https://simplecast.com Pastor to High Priestess Podcast A pod for those who have left Christianity and now embrace the practice of witchcraft. #exvangelical #deconstruction 2023-present en Tue, 7 Oct 2025 19:54:50 +0000 Tue, 7 Oct 2025 19:55:01 +0000 https://pastor-to-high-priestess-podcast.simplecast.com Pastor to High Priestess Podcast https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/5bd428ef-2475-4a5f-9858-2fb43369297e/315860ca-6b9a-48d0-aa17-d42bf060405f/3000x3000/p2hp-podcast.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://pastor-to-high-priestess-podcast.simplecast.com episodic A pod for those who have left Christianity and now embrace the practice of witchcraft. #exvangelical #deconstruction Reed Stephenson true https://feeds.simplecast.com/vu4e8ALA #decontruction #exvangelical #exchristian #witch #witchcraft Reed Stephenson pastortohighpriestess@gmail.com a9013a5f-bdae-4d6d-ba1f-3aa9f3c846f9 You Don't Realize You Grew Up in a Cult Until You Realize You Grew Up in a F#$%ing Cult You can learn more about the Pastor to High Priestess Project at www.pastortohighpriestess.com. Follow us on Instagram at @p2hppod, and on TikTok at @pastortohighpriestess.

]]> Tue, 7 Oct 2025 19:54:50 +0000 pastortohighpriestess@gmail.com (K Reed Stephenson PhD, Erin Johnson PhD, Rev. Amanda Bunce, Rev. Gabriel Lawrence) https://pastor-to-high-priestess-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/you-dont-realize-you-grew-up-in-a-cult-until-you-realize-you-grew-up-in-a-fing-cult-E589eWSY You can learn more about the Pastor to High Priestess Project at www.pastortohighpriestess.com. Follow us on Instagram at @p2hppod, and on TikTok at @pastortohighpriestess.

]]> You Don't Realize You Grew Up in a Cult Until You Realize You Grew Up in a F#$%ing Cult K Reed Stephenson PhD, Erin Johnson PhD, Rev. Amanda Bunce, Rev. Gabriel Lawrence 01:52:09 In this raw and deeply honest episode of the Pastor to High Priestess podcast, host Reed gathers with friends Amanda, Erin, and Gabriel to share their personal journeys out of Pentecostal and fundamentalist Christian traditions. United by experiences of religious trauma, they recount stories from their childhoods in churches like Church of God, Assemblies of God, and Southern Baptist congregations—places where fear, shame, and spiritual pressure shaped their lives in profound ways. The conversation moves through vivid memories of altar calls, rapture anxiety, speaking in tongues, and the complicated intersection of faith, sexuality, and mental health. The group opens up about the challenges and healing of deconstruction: how leaving behind old beliefs is both liberating and grief-filled, and how community and therapy have been essential to their ongoing journeys. They reflect on the triggers that linger, the humor that helps them cope, and the new forms of spirituality, embodiment, and belonging they are building. Through laughter, vulnerability, and hard-won wisdom, this episode offers both solidarity and hope to anyone questioning their faith or seeking healing from religious trauma. Whether you grew up in a similar tradition or are just curious about the process of deconstructing faith, you’ll find compassion, candor, and plenty of unforgettable stories. In this raw and deeply honest episode of the Pastor to High Priestess podcast, host Reed gathers with friends Amanda, Erin, and Gabriel to share their personal journeys out of Pentecostal and fundamentalist Christian traditions. United by experiences of religious trauma, they recount stories from their childhoods in churches like Church of God, Assemblies of God, and Southern Baptist congregations—places where fear, shame, and spiritual pressure shaped their lives in profound ways. The conversation moves through vivid memories of altar calls, rapture anxiety, speaking in tongues, and the complicated intersection of faith, sexuality, and mental health. The group opens up about the challenges and healing of deconstruction: how leaving behind old beliefs is both liberating and grief-filled, and how community and therapy have been essential to their ongoing journeys. They reflect on the triggers that linger, the humor that helps them cope, and the new forms of spirituality, embodiment, and belonging they are building. Through laughter, vulnerability, and hard-won wisdom, this episode offers both solidarity and hope to anyone questioning their faith or seeking healing from religious trauma. Whether you grew up in a similar tradition or are just curious about the process of deconstructing faith, you’ll find compassion, candor, and plenty of unforgettable stories. rapture, religious abuse, exvangelical, religious trauma, satanic panic, hell true full 5 1 5840ea13-f6c8-40ac-b4ca-2f781009670b Yes, I Know it's Just Called Skanking: Interview With Erin Johnson CONTENT WARNING: discussions of suicide, suicidal ideation, and mental abuse.

Resources for dealing with religious trauma:

https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/

https://www.reclamationcollective.com/

Social Media Links

https://www.instagram.com/p2hppod/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551207190793

Sandra Porter's Music

https://music.apple.com/us/album/breaking-roots-ep/1476075819

https://open.spotify.com/track/3bcR6NUSUSD5NzVWjZOzlb

]]> Tue, 7 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000 pastortohighpriestess@gmail.com (Reed Stephenson) https://pastor-to-high-priestess-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/yes-i-know-its-just-called-skanking-interview-with-erin-johnson-5zdxdkk3 CONTENT WARNING: discussions of suicide, suicidal ideation, and mental abuse.

