HeyJaredPastor to Pioneer
The Pastor to Pioneer podcast is an honest conversation with pastors and former pastors who are exhausted from existing church structures and are seeking a simpler way of being the church and making disciples like we see in scripture.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 6
- Latest publication
- Sep 23, 2026
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 15, 2026
Latest episodes
Podcast Episode 106: Are We Ripe for a Bad Movement?- Neal Karsten (opens the original)
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In this episode, Britton Smith and Neal Karsten explore the future of church models, the importance of repentance in reforming church practices, and the cultural shifts driving interest in simple and house churches. They discuss the risks of superficial movements and the need for deep, heart-level change to foster healthy, faithful communities. Contact Neal at N.Karsten@big.life
Episode 105: The Cost and the Calling- Russ Richmond (opens the original)
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Russ Richmond spent 22 years as a youth pastor before stepping away in 2021 to become a full-time church planter and missionary focused on disciple-making movements (DMM). In this episode, he traces his journey from a childhood faith in Southern California through seminary, a mission trip to Indonesia that reshaped his approach to ministry, and the eventual leap into raising support as a missionary in Oregon. Russ shares candid, practical wisdom on discipleship, the pain of trying to "steer" an
Episode 104: Burn the Ships, Build the Kingdom- Joe Kimmell (opens the original)
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Joe Kimmell shares his journey from growing up as a pastor's kid in Oregon to leading a traditional church for over 20 years, and the painful decade of loss, tragedy, and personal failure that eventually led him to question the sustainability of the conventional church model. After years of discernment, prayer, and studying disciple-making movements, he and his church walked through a costly two-year transition — losing most of their congregation — to move away from Sunday services toward simple
Episode 103: Leister and Sons- Josh Leister (opens the original)
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In this episode, Josh Leister shares his journey from traditional pastoral ministry to pioneering a disciple-making movement in Kenya and the US. He discusses the challenges, breakthroughs, and lessons learned along the way, emphasizing the importance of relational discipleship and simple church models. He brings in two of his sons in the second half of the episode to share their experience making this transition.
Episode 102: Sitting in the Swell-Brian Thompson (opens the original)
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In this episode, Brian Thompson — a former pastor and lifelong surfer — shares how he stepped away from ten years of formal pastoral ministry after the weight of licensing requirements, congregational expectations, and carrying others' burdens began stealing his peace and joy. He describes returning to surfing in his fifties , and how that return unexpectedly became a spiritual practice and a new context for quiet, judgment-free faith conversations. Brian reflects on wrestling with guilt and the
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