By Andy Hale
This week on the CBF Podcast Conversation, Andy welcomes Jonathon Seidl for an honest and deeply compassionate conversation about addiction, recovery, sanctification and the church’s often complicated relationship with all three. A writer, speaker and former media executive, Seidl opens up about his own battle with alcoholism and the journey that became his new book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic. What emerges is not a polished testimony about instant transformation, but a candid exploration of grace, relapse, identity and the slow work of healing.
Throughout the episode, Seidl challenges the stereotypes that keep so many people—especially Christians—silent about addiction. He reflects on the dangerous myth of the “obvious alcoholic,” the shame-loops that keep people trapped, and the importance of what he calls “messy sanctification.” Together, Andy and Jonathon explore themes like abiding in God, radical vulnerability, discovering identity beyond the bottle and why true freedom cannot be measured merely by days sober. The conversation also pushes the church to imagine a different kind of community—one where confession is normalized, grace is practiced patiently and people are welcomed not just to “come as they are,” but to “stay as they become.”
At its heart, this episode is about hope without pretending. Seidl speaks directly to listeners who may feel trapped in secrecy, exhaustion, or fear, offering not condemnation but a path toward honesty and healing. Whether you have personally struggled with addiction, love someone who has, or simply long for a more truthful and compassionate church, this conversation offers wisdom, courage and the reminder that no one is beyond the reach of grace.
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Sponsorship
This podcast is presented by:
- Baylor’s Garland School of Social Work: Social workers can be found addressing the full scope of the human experience in churches, schools, prisons, government agencies, senior living centers, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies.
- Baptist Seminary of Kentucky: BSK equips leaders through their Homegrown Initiative, offering ministry leaders training and growth that fits into their busy schedules.
- The Gardner-Webb School of Divinity: The Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity aims to equip, nurture, encourage, and support men and women for their very best service in the Kingdom of God.
- The Center for Congregational Health: Strengthening congregations through consulting, leadership coaching, and intentional ministry.
- The Baptist House of Studies at Union Presbyterian Seminary: Exists by God’s grace to educate, inspire, and support generations of bold, faithful servant leaders as they seek actively to participate in God’s mission in the world.
- Community Transformation Center: Through educational opportunities, community conversations, and research initiatives in collaboration with universities and local leaders, PBACTC is at the forefront of integrating spiritual care into holistic community development.
- Creation Justice Ministries: Creation Justice Ministries equips churches to turn conviction into faithful action with Scripture-based resources, worship guides, and community support to pursue environmental justice and care for God’s creation.
- Dawnings: Through prayerful discernment, storytelling, and collaborative visioning, Dawnings helps churches rediscover their calling and imagine their next chapter—guided by trained facilitators and grounded in God’s ongoing story.
- Congregational Ministries Team of CBF Global: Through coaching, resources, and collaborative support, CBF’s Congregational Ministries Team helps churches and ministers cultivate the five traits of thriving—Rooted Relationships, Compelling Clarity, Holy Tenacity, Strategic Agility, and Dynamic Collaboration—for faithful and flourishing ministry.
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Andy Hale is the creator and host of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Podcast. Hale is the Associate Executive Coordinator of CBF North Carolina. He’s also served as CBF’s Church Start Specialist, the founding pastor of Mosaic Church of Clayton, and the senior pastor of University Baptist Church of Baton Rouge. Follow on Twitter @haleandy.