The Urban Pastor Podcast

Nobody knows exactly what the next era of the church will look like. But there's one thing I'm convinced of:

The relevance era is over.

For decades, churches have tried to make Christianity more attractive by making church cooler. Better music. Better production. Cultural references. Trendier clothes. Different preaching styles.

But what happens when making church cool isn't enough anymore?

In Episode 6 of The Urban Pastor Podcast, Charlie Mitchell revisits a conversation originally recorded in 2022 about cultural relevance, spiritual formation, and what the next generation of churches must recover.<...

What do you do when you're doing everything you can to keep your church moving forward, but you still feel stuck?

For a lot of urban church planters, the problem isn't a lack of passion, commitment, or hustle. It's a lack of clarity about what needs attention next.

In Episode 5 of The Urban Pastor Podcast, Charlie Mitchell introduces the Urban Planter Journey and a practical coaching tool called the 4 Helpful Lists, designed to help pastors and ministry leaders move from chaos to clarity.

And this episode is...

The biggest lie a lot of church planters believe is that they have to figure everything out by themselves.

You don't. And you shouldn't.

In Episode 4 of The Urban Pastor Podcast, Charlie Mitchell shares why friendship isn't optional for church planters, pastors, and ministry leaders navigating the pressures of urban ministry.

It starts with an unexpected phone call from someone he met at a conference. Months after exchanging numbers, that person called him out for never reaching out.

That conversation became a lasting friendship—and a reminder that some of...

Welcome to the Urban Pastor Podcast

Nobody told you it was going to cost this much. The Urban Pastor Podcast is for the pastor, church planter, and ministry leader doing the work in cities and wondering how much longer they can keep going. Hosted by Charlie Mitchell, founder of Maroon House and urban church planter with over 20 years in ministry, this show goes deep on soul care, church planting, life and ministry design, and the real cost of ministry in tough soil. No flinching. No performance. Just an honest conversation for the leaders nobody knows...

Nobody’s going to put this on a conference brochure. But somebody needs to say it.

Here are 10 hard truths about urban church planting that most people don't tell you before you start.

In Episode 3 of The Urban Pastor Podcast, Charlie Mitchell shares the lessons he wishes someone had handed him before he moved to Baltimore, started raising money, and discovered what church planting actually costs.

This ain't about discouraging future church planters. We're leaving bread crumbs.

Every truth in this episode comes from the realities of planting, leading, an...

Before you plant, you need to know what's already planted.

The Black church isn't one thing. It never was.

In Episode 2 of The Urban Pastor Podcast, Charlie Mitchell explores four types of Black churches and the changing landscape of urban church planting.

This isn't an academic classification. It's a field guide for church planters, pastors, and ministry leaders who need to understand the communities they're called to serve.

Too often, we talk about “the Black church” as though every congregation shares the same history, culture, worship style, lead...

The first episode of The Urban Pastor Podcast isn't a welcome speech. It's a mirror.

Do you have what it takes to plant a church? And what if the experiences you thought disqualified you are actually part of what prepared you?

In Episode 1, Charlie Mitchell draws from more than 20 years of ministry and church planting to challenge some of our assumptions about what a church planter is supposed to look like.

This conversation is for the person who feels called but isn't sure they're qualified. For the leader who...