March 6, 2026
A lot of life has happened since the last update. February was full of timely events, from a family member’s mental health crisis, processing a breakup, being more involved in AA fellowship and service (also having a new sponsor and doing another round of Step work with someone), and to being invited to be a part of a seat lodge for the first time, there was a lot of inbetween, soul-searching, history tracking, sitting in the mess, and healing discomfort around work, business, recovery, faith, and my character. “You had to be there” kind of things.
Recently, I’ve been updating the website (check out the Christian Mysticism page). Currently trying to finish that section out, with Genesis, Revelation, and a Glossary page. A coming AI Transparency/Stance page is on the docket.
After wrapping up the pilot Bible in Context class, there were a few things in life I had to address and wrap up before I could tackle that. I’m calling some places and looking for an official location to house it: stay tuned.
Related, I’m going ot be wrapping up some projects before allowing myself to be distracted by any more tangents. Some of the articles that are just sitting there will show up in the Christian Mysticism page, including one on Caesars & Constantine Un-Converting Christianity. Down the road, when I’m ready and have the capacity, the Resources and Church Freebies are going to be revamped.
This includes creating an ebook from the Bible in Context Class and one for the Elijah-Elisha series. There are also 2 devotional series that Red Letter Christianity has accepted that was a rather exciting moment for me: Tony Campolo was a stud.
Over the last couple of years, this Drunk Pastor project, which began as a stupid idea from a father-like figure in my first rehab, has solidified and coalesced…me. Despite some of my past mania and unresolved anger, it was all worth it. There was something conainted with all this searching: I can say today I have found it, or it me, and I’m in a better place for it and becoming truly who I was always “meant” to be.
It’s been a terrifying, lonely, and frustrating humbling process, one I had avoided. There is Resurrection on the other side of Death; we just have to die to self. And I was an egoic nightmare with an inferiority complex. God has saved me. I am not that anymore…or at least dramatically less, and with the Path and tools to keep on keeping on.
This is a gift I can’t express how grateful I am, and how it also broke me once I had it. If you have taken the plow, don’t look back. You’ll only waver, but it’s ok. Somehow, the Divine makes it all telos.
October 16, 2025
The book’s been out for a little over a month and sold around 30 copies, which is fine. It’s a big, rough book, and that’s about a third of the way toward my 100-copy goal.
The Good News Blog shared their endorsement (The Son of Man and Its Mystic Awakening), and I’ve sent the manuscript to probably 60 other people and orgs for consideration. Plenty of “no thank yous” and silence so far.
Red Letter Christianity confirmed they’re running a feature at the end of October.
I also did another episode with Brandon Munday and Andy on the Crucible of Thought podcast: Watch here.
Braided Way released a guest piece that basically invites people to go all in and work their stuff out with God and ego: Beyond the Problem of Evil — God, Work, Integration, and Daring to Be Human.
There are a few other articles and submissions out too. I also revisited and brushed up the Fermi Paradox solution and submitted it to a few places. I won’t name names, but I wouldn’t mind if Mere Orthodoxy, Unbelievable, Brené Brown, or even NF took a look at what I sent. Yeah, dreaming big.
This process has pushed me to take writing more seriously and taught me a lot along the way. I’ve definitely put out some marginal stuff while learning, but I’m hoping a publisher might take an interest in future work, like a sort of sequel to Thus Spoke Zarathustra (I hate and need copyediting).
The plan now:
– Add more content and Patreon-only features/posts.
– Get back into the next newsletter.
– Maybe create a lead magnet (like a condensed version of the book?).
– Stay focused here in Missoula.
Every Human’s Journey (EHJ) is finally being tested, and it’s my long game. Between that and trying to pay bills through marketing and consulting work, that’s the trajectory. In 2026, I’m planning a Christian version of EHJ (it’s a “sanctification” model, so I’m open to faith communities that are open to psychology).
With EHJ, the book, and more recovery and experience under my belt, the hope is to start offering training and speaking again next year, slowly and organically, with a theology that ties atonement to eschatology into daily practice, while enjoying trying to get my life together one day at a time within the community God has provided.
I’ll also be making random merch when ideas come up (check out the Shop).
There’s been more inner work lately, and grateful for it. Some of that will show up in blog posts soon.
With the holidays coming, who knows what’s next? Until then, keep your head up. God bless.
