New ‘Equipping Pastors’ podcast features Tony Dungy, James Brown on first episode

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Since Ken Whitten joined the staff of the North American Mission Board in 2023 to serve as national director of pastoral leadership, he has been connecting with pastors and creating resources. Now he has launched the “Equipping Pastors” podcast.

“Whether you’re thriving or you’re just struggling to hang on, our desire is to provide helpful conversations with leaders inside and outside the church to help pastors and leaders feel equipped for the everyday grind of ministry,” Whitten said. “We want to encourage pastors to live out the calling of God’s glorious gospel with confidence.”

Part of the vision for the podcast is to introduce pastors to Christian leaders who serve outside the church, to hear their insights on leadership.

In that vein, the first episode of the podcast, which posted Feb. 8, features a conversation with Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy and James Brown, best known as host of “The NFL Today” on CBS. Both men are known for their Christian faith.

Dungy cited head coach Chuck Noll as one of his key influences as a leader.

“I got some real insight into what made him, I think, the best coach ever in the National Football League,” Dungy said in the interview with Whitten. “I had never coached before. He hired me as a young man. He’s training me, and I said, ‘Coach Noll, what is my job as a coach?’ He said, ‘Tony, you have one job – that is to help your players be better.’ When he said that, the light bulb went on for me. … That just took me back to what Jesus told His disciples: Hey, you want to be the greatest? Serve.”

Dungy and Brown share their experiences living their lives publicly and remaining true to their faith despite pushback and criticism. They also describe how they maintain their integrity within their family life in the face of living in the national “fishbowl” of the NFL.

New episodes of “Equipping Pastors” will be available the first week of every month and can be accessed through Apple Podcasts and Spotify, as well as at EquippingPastorsPodcast.com.

— Brandon Elrod writes for the North American Mission Board.