebrity culture in Christian hip-hop, and the realities of inner-city ministry with no funding, Derrick shares what it actually looks like to plant the gospel (not just a church) in a city Newsweek once called Murder Town USA. ---------- VISIT US IN PERSON Roosevelt Community Church 924 N 1st St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Sunday Service: 10:00 AM rooseveltchurch.org CONNECT WITH US: 📧 Newsletter: Text "newsletter" to 855-834-2593 📝 Want to connect with us? Start here: roosevelt.church/connect 💚 Support the work at RCC: roosevelt.church/give FOLLOW US: Instagram: instagram.com/rooseveltchurch Facebook: facebook.com/rooseveltchurch TikTok: tiktok.com/@rooseveltchurch

Our climate is increasingly defined by false choices. Whether it’s the Super Bowl stage or immigration enforcement, we are constantly pressured to pick sides in a fight where both options fall short of the Gospel. In this episode, we explore a revival of nuance. Christianity offers us a robust ethic that refuses to simplify reality into extreme either/or traps. We discuss how to affirm both order and compassion, truth and love, and justice and mercy—even when the culture demands we choose only one.

Is it revival or reaction? Talk of a spiritual "awakening" has moved from the pew to the center of the American cultural and political stage. But as the language of faith becomes a currency, we have to ask: Is this a move of God, or a collective outcry against a failing system? This episode explores the space between emotional highs and lasting spiritual change. By examining the biblical and historical markers of renewal—repentance, humility, and justice—we discuss what’s required to sustain a movement once the spotlights fade. ---------- VISIT US IN PERSON Roosevelt Community Church 924 N 1st St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Sunday Service: 10:00 AM rooseveltchurch.org CONNECT WITH US: 📧 Newsletter: Text "newsletter" to 855-834-2593 📝 Want to connect with us? Start here: roosevelt.church/connect 💚 Support the work at RCC: roosevelt.church/give FOLLOW US: Instagram: instagram.com/rooseveltchurch Facebook: facebook.com/rooseveltchurch TikTok: tiktok.com/@rooseveltchurch LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: 🎧 The Un-Silent Church - Available wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts: roosevelt.church/apple Spotify: roosevelt.church/spotify ABOUT ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY CHURCH: We exist to engage all people with all of Jesus. Located at the intersection of Roosevelt and 1st Street in the Roosevelt Arts District in Downtown Phoenix. RCC is a multiethnic congregation gathering every Sunday, with a unique voice crossing theology, street, and family. We make content to help extend the message of the gospel everywhere people are, far beyond Sunday morning. We share theological social commentary on a number of issues and current events, so that as much as it depends on us, we do not fail to speak on matters that have gone unspoken from churches historically. We believe the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom, and all its righteousness is thorough and complete as the authority to help us navigate our world, so we want to be faithful in providing everyone who listens a clear path to follow the way of Jesus.

When immigration & customs enforcement (ICE) is marked by fear, violence, and dehumanization, how should Christians respond? As ICE raids continue to dominate the headlines and widen division, in this episode we try to take a step back to ask what faithfulness to God looks like in this moment. There's definitely tension between respecting the law, loving the foreigner and immigrant, and speaking truth to power; also refusing false dichotomies offered by political extremes to consider what justice, compassion, and love in action actually require. If you want more context about what's happening, included is further reading to get your started. Biblical precedent for how God sees foreigners and Immigrants: Leviticus 19:33-34 Leviticus 23:22 ---------- VISIT US IN PERSON Roosevelt Community Church 924 N 1st St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Sunday Service: 10:00 AM rooseveltchurch.org CONNECT WITH US: 📧 Newsletter: Text "newsletter" to 855-834-2593 📝 Want to connect with us? Start here: roosevelt.church/connect 💚 Support the work at RCC: roosevelt.church/give FOLLOW US: Instagram: instagram.com/rooseveltchurch Facebook: facebook.com/rooseveltchurch TikTok: tiktok.com/@rooseveltchurch LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: 🎧 The Un-Silent Church - Available wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts: roosevelt.church/apple Spotify: roosevelt.church/spotify ABOUT ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY CHURCH: We exist to engage all people with all of Jesus. Located at the intersection of Roosevelt and 1st Street in the Roosevelt Arts District in Downtown Phoenix. RCC is a multiethnic congregation gathering every Sunday, with a unique voice crossing theology, street, and family. We make content to help extend the message of the gospel everywhere people are, far beyond Sunday morning. We share theological social commentary on a number of issues and current events, so that as much as it depends on us, we do not fail to speak on matters that have gone unspoken from churches historically. We believe the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom, and all its righteousness is thorough and complete as the authority to help us navigate our world, so we want to be faithful in providing everyone who listens a clear path to follow the way of Jesus.