Sept. 10, 2025
Book is out (https://amzn.to/4nZZYGY). Tomorrow is four years sober. Another update will be coming to this page down the road. But here’s some other recent news.
Guest Contributions & Book Review
- The Good News Blog: A breakdown and overview of the book for progressive churches.
- Another Braided Way piece: This one is lifted straight from the last appendix of my book, The Redemption of Lilith, showing the compounding effects the Gospel has already had on our world without us realizing it.
Recent Interview:
Brandon, from The Crucible of Thought, has been interviewing me (and, thus, helped me a lot) through The Son of Man & Its Mystical Awakening. Here’s the latest episode:
April 6, 2025
What began as a passion project—a way to wrestle with the chaos in my head—has grown into a bona fide platform. Over the past year, Drunk Pastor has shifted from a personal outlet to an authoritative online resource. By forging connections with Christian bloggers and websites since Fall 2024, traffic has surged, and the site now delivers genuine biblical answers—addressing questions like “What is a heresy?” or “What does John 14:6 mean?”—that cut through the pseudo-academic spin of American Jesusanity. With a foundation built on Scripture, logic, and intentional SEO and development, Drunk Pastor is steadily influencing online conversations.
Guest Contributions & Collaborative Projects
- Progressive Christianity Guest Post: A two-part series offering fresh perspectives. The first part tackles the impossible task of taming our tongues; the second part continues the conversation.
- Braided Way: Following the piece on Christian mysticism and using the Bible with “magic,” a second installment is in the works.
- Church Anew: A review of a piece on Agape from the standpoint of theology and academics.
- Restorative Faith: An upcoming exploration of the potential influence of psychedelics on the Corinthian church—stay tuned.
Bible in Context Class
I’ve paused the Bible in Context class for now. The current location, though free, isn’t ideal, and attendance has dipped. I’m also focused on wrapping up some pressing work projects. When I secure a better space, the class will resume—covering Genesis with its historical and cultural context (and connecting it to John’s writings) without a preset orthodoxy. Expect this content on Patreon first, with a later push to YouTube.
More Writing
Last summer, The Immortality Key became a turning point in my Christian perspective. It’s a book that’s been a constant on my desk, challenging my views on ancient spirituality and modern nihilism. Months before that, I finally began working on a book about the Samaritan Woman at the Well—a project that’s been in my mind since a New Year’s Resolution over a decade ago. What started as a rough outline has transformed into a series of blog posts where layers of philosophy and theology continuously unfold. This isn’t just another academic exercise; it’s an evolving dialogue that wrestles with redemption, shame, and transformation in our contemporary world.
For 2025, I’m planning to expand the Drunk Pastor brand into tangible products. Expect to see merchandise ranging from apparel and stickers to printed materials and even Christian tarot cards. This direct-to-print venture is more than a side project—it’s a way to extend the Drunk Pastor ethos into everyday life.
Every Human’s Journey (EHJ): A Return to My Roots
Every Human’s Journey is the flagship project under Stigma Marketing & Development. It began as a random idea while I was working on healthy masculinity and individual process work. Same desk. Same screen. Different headspace.
Ideas from AA, ASAM, and relational discipleship merged together. The hardest part was launching the first beta group, but we did it—and closed the debrief in late 2024.
Now, Dr. Schweitzer, LMSW, and my stepdad is on board. We’ve applied CBT principles, developed two original assessments, improved the curriculum, and are finalizing a full workbook. Our next step is test groups, which will begin the evidence-based foundation. Next is a journal and a bunch of more plans.
EHJ has been described as an awakening group, and I’m okay with that. It’s not religious, but it’s not secular either. It’s a language, a reference frame, and a self-guided journey. For Christians, it’s easy to see the Hero’s Journey and the Gospel woven together.
You can check out the preview site at www.everyhumansjourney.com.
January 8, 2025
A Personal Check-In
Aside from the startup life, the election, and a week-long vacation over Thanksgiving (which included officiating my first wedding since being sober alongside my step-dad), life has been about the grind. I’m working daily to get my feet under me and grow comfortable in my own skin and gifting again.
Honestly, while “theology” and the stuff written here may not be everyone’s cup of tea, Drunk Pastor has been deeply therapeutic. It was a space where I could wrestle with doctrines and spirituality—especially with the ideas and concepts that the Evangelical church clings to as absolutes, often shaming others who don’t agree. You all know what I’m talking about.
