The Future of Psychospiritual Care - Reflections from Current Knox MPS Students
In this special episode for Spiritual Health Awareness Week, Ministry Forum intern Sara Traficante joins John Borthwick as a co-host to speak with students from Knox College’s Master of Psychospiritual Studies program. Together, they explore what drew them to this unique field, how their sense of calling has evolved through study and clinical experience, and why psychospiritual care matters in today’s world. From hospital chaplaincy to community counselling, each story reveals the deeply reflective and relational work at the heart of spiritual care. The conversation also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC) and the growing need for compassionate presence in a world that is both hurting and hopeful.
Dr. James Robertson and his book Overlooked: The Forgotten Origin Stories of Canadian Christianity
Dr. James Tyler Robertson joins John Borthwick to explore the overlooked origins of Canadian Christianity. Drawing on his book Overlooked: The Forgotten Origin Stories of Canadian Christianity, Robertson uncovers surprising parallels between the 19th-century church and today’s realities—declining attendance, social change, and cultural anxiety. The two discuss how immigration, economics, and everyday faith—not programs or evangelism—shaped past church growth, and what that means for ministry now. Along the way, they touch on heresy trials, Pierre Berton, Gen X nostalgia, and the enduring question of how the church can serve rather than survive. It’s history told with humour, depth, and a distinctly Canadian sensibility.
Are You Stuck? Rethinking the Real Pressures of Pastoral Life with Author Todd Ferguson
In this episode, sociologist and former pastor Todd Ferguson shares insights from his book Stuck: Why Clergy are Alienated from Their Calling, Congregation, and Career. Drawing on interviews with over 40 pastors, Todd uncovers why so many clergy feel trapped—not because they’ve lost their faith, but because of the structures of ministry itself. He names the pressures of congregational decline, bureaucracy, and the demand to “produce” faith, alongside the stigma clergy face if they consider leaving ministry. Yet his research is not without hope: Todd points toward practices of honesty, storytelling, and traditioned innovation as ways pastors and churches can reclaim authenticity and joy. This conversation offers language, perspective, and encouragement for anyone wrestling with what faithful ministry looks like today.
Reconciliation in Practice: Stories from the 1% Spiritual Covenant
In this special conversation, we hear from Mennonite congregations who have signed onto the 1% Spiritual Covenant (committing one percent of their annual budgets to Indigenous-led organizations as an act of repair and reconciliation).
Leaders share the long journeys that led their churches to this decision, the questions and challenges they faced, and the surprising ways generosity has deepened community life. The episode explores what it means to release control, re-tell our histories, and take small but Spirit-led steps toward justice. Their stories invite all of us to consider: what does faithful reparation look like in our own context.
The Christmas That Almost Wasn't: A Conversation with Laura Alary
Laura Alary returns to the podcast and shares the stories behind two new children’s books—one inspired by the Toronto ice storm of 2013 and the other exploring why all living things need darkness. Together, these works invite us to see both the physical and spiritual gifts that come when plans unravel, lights go out, or fear creeps in. John and Laura reflect on how darkness can hold lessons of resilience, connection, and wonder, especially for children learning to navigate life’s disruptions. It’s an episode that blends storytelling, theology, and everyday experience into a hopeful reminder that even in the dark, God is near.
Season 4 Coming Soon!
We’re back with Season Four of the Ministry Forum Podcast, designed to move with the rhythm of your ministry life. This fall, we’re diving into fresh conversations with returning voices like Laura Alary—author, storyteller, and Knox College colleague—whose new books promise rich inspiration. We’ll also hear from Mennonite congregations living out a 1% spiritual covenant, offering reparation payments to Indigenous ministries—a model of faith in action. Expect thoughtful dialogue with the Reverend Dr. Stuart Macdonald on tradition and change, and stories of transformation from our preaching retreats with Sarah Travis. It’s all part of a season meant to ground you, stretch you, and remind you: you’re not alone in this work.