If you're not familiar with the comedian, Druski, he just dropped a skit called "Mega Church Pastors LOVE Money" that kinda broke the Christian internet and the verdict is split. Some calling it disrespectful, others saying he didn't tell a single lie, others think it's hilarious. Lecrae responded on Instagram saying his first reaction wasn't offense, but recognition: "There's wolves in the pulpits, there's theatrics for attention and money and influence, and leaders manipulating God's name for gain." That's exactly what we've been talking about. This is our second installment of what might become a series around the "Industry of Church" as we try and speak to what happens when our gathering together becomes more about production, money, and influence than about Jesus. Have we turned the house of God into a den of thieves? If you're being invited to church, is it actually one being built up as a true form of the body Jesus created us to be? From scandals like that happening around Robert Morris/Gateway Church to the legal drama between major worship music artists and their former groups, have we let things get out of hand when money is brought to the center of our gathering instead of those at the margins? The major question we have to answer is this: Are we inviting people to Jesus, full stop? Or are we using his name to fill our business funnels.

VISIT US IN PERSONRoosevelt Community Church924 N 1st St, Phoenix, AZ 85004Sunday Service: 10:00 AMrooseveltchurch.org CONNECT WITH US:📧 Newsletter: Text "newsletter" to 855-834-2593📝 Want to connect with us? Start here: roosevelt.church/connect💚 Support the work at RCC: roosevelt.church/give FOLLOW US:Instagram: instagram.com/rooseveltchurchFacebook: facebook.com/rooseveltchurchTikTok: tiktok.com/@rooseveltchurch

If you're interested in reading Bikonzi's biography, you can pick it up here. https://a.co/d/09X2Mze You can't make this stuff up. The stories that Bikonzi can tell with vivid detail demonstrate not only the need for Christians to raise their compassion for the foreigner and immigrant; it also highlights the unrelenting faithfulness of God to those whom he foreknew and predestined to be conformed into the image of His Son. One of the best way to understand the experience of another and therefore have compassion for another is by hearing their story directly. Increasingly, the nature of our politics has driven us towards a kind of apathy that desensitizes our soul to the pain and hardship so many people carry. That applies to those in our country, yes; but for those who seek refuge from some of the hardest realities in foreign countries, it's an entirely different level. Bikonzi Moise knows this first hand from his own experience as a refugee who survived a genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo (well known as the DRC).

Increasingly a small number of churches, leaders, platforms (and even algorithms) are shaping much of the content, language, expression, and theology of the modern church. An academic study on worship songs from 2010-2020 found that almost all of the top songs were linked to these churches, either through direct production or collaborations, with 37 out of 38 popular songs having a connection. This might explain why so much of worship music feels so similar. In this episode, we explore what that means for our theology around music and worship, the impact of this influence, and how the Church can broaden the scope of our inspiration for Sunday mornings. VISIT US IN PERSON Roosevelt Community Church 924 N 1st St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Sunday Service: 10:00 AM rooseveltchurch.org CONNECT WITH US: 📧 Newsletter: Text "newsletter" to 855-834-2593 📝 Want to connect with us? Start here: roosevelt.church/connect 💚 Support the work at RCC: roosevelt.church/give FOLLOW US: Instagram: instagram.com/rooseveltchurch Facebook: facebook.com/rooseveltchurch TikTok: tiktok.com/@rooseveltchurch ABOUT ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY CHURCH: We exist to engage all people with all of Jesus. Located at the intersection of Roosevelt and 1st Street in the Roosevelt Arts District in Downtown Phoenix. RCC is a multiethnic congregation gathering every Sunday, with a unique voice crossing theology, street, and family. We make content to help extend the message of the gospel everywhere people are, far beyond Sunday morning. We share theological social commentary on a number of issues and current events, so that as much as it depends on us, we do not fail to speak on matters that have gone unspoken from churches historically. We believe the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom, and all its righteousness is thorough and complete as the authority to help us navigate our world, so we want to be faithful in providing everyone who listens a clear path to follow the way of Jesus.

