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#159: Discovering Church Unity When Two Congregations Merge

Pastor Brian Brown shares what it actually takes to build church unity across racial and cultural lines.

In November 2020, amid a pandemic and national racial reckoning, two congregations in Des Moines made a bold decision to merge. Hope Des Moines, a primarily white Lutheran church, and Elim Christian Fellowship, a historically Black church, became Hope+Elim. This wasn’t about saving declining attendance or finding quick institutional fixes. It was about two pastors who had built a friendship over years of sharing pulpits and dreaming together, and who believed God was calling them to witness to church unity in their city.

Pastor Brian Brown joins the conversation to share what building church unity actually looks like in real time. From blending worship styles to tackling hard conversations about race with grace, from hosting community meals to creating ministry partnerships that serve their neighborhood, Hope+Elim is learning that proximity doesn’t equal community. Real church unity requires vulnerability, resilience, and the willingness to create something new together. If you’re wondering where to start in building bridges across racial and cultural divides, Brian’s wisdom offers both practical guidance and hope for the journey.

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Featuring

Brian Brown

Lead Pastor

Born and raised in New Iberia, Louisiana, Brian graduated from Northwestern State University with a BS degree in Industrial Technology and Safety. Brown received a master’s degree (MPA) from the University of Missouri in 1995 and completed his doctoral degree (ELPA) in May 2005 from Mizzou. While competing for Northwestern (La.) State in track and field, Brown won the 1989 U.S. Outdoor Championships in the high jump with a 7ft 7in jump and won the 1990 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a personal best jump of 7 feet 8 inches.

Before joining Hope+Elim, Brian worked as a Deputy Athletics Director at the University of Missouri. Brian was the director of Inclusive Excellence for the athletics department working closely with coaches, students, and staff. Prior to Mizzou, Brian was a resident of Des Moines, Iowa from 2000 – 2016 and served as the Director of the Drake Relays. During this time, he also served as an assistant pastor of Elim Christian Fellowship.

Brian is married to Mizzou’s Associate Head Track and field coach, Natasha Kaiser-Brown, a 1992 and 1996 Olympian and a 1992 Olympic Silver Medalist. Brian and Natasha have three adult children, Elle, Quinton and Kristian. Brian says that the biggest impact on his life has been his faith, family and his friends. Brian enjoys golf, cooking, music and spending time with family.

Hosts

Dwight Zscheile

Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

He is the author of Embracing the Mixed Ecology (with Blair Pogue, Seabury Books, 2025), Leading Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future (with Michael Binder and Tessa Pinkstaff, Fortress Press 2023), Participating in God’s Mission: A Theological Missiology for the U.S. (with Craig Van Gelder, Eerdmans 2018), The Agile Church: Spirit-Led Innovation in an Uncertain Age (Morehouse Publishing, 2014), People of the Way: Renewing Episcopal Identity (Morehouse Publishing, 2012) and The Missional Church in Perspective: Mapping Trends and Shaping the Conversation (with Craig Van Gelder, Baker Academic 2011), editor of Cultivating Sent Communities: Missional Spiritual Formation (Eerdmans, 2012), and co-editor (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) of The Starter’s Way: Leading New Contextual Christian Communities (Church Publishing, 2025).

A graduate of Stanford University (BA), Yale University (MDiv) and Luther Seminary (PhD, Congregational Mission and Leadership), Dwight previously served congregations in Minnesota, Virginia and Connecticut. Dwight’s experience growing up in a secular home in California has shaped his commitment to helping the church cultivate Christian community with neighbors in today’s changing world.

Terri Elton

Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Leadership, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Rev. Dr. Terri Martinson Elton began teaching at Luther Seminary as an adjunct instructor in 2004 before becoming the director of the Center for Children, Youth and Family Ministry in 2008. In addition to her continued work with the Center, Elton accepted the position of associate professor of Children, Youth and Family Ministry in 2010 and associate professor of Leadership in 2014.

Prior to her call to Luther Seminary, Elton served as an associate to the bishop in the Saint Paul Area Synod where her responsibilities included working with congregations, leadership development, First Call theological education and youth and family ministry.

Elton holds a B.A. degree in communications from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. (1986). She earned both her M.A. (1998) and Ph.D. (2007) degrees in Congregational Mission and Leadership from Luther Seminary.

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Join us on Pivot Podcast, where we journey beyond church-as-usual to discover how God is reshaping ministry for today’s world.

Each week, we dive into conversations with innovative leaders and practitioners who are navigating four game-changing pivots: shifting from quick fixes to deep listening, from membership to discipleship, from rigid models to creative ministry ecosystems, and from clergy-centered leadership to unleashing everyone’s gifts.

Whether you’re a member of the clergy seeking fresh inspiration or a volunteer stepping into new leadership territory, Pivot Podcast equips you with the insights and practical wisdom to follow Jesus into a faithful future.

Through their work with diverse cohorts of preachers, they’ve discovered that the most compelling sermons aren’t necessarily the most polished – they’re the ones where preachers have learned to listen deeply to both God and their congregations. Learn practical tools for gathering meaningful feedback, understand why vulnerability matters more than ever in preaching, and discover how shifting from evaluation to understanding can deepen your sermon’s impact. Plus, hear why reimagining God’s agency in preaching might be the key to unlocking more powerful proclamation.

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