681: Strategically Small Churches with Brandon O'Brien

 A whites-only community has launched in Arkansas under the legal guise of a “private membership association.” The founders claim it’s about preserving culture, but Skye and Phil aren’t buying it. Then, Brent Leatherwood, head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm, has resigned after years of pressure from hardline conservatives. What does his departure reveal about the denomination’s political realignment? And, this week’s guest is Brandon O’Brien, author of The Strategically Small Church. As American Christianity grapples with shrinking attendance and fading influence, O’Brien offers a compelling vision for why small congregations might be not just inevitable, but essential. Also Phil learns way too much about penguin poop.

 

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0:00 - Show Starts

 

3:30 - Theme Song

 

3:50 - Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 40% off your first order of Sundays. Go to https://www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout.

 

4:45 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order

 

6:15 - Penguin Poop Saves the World?

 

15:50 - Whites-Only Community in Arkansas?

 

28:47 - SBC Commission President Steps Down!

 

43:48 - Sponsor - Blueland - Get up to 25% off your first order by going to https://www.Blueland.com/HOLYPOST

 

44:55 - Sponsor - BetterHelp - This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off your first month

 

46:05 - Sponsor - Church at the Crossroads - How should churches respond to the crisis in Gaza? Join a conference to break the silence. Go to https://www.churchatthecrossroads.com and use code HOLYPOST for 20% off!

 

47:21 - Interview

 

51:09 - Appetite for Small Churches?

 

59:00 - Beholden to Budget

 

1:09:15 - Unanxious

 

1:20:46 - End Credits

 

Links from News Segment:

All White Community in Arkansas:

https://news.sky.com/story/inside-the-whites-only-settlement-in-arkansas-the-group-building-a-fortress-for-the-white-race-13399875

 

Brent Leatherwood Steps Down: 

https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/07/erlc-brent-leatherwood-resign-sbc-southern-baptist-politics/

 

Other Resources:

The Strategically Small Church: Intimate, Authentic, and Effective by Brandon J. O’Brien: https://a.co/d/fgdjXcQ

 

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