

Pass The Mic
The Witness
Hosted by Rev. Tyler Burns and New York Times Best Selling Author Dr. Jemar Tisby. Tune in every week for engaging discussions and high-profile interviews addressing the core concerns of Black Christians. Pass The Mic is powered by The Witness – A Black Christian Collective. Learn more at TheWitnessBCC.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 24, 2025 • 47min
Lorenzo Sewell & Mariann Budde: A Tale of 2 Pastors
Rev Lorenzo Sewell & Rev Mariann Budde. 2 pastors with the opportunity to speak from the pulpit directly to the President of the United States. This week we are talking about the care and weight of the responsibility that fall on those with the gift of preaching and teaching as well as how the style of Black preaching can be abused in it deployment for self-advancement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 17, 2025 • 49min
Our Thoughts on Kendrick Lamar's Halftime Show
The performance began with Kendrick Lamar and his backup dancers getting out of a 1980s Buick GNX and onto a stage resembling a giant PlayStation controller. The opening was a portion of the unreleased song "Bodies". Samuel L. Jackson appeared in a recurring role as Uncle Sam, who provided satirical commentary and advice to Kendrick between songs to illustrate the spirit of America. Lamar initially teased a performance of "Not Like Us," playing the beat and stating "I wanna play their favorite song, but you know they love to sue." Lamar played "Luther" and "All the Stars" with SZA before returning to "Not Like Us." Professional tennis player Serena Williams, who shares Lamar's hometown of Compton, made a cameo appearance as a dancer doing a crip walk during "Not Like Us", a reference to Williams performing a similar dance after her victory at the 2012 Summer Olympics, for which she faced criticism. Williams's appearance was also received as a diss towards Drake, with whom she was rumored to have dated several years earlier. The performance was capped off by "TV Off" with Mustard coming out as a special guest, finally with Lamar "turning the TV off" and the words "GAME OVER" being displayed through crowd wristband lights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 10, 2025 • 51min
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark with Cody Balfour
Pointing to the God of the Scriptures.Cody is a native of Tulsa and a descendant of great-grandparents who were directly impacted by the infamous Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, in Greenwood. At 15 years old, after spending years with his father incarcerated since his infancy, Jesus graciously saved Cody as he was walking home from a party. That changed his life forever.Cody earned a Bachelors in Pastoral Ministry and Theological Studies from Welch College. He is directly connected with the impact of mass incarceration on women and people of color in the United States. His true passion is teaching God’s word and listening to the vulnerable in our society. He believes that justice is the core element of our salvation, seeing that God seeks to make the world right and begins with those made in His image (Romans 3:21-26). Cody also serves as Director of Family Life at Koinonia Church, a diverse covenant community in Nashville, TN. His mission as Director of Family Life is to show how Jesus redefines family (Matt 12:46-50). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 27, 2025 • 39min
Lost.