In this episode, we explore AI not as a replacement for human connection, but as a powerful multiplier for reach and impact. We'll discuss how AI can tackle our biggest challenges in education, healthcare, and beyond, while also asking a fundamental question: What does it mean to be human in the age of AI, and can it help us be more human, not less? VISIT US IN PERSON Roosevelt Community Church 924 N 1st St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Sunday Service: 10:00 AM rooseveltchurch.org CONNECT WITH US: 📧 Newsletter: Text "newsletter" to 855-834-2593 📝 Want to connect with us? Start here: roosevelt.church/connect 💚 Support the work at RCC: roosevelt.church/give FOLLOW US: Instagram: instagram.com/rooseveltchurch Facebook: facebook.com/rooseveltchurch TikTok: tiktok.com/@rooseveltchurch ABOUT ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY CHURCH: We exist to engage all people with all of Jesus. Located at the intersection of Roosevelt and 1st Street in the Roosevelt Arts District in Downtown Phoenix. RCC is a multiethnic congregation gathering every Sunday, with a unique voice crossing theology, street, and family. We make content to help extend the message of the gospel everywhere people are, far beyond Sunday morning. We share theological social commentary on a number of issues and current events, so that as much as it depends on us, we do not fail to speak on matters that have gone unspoken from churches historically. We believe the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom, and all its righteousness is thorough and complete as the authority to help us navigate our world, so we want to be faithful in providing everyone who listens a clear path to follow the way of Jesus.

This episode dives into conversations around the new NFL season and tackles deeper cultural questions on youth sports, professionalism and community.

In this special live episode of Unsilent Church, we celebrate RCC’s 20th Anniversary with guest Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile — author, justice advocate, and pastor of Anacostia River Church. Together, we explore what it truly takes to build something that lasts — in ministry, in justice work, and in community.

Kyle has authored 3 books “Grace Beyond Salvation” (released this year) and “The Secret to Prayer” and “Prayer, Middle Knowledge, and Divine-Human Interaction”.

Want to get involved? Here are resources Kit mention in the podcast:Advocacy Resources:World ReliefThe National Immigration ForumFollow Neighborhood MinistriesPhoenix Rapid ResponsePuente Phoenix

In a society driven by GDP, consumption, and productivity, what do we really value — and who gets left behind? This episode explores how our systems measure worth by output and profit rather than the dignity we all have from being made in the image of God. We focus on how women—particularly women of color—are treated in our culture and healthcare system, through the lens of Jesus, we ask: what would it look like to realign our value system around presence, compassion, and real care—especially for women? We talk about this and more in this episode of the Unsilent Church. Enjoy!

In this episode of the Unsilent Church podcast, we talk about how some of the problematic history in the United States seems to be resurfacing, particularly around the way much of the education, storytelling and narratives are recentering around ideas which are leaning closer to the idea of white superiority and supremacy. Considering all the outrage that happened when key books were banned (like Maya Angelou's "Why the cage bird sings) or Jackie Robinson's removal from military service, and blaming tragedy on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and that's not to mention the selective inclusion and exclusion of immigrants and refugees. All this together starts to beg a critical question about what's happening in the United States. We talk about this and more in this episode of the Unsilent Church. Enjoy!

In ancient days, when kingdoms would go to war and one would win over the other, a messenger would be sent throughout the land with a message (a gospel) telling everyone throughout that land that a new kingdom and a new way of life is now at hand. In American history, Juneteenth marks a day when a very similar thing happened when union soldiers after the Civil war, travels throughout the south to inform everyone there that not only had the Union won the war, but that those under bondage were no longer slaves. This is why we should celebrate Juneteenth. We discuss this fact and more in this episode of the Unsilent Church podcast. Enjoy!

In conversations for the case of reparations, there has tended to be resistance to the idea of paying reparations to the families descended from enslaved people in America. In every domain involved, from the church to federal government, institutions that have profited from the industry of slavery have demonstrated resistance to outright refusal to pay pack families for their forced contribution to these institution's current wealth. But when you take a look at history, you find that when the tables were turned, and "justice" came to slave owners and those who profited from the industry of slavery, the energy and tenacity to seek reparations for their lost profits led to compliance and repayment. In this episode of the Unsilent Church Podcast we talk about this, along with the ways those reparations have funded modern landmarks, uncovering the inconsistency embedded in the arguments against reparations. We talk about all this and more in this episode of the Unsilent Church Podcast. Enjoy!