There was a time when I put a lot of blame on the church—a lot. Some of it was fair, and a lot of it wasn’t. Through all this, I’ve learned to own my ideas, my past, and my present. This journey has not just been crucial for me personally but has ignited a calling. Honestly, I’m not sure where all this processing, energy, and passion would have gone otherwise, but here we are.
Every Human’s Journey
The beta group for Every Man’s Journey has wrapped up, and we’re evaluating the results while finalizing the rough drafts of the curriculum, workbooks, and journal. A women’s group is launching in about a month with my friend, Dr. Angela Winters. Additionally, we’re working on partnerships with a halfway house in Colorado for the next round of development and hope to secure more collaborations.
Dr. Schweitzer, Ph.D. in Social Work and Research, and my step-dad, are developing evaluation forms and editing materials. My next steps include building the website and collecting signups for Missoula men’s groups. We’re also planning a Healthy Masculinity event this summer, featuring Dr. Schweitzer as the keynote speaker.
This project, now called Every Human’s Journey, is under my business, Stigma Marketing & Development. It’s also an integral part of my faith and the work I do with people, blending deeply with the writing and mission of Drunk Pastor.
“Not a Bible Study” Returns
After a long pause, Not a Bible Study is back! A handful of folks have been itching for its return, and we’ve secured a library room at the University of Montana for Sundays at 11 a.m. (for now). The first session will be announced soon.
This study goes deep into Genesis, exploring its historical and cultural context, and connects it with how John’s Gospel pulls from and parallels it. It’s a fascinating dive into scripture, mythologies, and worldview to uncover deeper truths. We’re starting with a group of 10-15 people and plan to record sessions for Patreon.
Patreon Launch
After nearly nine months of wrestling with the idea, I’ve finally launched a Patreon for Drunk Pastor. On the website, certain blog posts, like Throwbacks and more Random posts, will be for Patreons only. Patreon will host extra content like digital art, stickers, posters, ebooks, and community engagement. At some point, there is going to be a Patreon section on the site. It’s early, and I’m excited to watch it evolve this year.
If you enjoy my work and want to support its ongoing creation, consider checking out Patreon. It’s a bit nerve-wracking to ask for support, but I’ve worked through a lot of the insecurities around earning money for my work.
The Immortality Key and the Gospel of John
After months of reading and reflecting, The Immortality Key by Brian Muraresku reshaped my understanding of early Christian origins, particularly the role psychedelics may have played. Check out the overview of it and anticipate more coming. The book challenged deeply ingrained assumptions about faith and history, temporarily halting my work on the Samaritan Woman at the Well.
Now, I’m back to writing and have recently published a rough draft of the Re-Introduction to the Gospel of John. My goal is to work through the entire Gospel, eventually compiling it into a book. Patreon supporters will have access to a free rough draft ebook when it’s complete.
Personal Reflections
The first two years of sobriety were about getting sober and finding relationships. Last year, I hit a breaking point as I faced the distance from my kids, the financial weight of rebuilding my life, and addressing the wreckage of my past. Increasing my income became essential to reconciling relationships and stabilizing my circumstances. Aside from facing everything I was afraid of, at the center of it all was this fact about my life.
Last year, I spent chasing ideas and building a business out of the wreckage left behind by my drinking. A lot of progress was made. As we move into 2025, I’m hopeful and prayerful that this year will bring relief from some of those circumstantial burdens. My deepest longing is to see my children regularly and rebuild that connection. They are my heart, and I’m working tirelessly to make that a reality. I no longer want children living under the shadows of their parents, especially not mine.
Thank you, again, wherever you are and whoever you are, for reading along. It’s the small human connections that keep us grounded the most.
OCTOBER 20, 2024
Life’s been a bit chaotic lately, mostly with startup life—and I’m loving it. Drunk Pastor is reconnecting me with people in ways I didn’t expect, both online and locally. I’ve had three guest spots recently, and the conversations have been interesting.
The game plan? It hasn’t really changed: keep connecting with people, finish The Immortality Key while working through philosophy and theology, and start writing about the Gospel of John once the book’s done. In the meantime, I’ll focus on Patreon and the Drunk Pastor site—adding some new features and growing the Drunk Pastor email list.
