What would cause a megachurch pastor to lose his faith? In this episode of Mormon Stories Podcast, we sit down with former megachurch pastor Dr. Todd Phillips to explore his journey from a new Christian searching for a fresh start, to becoming a pastor and ministry leader, preaching to crowds of 10,000 people or more. Todd grew up without a strong religious background, but after finding Christianity in his twenties, he quickly immersed himself in evangelicalism. He went on to become a preacher and pastor at McLean Bible Church in Washington, D.C., and Lakepointe Church in Dallas. He eventually went on to direct a multi-million dollar nonprofit called The Last Well, which worked to bring clean water and Christianity to the people of Liberia. Todd walks us through the beliefs that once shaped his worldview, believing in Christianity as the one and only path to God. He also shares what it was like to build his life around those beliefs, rise through evangelical ministry, and eventually encounter questions that challenged the foundations of his faith. Along the way, Todd and John compare evangelical and LDS theology, discuss megachurch culture, and explore interesting theological questions/beliefs. This is Part One of Todd’s story, with more to come as he explores what happens when a pastor begins to question the beliefs he once devoted his life to. Todd now shares his experiences and insights online as “The Deconstructed Pastor.”: https://www.youtube.com/@drtoddphillips Todd's donations links and social accounts can be found here: https://linktr.ee/drtoddphillips?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=b30ac671-570e-4094-aea9-750d75b9d636 Also, as a special gift for Mormon Stories listeners, Todd has offered 2 FREE gifts - his "Deconstruction Guide" and "You Don’t Need to Fear Hell" course. Together, these resources are usually $34, so we are grateful to Todd for sharing these with our audience! https://stan.store/drtoddphillips/p/deconstruct-without-fear-2-free-guides Watch Part 2 of Todd's interview here: https://youtu.be/4PB28ot1XZ4 Show notes can be found on the Moron Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/becoming-a-megachurch-pastor/ Timecodes: ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117