Listen to Ruth Ann Onley, married to the late David C. Onley, the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, being interviewed by Lorna Dueck. In this episode, Ruth Ann leads us through her extraordinary life as a renowned Christian singer and the wife of the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

In this episode, Ruth Ann and Lorna discuss:

• Ruth Ann’s journey, that began with a strong Christian upbringing before leading her into a secular music career and a season away from faith.
• Encountering God and with the support of a church community, Ruth Ann rediscovered her calling and found that music became an expression of worship and ministry.
• Ruth Ann's unexpected love story with David Onley, and how she navigated marriage, motherhood, and life alongside disability with grace and resilience.
• Stepping into public life as the wife of Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor, and how faith, patriotism, and service became deeply intertwined.
• The grief after David’s recent passing, and how Ruth Ann continues to live out a calling of worship, resilience, and witness in the later seasons of her life.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s11-ep12

Ruth Ann Onley is an award-winning Christian recording artist who has touched hearts for over 35 years with her concert singing ministry.

Married to the late David C. Onley, the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 2007 to 2014, Ruth Ann had the opportunity to perform at many patriotic, military, and cultural events. She also flew into the far Northern communities, on David’s behalf, to continue his Aboriginal Literacy programs. In 2008, Ruth Ann and David had the honour of meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

She is a contributing author to the Word Guild award-winning book called; “Faith, Life and Leadership.”

Ruth Ann is the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Canada Christian College, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

Nana to nine precious grandchildren, Ruth Ann continues to delight in sleepovers and soccer games and to pursue her love of singing as she lifts the name of Jesus.

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Listen to Lorna Dueck being interviewed by Joanna la Fleur. Six months ago, Lorna's husband Vern passed away after a long journey with Parkinson's disease. In this moving episode, Lorna opens up about walking through grief, what she and Vern learned about God's presence in suffering, and how Scripture and worship carried them both through the hardest days.

In this episode, Lorna and Joanna discuss:

• Walking through grief, sharing how love, loss, and God’s presence met Lorna along the way, and how suffering revealed God’s nearness in ways Lorna never expected.
• Lorna's and Vern’s journey through Parkinson’s, and how their marriage, their faith, and their commitment to each other carried them through profound challenges.
• How Scripture and worship sustained Lorna through illness, offering a heartfelt look at the spiritual practices that helped her stay steady when life felt overwhelming.
• John 15 and how God sometimes prunes our lives. Lorna shares how Scripture helped her understand hardship and spiritual growth in her season of suffering.
• The surprising mercies of God that Lorna experienced while Vern was in long-term care - moments filled with compassion, connection, and a sense of God’s presence.
• How the Parkinson’s community became a lifeline for Lorna, offering strength, solidarity, and understanding among people facing similar struggles.
• Small groups, Scripture, and supportive friendships and how they provided comfort and direction during some of the hardest seasons of Lorna's life.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s11-ep11

Lorna Dueck has explored the intersection of journalism and Christianity for over 30 years. Her most recent full-time role was as CEO of Crossroads Christian Communications, Inc. and the show, “Context with Lorna Dueck”.

Lorna was a regular commentary writer on faith and public life in Canada’s leading national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, and is a frequent media commentator. She has travelled the world reporting on church-led response to humanitarian crisis.

Lorna earned a Master of Arts in Evangelism and Leadership from Wheaton College. She has received honorary doctorate degrees from Trinity, Tyndale, Briercrest and Wycliffe Universities. Lorna has received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canadian society.

Learn more about Lorna Dueck:

Instagram: instagram.com/lornadueck

Website: lornadueckcreative.com

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Listen to Rev. Dr. Joni Sancken, Butler Chair of Homiletics & Hermeneutics at Vancouver School of Theology, being interviewed by CBS Ambassador, Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling. In this episode, they discuss how Joni uses Scripture to preach with honesty, courage, and imagination. They also explore Scripture’s voice in a world of doubt and trauma, why Jesus can’t be tamed, and how the parables are meant to disrupt and awaken us.