The real excitement right now is in my business—it applies to everything I do, at least for me. The Drunk Pastor stuff isn’t just for content’s sake. It’s about exploring ideas I care about, keeping things genuine, and taking it slow but steady.
I celebrated three years of sobriety on September 11—this time actually at an AA meeting for my coin. I’ve never been fully in on the AA model, but I’ve always kept an open mind toward addiction recovery. AA’s solid, no doubt, and no addict is worse off for showing up to a meeting—other than their ego, which is probably what needs breaking.
Meetings now serve as both reflection and networking spaces for me. And that shift has opened new possibilities. There’s still some step work to handle—more life stuff to sort out from drinking days—, but things are moving in the right direction.
I’ve also been working on Every Man’s Journey. This idea started with the content I was developing for a client, and it spiraled from there. Conversations with guys—whether in media, churches, or personal interactions—kept circling back to similar struggles. I couldn’t avoid seeing the common thread.
So, I leaned into it. A Jungian take on the Hero’s Journey seemed like the way to go. That idea quickly turned into curriculum, journals, programming, and more. I’ve tested it with a small beta group—meeting in a Missoula tattoo shop of all places—and the openness from night one has been incredible.
This project’s not just for the group we have now; it’s about what comes next. I plan to integrate this work into Stigma Marketing & Development. Men’s mental health, especially in the church, is a huge issue—and this feels like the right way to address it.
Speaking of Stigma Marketing, I have to pinch myself sometimes—this thing is surviving, even thriving. It’s evolving into something more aligned with who I am and what I want to offer.
I just finished my first suicide prevention training with a hair salon, which felt right on so many levels. My business coach wasn’t initially sold on these ideas—or the men’s group—but after seeing what I’m doing, he’s fully on board. He’s already thinking big—corporate-level big—which is both exciting and a bit terrifying.
And if you’re a faith leader reading this, know that I offer free suicide prevention training for you and your community. I’ve spent the past year developing content specifically for faith leaders—let’s break the stigma around mental health together.
The Gospel of John has become a project of its own. Originally, I thought I’d just revisit the Samaritan Woman’s story, but new research has reshaped everything. What started as a reframing of her story now extends to the entire Gospel of John—and the theological implications will probably ruffle some feathers.
I know plenty of people will shrug this off as too “out there” or reject it as anti-Jesus. That’s fine. I’m not the first to wrestle with these ideas, and I won’t be the last. If it stands on logic and Scripture, let’s see if it’s of God.
There’s also this “theory of everything” that’s been forming over the past year and a half. It’s a lot of ideas from Jesus, Nietzsche, Buddha, Gandhi, psychology, and others, and framed with modern research and language. It’s what grew out of my journey to get peace and find peace, and what I was led to after my rejection of Evangelicalism—and it’s becoming clearer by the day.
The goal? We should not debate these ideas endlessly but do what these thinkers intended us to do. Answer Nietzsche. Follow Jesus. Engage with Buddha’s wisdom. It’s about taking these teachings and living them out.
The burden of these thoughts is relentless, but I’ve learned to embrace the tension. Big ideas, small moments, and simple things—that’s the rhythm I’m trying to follow now.
This season of life has been about more than just business or content—it’s about reconnecting, building, and being fully present. Startup life is busy, yes, but it’s giving me the space to align everything I care about into one messy, beautiful journey.
Slow and steady, one step at a time.
June 30, 2024
I’m sorting and processing through a combination of life plans, personal stuff, and different ideas and concepts. Stigma Marketing has been growing – I’m in the in-between phases of having made it through early plans to having customers and now needing to shift into a different gear.
The initial emphasis with Drunk Pastor around Easter was just to write. It helped me in a lot more ways than anticipated, as well as challenged me further. At this point, there’s a clear vision and mission for Drunk Pastor, however, it’ll take time to flesh it out and get it all online.
In general, it’s been a lot of sprinting. I’ve bitten off a good chunk of work and then let this idea keep growing. Here are some general updates:
- Egongelicalism is still a thing. It’s something I process and test with others. It comes up in some of my development work and with other Christians. It’s something I can’t unsee, and others can also see it.
