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In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay talks with Bishop Todd Hunter about growing up in Orange County, CA, meeting the Lord at a Calvary Chapel service, and feeling like he was radically changed overnight. Todd recounts his experience of the early days of the Vineyard, the tumultuous circumstances that coincided with starting his role as National Director of the Vineyard, and how he came to be an Anglican Bishop. Jay and Todd talk about the discussions that led to him accepting a role on Vineyard USA’s Board of Trustees and then Todd shares what he’s currently seeing from this vantage point.
Bishop Todd Hunter’s lifelong passion is to help others heed the call of Jesus to “come follow me” and thus live their life in the kingdom of God as Jesus embodied, taught, and demonstrated it. Bishop Hunter’s vision for such a life entails being the cooperative friend of Jesus, seeking to live a life of constant creative goodness, for the sake of others, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Bishop Hunter has expressed his kingdom-Spirit-formation-church-culture focus in various settings. He is the founding bishop of The Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others, a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America. He writes a weekly newsletter: “The Gospel of the Kingdom.” Bishop Hunter is past President of Alpha USA, former National Director for the Association of Vineyard Churches, and retired founding pastor of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Costa Mesa, California. He is the author of Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for the Sake of Others, Giving Church Another Chance, The Outsider Interviews, The Accidental Anglican, Our Favorite Sins and Our Character at Work. His forthcoming book What Jesus Intended: Finding Faith in the Rubble of Bad Religion is now available for preorder.
Bishop Hunter is also the founder of the Center for Formation, Justice and Peace. The Center’s interdenominational community seeks to develop the Christlike character necessary to activate justice, leading to a life of deep peace for all people. Alongside trauma-informed spiritual director Vanessa Sadler, Bishop Todd hosts Peace Talks, a podcast that spotlights women and men who are working to undo oppression, leading to lives of deeper peace for all.
Bishop Hunter holds a Doctor of Ministry degree and has served as an adjunct professor of evangelism, leadership in contemporary culture and spiritual formation at George Fox University, Fuller Seminary, Western Seminary, Vanguard University, Azusa Pacific University, Northern Seminary, and Wheaton College. He has been a Distinguished Lecturer at several institutions of higher learning. Bishop Hunter has written articles for study Bibles, dictionaries and encyclopedias.
Bishop Hunter and his wife Debbie live in Franklin, Tennessee. They have two adult children.