When life is a sermon illustration... Pastor Burns shares a story of how hard it is to get back what you've lost. Not only have we lost something, but sometimes it's never coming back. How do we process this. Let's talk about it. Support this podcast at patreon.com/passthemic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 20, 2025 • 42min
Processing Donald Trump with Jemar Tisby... Again
One more time for the people in the back... We are taking you back 8 years ago because what is there to say that hasn't already been said.Jemar Tisby reflects on the election of 2016 and the impact that it has had on evangelicalism, racial reconciliation, and what it means to be Black Christian in America.Episode 143Original Airdate: Nov 10 2016Support this podcast on patreon at www.patreon.com/PassTheMic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 6, 2025 • 1h 31min
Pass The Mic's Top 10 Cultural Artifacts From 2024 (PART 2)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And also, our favorite episode(s) of the year! Every year, we recap our favorite “cultural artifacts”. These can be books, albums, people, movies, TV shows, events….ANYTHING that got us through the year. There’s only one catch: these items do NOT have to come out this year. They just have to be consumed this year. This is Part 2 of 2. Creating this list helps us to commemorate how we’ve grown and what has helped us get through. Join Jemar and Tyler for the first half of their lists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 30, 2024 • 1h 6min
Pass The Mic's Top 10 Cultural Artifacts From 2024 (PART 1)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And also, our favorite episode(s) of the year! Every year, we recap our favorite “cultural artifacts”. These can be books, albums, people, movies, TV shows, events….ANYTHING that got us through the year. There’s only one catch: these items do NOT have to come out this year. They just have to be consumed this year. This is Part 1 of 2 so be on the lookout for what comes next!Creating this list helps us to commemorate how we’ve grown and what has helped us get through. Join Jemar and Tyler for the first half of their lists.What’s on your 2024 list?? Tweet us @_PassTheMic | Support this podcast at patreon.com/passthemic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 23, 2024 • 1h 14min
Pass The Tea: Election Reactions with Truth's Table
From the first crossover episode "Gender Apartheid" to now, over the years the ladies of Truth's Table have blessed us with their incites and wisdom time and time again. As we close out the year, with the impact of the 2024 election now fully felt, there is no one else we would rather turn to than our sisters Ekemini Uwan and Dr. Christina Edmondson in this special crossover 'Pass The Tea' episode of Pass The Mic with Truth's Table. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 16, 2024 • 38min
From Veggie Tales to TikTok: The Evolution of Christian Media
In this episode of Pass The Mic, Executive Producer Beau York and Video Producer Ryan Gentry take a deep dive into the transformation of Christian media over the past three decades. From the 90s age of Veggie Tales to today’s world of Christian Influencers dominating social media, we explore the cultural shifts, technological advancements, and creative approaches that have shaped Christian storytelling.What lessons can be learned from the successes and failures of each era? Are Christian Influencers meeting the moment, or is something missing from the digital-first landscape? Beau and Ryan discuss the pros and cons of both eras and how the past informs the future of faith-based media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 9, 2024 • 42min
Passing The Mic To Dwight A. Radcliff Jr.
This week Dr Jemar Tisby is joined by Dr Dwight Radcliff to discuss his experience as Academic Dean for the William E. Pannell Center for Black Church Studies and Assistant Professor of Mission, Theology, and Culture at Fuller Seminary Houston.Dwight A. Radcliff Jr. joined the faculty of Fuller as assistant professor of mission, theology, and culture in 2019, and was named at the same time as director of the William E. Pannell Center for Black Church Studies. In 2020, he was named as academic dean for the Pannell Center. Prior to coming to Fuller, Dr. Radcliff taught at Vanguard University, Azusa Pacific University, and the Southern California School of Ministry.While completing his MDiv in Fuller’s School of Theology, Radcliff was recognized with several awards and scholarships, including the prestigious Parish Pulpit Fellowship graduation prize and the Hooper/Keefe Preaching Award. He earned his PhD in Fuller’s School of Intercultural Studies; in that time he received both a Pannell Fellowship and a King Fellowship. He completed post-master’s studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas and the University of Oxford.His dissertation is entitled “The Message: A Hip Hop Hermeneutic as a Missiological Model,” and portions of his doctoral research have already been published in a peer-reviewed article in The Journal of Hip Hop Studies and presented in multiple professional, ministry, educational, and popular contexts.Radcliff lectures in seminaries, universities, and conferences on topics ranging from urban church planting, culture, theology, preaching, social justice, millennials, and evangelism. His teaching and preaching has taken him across the US and abroad to places including Brazil and London. He also previously served as a deputy and chaplain with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, during which time he received recognition and commendations from city, county, state, and federal officials.Radcliff has over 20 years experience in pastoral ministry, and currently serves as senior pastor of The Message Center in Gardena, California, where he leads with his wife, DeShun Jones-Radcliff, who serves as the church’s director of administration. He and his wife have two daughters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