- Stigma Marketing has finally been more…”embodied” by me. The nuts of that mean that it has taken me a couple of months to refine the model, get past some personal fears, dust off some old skills, and figure out how to stitch mission and authentic values together with marketing and development. It’s there now. It has already been fun practicing, growing, and becoming comfortable again, but with a different perspective. I still struggle believing in myself, but that’s my issue.
- As a Certified QPR trainer, Suicide Prevention Training is something I’m going to offer for the next year. It fits with my story and Stigma Marketing’s mission. It’s something that is needed and personally, I’m excited to offer it again.
- The Gospel of John is something I feel like I need to write through but first I need to do something with The Samaritan Woman at the Well. To be honest, I have too many writing ideas but I digress. I’ll be exploring John with “Not A Bible Study” (up next) in connection with Genesis. I’m interested in it for a lot of reasons, including a better historical understanding of the first-century church.
- Not A Bible Study – We’ve had a couple of them and they were small. But the conversation dynamics and interest are serious. I’m struggling a bit with marketing myself, especially when I’m asking people to show up to something. However, I don’t think anymore that “Not A Bible Study” is just about a study. It may take months and longer to play out, but I think both the content and the group around it are important. We’re going through Genesis from its original context and not from a particular denominational loyalty while showing how John uses Genesis to make some important points.
Developing Drunk Pastor, there are several goals and aspirations.
- Social media content system and schedule
- Launching YouTube
- A writing plan for blog and books
- Grow newsletter and email content
- Develop Patreon
April 5, 2024
Up until February, I was working as a GM at a fast food chain. I did it, proved to myself I could, and learned a lot. Looking back, yeah, I learned a lot from a surprising place and people. I have to skip most of that here. Two things I learned were that I’m not meant to do that and that I had to face and change some more things.
In February, I transitioned out and back into what I was doing before. Some of the early plans didn’t work out as hoped and there was some juggling…maybe a ball or two dropped. I was trying to figure out a lot internally, a lot more than I thought I had to. I was leaning into work I had done before but differently now. Things had changed and were different, better. I had a better grasp and more experience. All the things were there, it was just a matter of doing the work.
Currently, I’m “making it work” and the lessons are pouring in, especially in the last couple of weeks. I have this, Drunk Pastor, which houses my personal, faith, ideas, and the stuff I want to engage the world with. It’s my “brand.” The name doesn’t matter as much as that I’m doing something with what I have to work with. It’ll be where I build a platform and a message, work out my stuff, and put it out there to see what happens. Writing has been something that I for far too long talk too much about and don’t do enough of.
It’s a back burner thing, my “hobby” and down-time focus, but a passion and clear direction. I’m focusing on just writing and getting in the habit of it again, finding my voice after a lot has changed. There’s some website setup and other audience-building things I’m doing but, right now, the game is just to keep writing for now while I tick-tack it together. There are a lot of other things that need to be done.
Professionally my world is under the category of my business, Stigma Marketing. It’s taken a bit of figuring it out while I go but I have what I do down, if that makes sense. Stigma’s purpose, its identity, how it does it, and what it does. I started with What (what I could do) and, apparently, worked backward. It literally just came together.
“Stigma” was a name I came up with years ago, a play off of stigmata and Jesus. It’s taken on deeper meanings since then with suicide prevention work (and my suicide journey), addiction, and dealing with my mistakes and shame. It’s about grabbing your story and owning it.
The schtick with Stigma Marketing is that it’s a collaborative agency for small business owners and individuals to help make their dreams more possible by helping fill in gaps, equip, and empower their efforts. We specialize in professional graphic design, web design, professional & copywriting, and marketing support. The language is there, but it still needs work. I have a meeting tomorrow to do some of that. My heart is really to build some connections in Missoula. I was called here….I still am.
Personally, I’m working through some of the things I had been putting off, getting into a rhythm and mode, loving my partner, and trying to figure out what this evolving me needs to do in this world. Personal development is an active thing…sometimes haphazardly…often times, but at least it keeps coming back to that.
I would have done these last few years differently if it were not for the lessons I apparently could only have learned this way and for where I’m at now with the tools I have…I feel “ready” for whatever it is. I’m also a lot less naive about myself, which is nice when I don’t have to look over my shoulder to check for my ego.
You can always check My Bookshelf to see what I am and have been reading, as well as what is my top lists.
