A new podcast on the history of “welcoming and affirming” Baptists will be released next week.
“Voice of the Turtle” is an eight-episode podcast exploring the history of the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists (AWAB). It’s hosted by Rev. Dr. Brian Henderson, AWAB’s executive director, and produced by Good Faith Media.
The first episode drops Thursday, April 9. Listen to the trailer and follow the podcast here.
“The welcoming and affirming movement in Baptist life has always been powered by courageous stories,” says Henderson. “AWAB is committed to telling them—now in partnership with Good Faith Media to reach even further. ‘Voice of the Turtle’ isn’t just a podcast; it’s a call to keep pushing the work of inclusion forward.”
Each episode is anchored by an interview and contextualized by host Henderson.
The first three guests on the podcast are C. Delane Tew, Rick Mixon and Cody Sanders. Topics across the season will include welcoming and affirming ministry in the Black tradition, truths and lies, and a firsthand account of being in the bar in Lincoln, Nebraska, where the journey to AWAB began.
The podcast’s name, “Voice of the Turtle,” comes from the first LGBTQ+ newsletter produced by Baptists in the late 1970s. The newsletter’s motto was, “Behold the turtle: It makes progress only when it sticks out its neck.”
“I’m so proud of what ‘Voice of the Turtle’ provides for our welcoming and affirming community and to the church writ large—a place where authenticity, faith, and love come through in every story,” says Rev. Dr. Lauren Lisa Ng, AWAB board chair. “This podcast speaks to a new generation of Christ followers who seek to embody the inclusive embrace of God.”
AWAB’s mission “is to create and support a community of churches, organizations and individuals committed to the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in the full life and mission of Baptist churches.” Henderson began serving as its executive director in 2024. He holds a bachelor’s degree in theology from Eastern University, a master of divinity from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Theological Seminary), and a doctor of ministry from Palmer with a concentration in family systems theory.
“Good Faith Media is honored to partner with the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists,” says Mitch Randall, CEO of Good Faith Media. “AWAB has a rich history of advocating for the inclusion and affirmation of the LGBTQ+ community. Working alongside Brian Henderson and his team has been a remarkable experience.”
The podcast was made possible by a grant from American Baptist Home Mission Societies, along with support from Knollwood Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
GFM will release episodes weekly on Thursdays, beginning April 9. Listeners can hear the free podcast on popular podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and Amazon. They can also listen directly from GFM here.
Learn more about the podcast at https://goodfaithmedia.org/voice-of-the-turtle/. Learn more about AWAB at https://awab.org/.
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