Finding Your Spine
In a time when courage feels increasingly rare, Finding Your Spine challenges the status quo. Hosted by Dr. Chase Spears, this weekly podcast explores how Christians—and even secular conservatives—can stand firm in their values amid the pressures of cancel culture. With insightful commentary and bold conversations, Dr. Spears examines the tradeoff many make between conscience and comfort, reminding listeners that true freedom requires the spine to defend it. Tune in each week for thought-provoking discussions that inspire moral courage in an age of compromise.
Finding Your Spine
Reclaiming Christian Institutions from Progressive Drift
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In this follow-up interview, Pastor Jake Dell continues the conversation by sharing how he is revitalizing First Congregational Church of Woodbury, Connecticut, growing the congregation through bold, historic Christian preaching. He explains Operation Reconquista, the movement to reclaim mainline Protestant churches that have drifted into progressive theology. Dell makes the case that Christians have a responsibility to engage these historic institutions rather than abandon them, drawing on America’s founding, the role of Protestant denominations, and lessons from J. Gresham Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism. He outlines practical strategies, including starting with smaller under-resourced churches, using legal mechanisms for well-endowed ones, understanding denominational bylaws and state religious corporation laws, and the importance of stewardship from Genesis. The discussion also covers the myth of strict church-state separation in early America, the fallacy of the “red letter” argument, the role of social media in spreading uncompromised preaching, and the need for righteous boldness in the pulpit today.
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:04:32 – Operation Reconquista Explained
00:08:52 – Machen and the Century-Old Fight
00:10:36 – Conservative Resistance in Episcopal Church
00:16:44 – Purpose Beyond Institutional Wins
00:18:51 – Following Bylaws and Legal Standards
00:21:54 – Separation of Church and State Myth
00:26:12 – Stewardship Mandate from Genesis
00:28:15 – Healing Sick Parts of the Church
00:32:32 – Red Letter Argument Fallacy
00:35:19 – Social Media for Bold Preaching
00:38:50 – Advice to Pastors in Captured Denominations
You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.
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