Resources for dealing with religious trauma:

https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/

https://www.reclamationcollective.com/

Social Media Links

https://www.instagram.com/p2hppod/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551207190793

Sandra Porter's Music

https://music.apple.com/us/album/breaking-roots-ep/1476075819

https://open.spotify.com/track/3bcR6NUSUSD5NzVWjZOzlb

]]> Yes, I Know it's Just Called Skanking: Interview With Erin Johnson Reed Stephenson 01:19:34 Reed recounts traumatic experiences growing up Pentecostal and has a conversation with Erin Johnson, who also grew up Pentecostal, about her journey of deconstruction and finding solace in practices outside Christianity. Content Warning: discussions of suicide, suicidal ideation, and mental abuse. Reed recounts traumatic experiences growing up Pentecostal and has a conversation with Erin Johnson, who also grew up Pentecostal, about her journey of deconstruction and finding solace in practices outside Christianity. Content Warning: discussions of suicide, suicidal ideation, and mental abuse. witchy, witch, deconstructing christianity, high demand religion, religious abuse, exvangelical, religious trauma, deconstruction, deconstructing religion true full 4 1 971519ca-7a6b-4987-b161-d0ea072fe9e1 The Missing Stair The Missing Stair by the Silo Sisters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPNh-ZIdaYk

Music by Sandra Porter

https://music.apple.com/us/album/breaking-roots-ep/1476075819

Follow us on social media

https://www.instagram.com/p2hppod/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551207190793

]]> Tue, 24 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000 pastortohighpriestess@gmail.com (Reed Stephenson) https://pastor-to-high-priestess-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/the-missing-stair-YHCHiztx The Missing Stair by the Silo Sisters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPNh-ZIdaYk

Music by Sandra Porter

https://music.apple.com/us/album/breaking-roots-ep/1476075819

Follow us on social media

https://www.instagram.com/p2hppod/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551207190793

]]> The Missing Stair Reed Stephenson 01:03:45 Reed and Ashely have a conversation about secrets that churches keep, retribution for pointing out toxic people or practices in congregations, and the pain of deconstructing and leaving Christianity. Reed and Ashely have a conversation about secrets that churches keep, retribution for pointing out toxic people or practices in congregations, and the pain of deconstructing and leaving Christianity. true full 3 1 3f74cee1-d1ab-479d-9b74-ea8d6441d737 Becoming Good: A Conversation with Kate Hilderbrandt  

Kate's Books

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kate-Hilderbrandt/author/B0BTZYPF5N?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Kate's Social Media

https://www.instagram.com/permissionalchemy/

https://www.instagram.com/kate.hilderbrandt/

 

Sandra Porter's Music

https://music.apple.com/us/album/breaking-roots-ep/1476075819

Lenny Duncan's Psalms of My People

https://www.amazon.com/Psalms-My-People-Liberation-through-ebook/dp/B0CBNHXBBG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20XL5ASC06XEJ&keywords=psalms+of+my+people+lenny+duncan&qid=1696807350&s=digital-text&sprefix=psalms+of+my+%2Cdigital-text%2C78&sr=1-1

]]> Tue, 10 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000 pastortohighpriestess@gmail.com (Reed Stephenson) https://pastor-to-high-priestess-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/becoming-good-a-conversation-with-kate-hilderbrandt-8mx5Z_ca  

Kate's Books

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kate-Hilderbrandt/author/B0BTZYPF5N?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Kate's Social Media

https://www.instagram.com/permissionalchemy/

https://www.instagram.com/kate.hilderbrandt/

 

Sandra Porter's Music

https://music.apple.com/us/album/breaking-roots-ep/1476075819

Lenny Duncan's Psalms of My People

https://www.amazon.com/Psalms-My-People-Liberation-through-ebook/dp/B0CBNHXBBG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20XL5ASC06XEJ&keywords=psalms+of+my+people+lenny+duncan&qid=1696807350&s=digital-text&sprefix=psalms+of+my+%2Cdigital-text%2C78&sr=1-1

]]> Becoming Good: A Conversation with Kate Hilderbrandt Reed Stephenson 01:10:48 A conversation with poet, coach, and permission alchemist, Kate Hilderbrandt. A conversation with poet, coach, and permission alchemist, Kate Hilderbrandt. witchy, highcontrolreligion, witch, exclergy, exvangelical, deconstruction, deconstructingchristianity true full 2 1 220264bd-a9a5-4629-a290-034d077ced39 A Conversation with Lenny Duncan Thanks to Lenny Duncan for being my first guest. You can connect with Lenny at the following links: 

Psalms of My People

A Sorcerer's Notebook

Lenny's Instagram

Thanks to Sandra Porter for the use of her song "Glass House" for the intro music for the pod. You can find more of Sandra's music at the following link: 

Breaking Roots by Sandra Porter

Thanks to my friend, Jon Hoin, for technical assistance in getting this project published! Jon, you are my hero!

]]> Tue, 26 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000 pastortohighpriestess@gmail.com (Reed Stephenson) https://pastor-to-high-priestess-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/a-conversation-with-lenny-duncan-jBfMkMSN Thanks to Lenny Duncan for being my first guest. You can connect with Lenny at the following links: 

Psalms of My People

A Sorcerer's Notebook

Lenny's Instagram

Thanks to Sandra Porter for the use of her song "Glass House" for the intro music for the pod. You can find more of Sandra's music at the following link: 

Breaking Roots by Sandra Porter

Thanks to my friend, Jon Hoin, for technical assistance in getting this project published! Jon, you are my hero!

]]> A Conversation with Lenny Duncan Reed Stephenson 01:00:04 Welcome to the first episode of the P2HP pod featuring a conversation with writer, scholar, and amazing human, Lenny Duncan. We spend time talking about being mission developers in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, why Lenny left the Church, and what they are up to now. Welcome to the first episode of the P2HP pod featuring a conversation with writer, scholar, and amazing human, Lenny Duncan. We spend time talking about being mission developers in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, why Lenny left the Church, and what they are up to now. true full 1 1