In this episode, Joni and Andrew discuss:

• Joni’s journey into preaching and they explore how faith, family, and church community shaped her calling, and look at how Scripture moves from the page to the pulpit.
• What happens when congregations lose Bible fluency as they unpack Paul Wilson’s “Four Pages of the Sermon” as a way to move from trouble to grace.
• They wrestle with the disruptive power of the Gospel and reflect on preaching with honesty in a world of trauma and uncertainty.
• How Scripture gives us language when words fail. Joni talks about the space Scripture has for lament, questions, and encounters with God.
• The “thin place” of preaching - where God moves between text, preacher, and listener and how the Church can reclaim a wilder, untamed Jesus.
• The subversive power of the parables and how to preach them in ways that awaken instead of dull the imagination.
• What’s Stirring in Gen Z and the Future of the Church? Joni and Andres explore Gen Z’s hunger for authentic faith and consider what this means for the future of the Church.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s11-ep10

Joni Sancken’s approach to preaching is interdisciplinary and theological. Sancken (PhD, Toronto School of Theology, Emmanuel College) holds the Butler Chair of Homiletics and Biblical Interpretation at Vancouver School of Theology. She was formerly Professor of Homiletics at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH where she served for a decade and Assistant Professor of Preaching and Practical Theology at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, VA. She is the author of several books including, Stumbling Over the Cross: Preaching the Cross and Resurrection Today (Cascade, 2016), Words that Heal: Preaching Hope to Wounded Souls (Abingdon, 2019), All Our Griefs to Bear: Responding with Resilience After Collective Trauma (Herald Press, 2022,) and Getting to God: Preaching Good News in a Troubled World (co-authored) (Cascade, 2023.)

Sancken is passionate about supporting and encouraging pastors and church leaders. She grew up in a Mennonite congregation near Champaign-Urbana, IL and is an ordained pastor in Mennonite Church USA. She is energized by ecumenical and religious diversity having studied, served, and worshipped in Presbyterian Church USA, United Church of Canada, and United Methodist settings, and has completed training in the interfaith practice of scriptural reasoning.

Sancken lives in Vancouver, BC with her Presbyterian pastor spouse, Steve Schumm, children Maggie and Teddy, and dogs Bella and Pax. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching low-stakes reality TV, and exploring the natural beauty around Vancouver.

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Listen to Rev. Dr. James E. Pedlar, Professor of Theology at Tyndale Seminary, where he holds the Donald N. and Kathleen G. Bastian Chair of Wesley Studies being interviewed by CBS Ambassador Andrew Stirling. In this episode, they discuss the value of different denominations and how the spiritual gifts and fruit of the Spirit are always in place to bring unity and glorify God in the Church.

In this episode, James and Andrew discuss:

• James' formative years growing up in the Salvation Army, where an intergenerational church family helped nurture his early faith and love for God.
• Hearing God’s call to ministry, and how it was shaped by James’ love for Scripture and the encouragement of mentors who guided him toward full-time service.
• The importance of grace, gifts, and fruit in discerning how the church recognizes and confirms a call to ministry.
• The Salvation Army and Free Methodist and the shared heritage and theology of these two Wesleyan movements.
• Teaching at Tyndale Seminary and how James is living out a pastoral calling through scholarship and theological education.
• The Biblical call to Christian unity and what Scripture teaches about ecumenism and why unity matters to the Church’s witness.
• Understanding our differences in the Body of Christ by balancing truth and love in inter-denominational relationships.
• Living in a ‘post-truth’ age and how the Gospel speaks into a culture obsessed with “my truth.”
• How discovering the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church empowers believers with gifts and helps to guide the Church.
• James shares about equipping future leaders amid cultural and technological challenges, and requests prayers for wisdom, faithfulness, and the next generation of leaders who will carry the gospel forward.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s11-ep9

The Rev. Dr. James E. Pedlar is Professor of Theology at Tyndale Seminary, where he holds the Donald N. and Kathleen G. Bastian Chair of Wesley Studies. He also chairs Tyndale’s history and theology department and directs the ThM program and the MA in Historical and Theological Studies. Dr. Pedlar specializes in the study of the Church – especially questions involving reform movements, Christian unity, authority structures, and ecumenical dialogue. He is a past President of the Wesleyan Theological Society, a Fellow of the Manchester Wesley Research Centre, a member of the Review Board of the Wesley Works Digitization Project, a Co-Editor of Wesley and Methodist Studies, and a member of the Study Commission on Doctrine for the Free Methodist Church in Canada.

He is the author of two books: British Methodist Revivalism and the Eclipse of Ecclesiology (Routledge, 2024) and Division, Diversity, and Unity: A Theology of Ecclesial Charisms (Peter Lang, 2015).

He is an ordained minister in the Free Methodist Church in Canada and serves as Worship and Teaching Pastor at Wesley Chapel Free Methodist Church. He and his wife, Samantha, have two daughters.

