BNG debuts a new podcast series this week titled “Stuck in the Middle with You.” The podcast series features BNG Executive Director Mark Wingfield in dialogue with Benjamin Cole, also known as The Baptist Blogger.
The first episode will drop on all major podcast platforms this Thursday morning. Additional episodes will drop each Thursday into mid-September.
“For the past several years, an increasing number of Baptist pastors and laymen have asked Mark and me, at different times, to launch a podcast,” Cole explained. “Eventually, Mark and I talked about the idea and out of our growing friendship and mutual respect, we decided the conversations we’ve been having offline for years could provide needed balance and helpful perspective to Baptists on all sides of the theological and denominational divide,” Cole said. “I truly enjoy talking to Mark, and I hope our authentic friendship can provide a way for Baptists who feel ‘stuck in the middle’ to reflect on some of our shared history and a few hot topic issues alongside us in the podcast.”
Wingfield added: “For four years, I’ve resisted requests for BNG to do a podcast, but this idea seemed like something we had to do. I like to say BNG is the brown paper wrapper news service of the SBC — you can’t be seen consuming us but you do — which gives us a natural entry point for such a podcast.”
Each episode offers 40 to 60 minutes of back and forth from the perspective of the right (Cole) and the left (Wingfield). And on occasion, they meet in the middle.
Both commentators were born into Southern Baptist families. Both attended SBC seminaries. And both have been deeply involved in observing the inner workings of the denomination. They come from different generations, however, and from different political and theological perspectives.
Benjamin Cole
Mark Wingfield
The first podcast episode introduces each person’s back story related to the SBC, along with commentary on how they think things went right or wrong as time marched on. Cole expresses his commitment to remain in the SBC and make it stronger. Wingfield left the SBC in 2000 when his Dallas church disaffiliated. He and his church were part of the founding of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Upcoming episodes will address why the SBC’s trustee system is broken, what’s wrong with the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, why the gap between the SBC and CBF is wider than it was 30 years ago, whether missions remains a uniting force for Baptists, a discussion of Christian nationalism, and an assessment of the changing nature of theological education — and likely more based on listener feedback.
Access to the podcast series is free, as is all content produced by BNG, a reader- and listener-supported news service.