For People with Bishop Rob Wright, a weekly podcast by the Episcopal Bishop of Atlanta, drops its 100^th episode April 29, 2022.

Since its launch in March 2020, the podcast has been downloaded more than 120,000 times for an average of 1,100 downloads per episode.

In each episode Bishop Wright and occasional special guests include listeners in conversations at the crossroads of faith and life, exploring the challenges of living in an ever-changing world. For People with Bishop Rob Wright and his weekly blog, For Faith, draw inspiration from the life of Jesus to answer 21st-century questions.

For People with Bishop Rob Wright was started in response to the COVID19 pandemic, which was shuttering in person worship services and events, to explore crucial questions.

“God is For People. We are For People. But what does that really mean?” Bishop Wright said in the pilot episode as he explored a world being ravaged by COVID-19, and how the church would need to lean in and adapt.

Since its inception the series has continued adapting to the new realities of life and how people experience community, family, and faith. People from more than 4,200 cities in 102 countries have responded by listening and subscribing.

Bishop Wright said For People was one of several “experiments” he ran to stay engaged with people of faith and to offer a space for all people seeking answers in the face of uncertainty.

“I didn’t know much, but what I was sure of was that COVID was turning all our conventions and traditions upside down,” Wright said. “So, we decided to leverage the pandemic’s consequences of isolation, despair, and fear by offering people regular contact, reasons for hope, and truthful information.”

One of the podcast’s first successful innovations came in June 2020, when the 12^th episode of For People with Bishop Rob Wright featured its first guest.

Bishop Brian Prior of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota and Bishop Wright dove deep into the ramifications of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and how it was sparking activism and opening frank discussions of racial privilege, and inequities. They also examined how the politics of Jesus was calling His Church to “remember She has a voice, and She must use that voice to proclaim the love of Jesus in a political way that he rejoices in.”

Subsequent timely guests have offered Bishop Wright the opportunity to engage in challenging discussions with politicians, faith figures, civic leaders, and world-class academics, including:

• Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on being a person of faith as a public servant, how Georgia responded to the pandemic of COVID-19, and how the state’s 2021 voting legislation will change future elections.
• Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford on how his life of faith and his corporate background prepared him to lead Habitat for Humanity, the massive global nonprofit that partners with families around the world to build better lives.
• New York Times bestselling author and founder of Sojourners Jim Wallis, on the two pandemics, COVID-19, and racism, and how they have sparked fear and rage leading to more hate and violence.
• World famed royal wedding preacher and Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry, joined Bishop Wright for a two-part episode on the meaning of Easter to followers of Jesus and others living in a world more dangerous and divided than ever.
• Leading death penalty opponent, Roman Catholic nun Sister Helen Prejean on her faith tradition’s new and courageous stand against executions and its role in valuing the lives of the guilty as much as those of innocent victims.

Beyond adding guests, podcast innovations included reducing the length of episodes, previewing video soundbites of new episodes on Instagram and Facebook, and starting each episode with a brief recap, Wright said.

Future episodes will continue to evolve, but Wright said he remains focused on exploring how religion is continuing to change through inspiring conversations with new visionary voices that are redefining our nation and world.

“We can’t know lies before us, but I firmly believe that Jesus’ way of love gives us the tools to face all challenges,” Wright said.

Subscribe here to For People with Bishop Rob Wright and its companion blog, For Faith. You can experience past episodes of For People and For Faith.

Learn more about The Right Reverend Robert C. Wright here.

For information on the 117 worshipping communities of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta click here.