A Conversation on Suicide Prevention Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, but it's rarely discussed in a productive and open way. This episode of For People introduces Keep/Watch, a new suicide prevention workbook and training from the Diocese of Atlanta that equips churches to combat this crisis and become safer spaces for people who are considering suicide. Bishop Wright's conversation with Keep/Watch authors Holle Tubbs and Dr. Mary Chase Mize explores suicide causes, prevention methods, and ways that Scripture and tradition invite us to "keep watch" with people who...
For People Welcomes Bishop Deon Johnson
"The opposite of faith isn't doubt - it's absolute certainty" - Bishop Deon Johnson In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Bishop Deon Johnson, 11th Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. They talk about dignity and share stories of grandmothers and Bishop Deon's favorite life lesson. Bishop Deon also shares his good news of being a gay Black man in the highest level of leadership in The Episcopal Church. He speaks with kind candor to what he reads in the bible including its history and context. Listen Here Bishop Deon Kevin Johnson was elected on November 23, 2019 as...
For People Welcomes Jason McGee
A Conversation with Choir Director of Mav City Music Jason McGee Choirs have and will always be an essential part of worship. You can look at a choir and find you in it. - Jason McGee There is a power communicated in a diverse choir that spans everything. - Bishop Wright In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Jason McGee, Choir Director of Maverick City Music. In it, they discuss the origin of choirs, the diversity choirs represent, and why Jason said yes to being a part of Imagine Worship in NYC on Oct 3 with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Listen in for the full...
For People: A Conversation with Salvation South Founder Chuck Reese
To be southern is to love the south. The good and bad. All that she is. Chuck Reece LOVES the South which is why he and his wife created Salvation South. But he didn't always. Before Salvation South, Chuck founded The Bitter Southerner. No longer bitter, he wanted to show the world the gentler and hopeful South that he experiences. In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Chuck Reece about the South, her stories of diversity, her goodness, and one of her greatest creations - gumbo. A dish that came together because of the influences of immigrants in the south. A dish that...
Bishop Rob Wright on Pride and Juneteenth
I am something beautiful because a beautiful God made me just the way a beautiful God made you. I am complex. I am full of flaws and so are you. And at the same time we are the possessors of an amazing belovedness that comes through not only our own Christian scriptures, but the Jewish scripture and most other holy books. And so if we zoom out, we can say that there’s something about being human. Bishop Rob Wright In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Pride Month and Juneteenth and how both of these holidays call us to know every beautiful human being as...
For People Celebrates 100th Episode
For People Centennial | Part 1 of 2 In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright look back on the journey to the 100th episode. They discuss how it started, innovation along the way, and reflect on six excerpts from For People special guests. Excerpts included are from Barbara Brown Taylor, Diana Butler Bass, Sheffield Hale, Dr. Gregoy Ellison II, The Rev. Natosha Reid Rice, and Bishop Will Willimon. The episode will be available at 5am ET on April 29th. Since its launch in March 2020, the podcast has been downloaded more than 120,000 times for an average of 1,100 downloads per episode. In...
For People with Bishop Rob Wright | Special Guest Dr. Gregory Ellison II
Faithfulness with Special Guest Dr. Gregory Ellison II In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with special guest Dr. Gregory C. Ellison II on the movements of faithfulness and neighborliness in our lives as people of faith. They speak to Howard Thurman, his teachings, and Dr. Ellison even gives his own definition of a mystic. Want to hear it? Listen in for the full conversation. An Atlanta native, Dr. Ellison is associate professor of pastoral care and counseling at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. He earned his undergraduate degree from Emory, and holds M.Div. and...
For People with Bishop Rob Wright | Special Guest Rev. Natosha Reid Rice
Stories of Belonging with The Rev. Natosha Reid Rice In this special guest episode of For People, Bishop Wright is joined by The Rev. Natosha Reid Rice. They talk about their journeys to belonging and self-love; both bi-racial, black in America, and abandoned by their mothers. They share their stories of trauma, forgiveness, healing, and love. It is a beautiful thing when brokenness becomes ministry. The Rev. Natosha Reid Rice is a mother, a wife, an ordained minister, inspirational speaker, life coach, and attorney. She serves as the Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of...
For People with Bishop Rob Wright | Special Guest Ga State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver
Public Service with Special Guest Ga State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver What does faith look like for a person working in politics? And what about tough issues that divide people? In this episode, Bishop Wright and Ga State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver discuss these very questions and other relevant topics. It is a tall order in doing the tough work of reaching across the aisle to those we disagree with while remaining faithful to the higher call in serving the one we call Jesus. Listen in for the full conversation. Mary Margaret Oliver is a parishioner at All Saints' Episcopal...
For People Breaking News Edition on New Georgia Voting Laws
In a special March 31, 2021 Breaking News edition of his weekly For People podcast, Episcopal Bishop Rob Wright of Atlanta explores recently enacted changes to Georgia voting laws with Georgia state senator, The Reverend Kim Jackson. Bishop Wright and Senator Jackson, who shepherds Atlanta’s homeless as Vicar of Church of the Common Ground, discuss the immediate and long-term impacts of SB 202, which has both drawn applause and provoked outrage. In the age of information overload and fake news, Wright and Jackson get to the heart of Georgia’s new law that has drawn worldwide attention to the...