By Andy Hale
This week on the CBF Podcast Conversation, Andy welcomes Dr. Michael Huerter—pastor, musician and thoughtful voice in worship and liturgy—to explore what it means to be the church in a world that is both digital and embodied. Drawing from his new book The Hybrid Congregation, Michael reflects on how the disruption of the pandemic forced churches into unfamiliar spaces and raised deeper questions about presence, participation and what it truly means to gather as the people of God.
In this conversation, Michael offers a compelling vision of hybrid ministry—not as a temporary solution or compromise, but as a faithful response to the realities of modern life. With particular attention to music and embodiment, he challenges the assumption that online worship is inherently less meaningful, instead inviting churches to see mediation as a gift and an essential part of how we encounter God. He also names how hybrid approaches can expand accessibility and inclusion, making space for bodies and experiences that traditional worship has often overlooked.
Ultimately, this episode is both theological and deeply practical. From lessons learned in the early days of livestream worship to insights drawn from digital communities, Michael helps church leaders imagine new possibilities for connection, formation and discipleship. It’s a hopeful and grounded conversation for anyone seeking to lead faithfully in a rapidly changing world.
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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.