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Listen to June Hur, best-selling and award-winning author, being interviewed by Joanna la Fleur. In this episode, June talks about her passion for literature, and how discovering forgotten Korean history would form a foundation for writing best-selling YA Korean historicals. June also reveals how her Christian faith has shaped her storytelling and how Scripture has guided her path as a writer.

In this episode, June and Joanna discuss:

• How June Hur blends Korean history with mystery fiction to create immersive young adult novels.
• June’s writing being rejected over a 100 times, and how she found her true writer’s voice.
• Writing strong women into Korean history, and how June gives voice to brave women who were overlooked in the past.
• What it felt like when June won the prestigious Edgar Award, and her work was recognized on the world stage.
• Why June decided to be open about her Christian faith as an author.
• Writing about brave characters and how it inspires June to live more courageously herself.
• From the Bible to C.S. Lewis and Tim Keller, and how Christian thinkers and writers quietly shaped June’s worldview.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s11-ep8

-----

June Hur (허주은) is a New York Times best-selling and Edgar Award-winning author of YA Korean historicals. Born in South Korea, June spent her formative years in the USA, Canada, and South Korea before studying History and Literature at the University of Toronto and working at the city’s public library.

Her work has been featured in Forbes, NPR, The New York Times, CBC, Vogue Korea, and KBS.

She resides in Toronto with her family.

-----

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Listen to Dr. Paul Bendor-Samuel, Executive Director of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies being interviewed by CBS Ambassador, Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling. In this episode, Paul talks about the generations of missionaries in his lineage, and how this influenced his path to becoming a doctor and integrating faith and medicine on the mission field.

In this episode, Paul and Andrew discuss:

• Dr. Paul Bendor-Samuel’s life from growing up in the mission fields, to becoming a physician, missionary, and Executive Director of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.
• His legacy of faith and calling - Paul traces his family story from his Jewish refugee great-grandfather who met Christ, to the generations of missionaries in his family who dedicated themselves to Bible translation and cross-cultural ministry.
• Paul’s calling to medicine and mission, and how this paved his way to serving people outside traditional ministry spaces, and intertwining healing and mission with his calling.
• Redefining development work, and what "Christian development" means to missions with local communities.
• How the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies equips global Christian leaders to shape theology rooted in their own cultures.
• The growing spiritual openness among young people in Europe and North America.
• What Western Christians can learn from believers in the rest of the world — bold faith, joy, and community.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s11-ep7

-----

Paul spent the first 10 years of his life in Brazil and West Africa, the son of missionary parents. He studied medicine in Cardiff, Wales, where he met his wife, Liz, also a doctor. In preparation for cross-cultural mission they did two years theological and missiological training and then served in Tunisia for 12 years, first in primary health care and rural development and then for seven years as Executive Director of the joint mission agency L ‘Association de Cooperation en Tunisie (ACT - actdev.org). During our life in Tunisia, we were privileged to see God building his church again in that country after fourteen centuries without an indigenous church.

In 2003, Paul became International Director of Interserve (interserve.org), moving to Malaysia in 2005. Between 2003 and 2015 Paul led the organisation through two major change processes, the first organisational, the second missiological.

In 2016, Paul became Executive Director of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS - ocms.ac.uk). OCMS is a global hub, based in Oxford, UK, that seeks to enable the church to participate more fully in God’s mission through rigorous research and applied scholarship.

Paul enjoys preaching, teaching and has published a number of articles and two books on mission and organisational spirituality.

Paul and Liz have been married for over 40 years, have four sons, three daughter-in-laws and five grandchildren.

-----

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Listen to Dr. Marion Taylor, a best-selling author, Professor of Old Testament and Graduate Director at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, being interviewed by seasoned journalist Lorna Dueck. In this episode, Dr. Marion Taylor discusses the books she has written, her research and the discovery of the many women who interpreted Scripture and helped to influence generations with God’s Word.

In this episode, Marion and Lorna discuss:

• Dr. Marion Taylor's books and research in discovering the influence of women interpreting Scripture, from as early as the year 320.
• How a biblical interpreter is defined as anyone who engages Scripture through letters, poetry, art, or other creative expression.
• The impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe, who was a Biblical Interpreter that used novels like Uncle Tom’s Cabin to preach and teach Biblical truth beyond the pulpit.
• Forgotten women writers who have been revealed through the years and the research journey that uncovered diaries, commentaries, and Scriptural interpretations long buried in archives.
• Courageous interpreters of the Reformation like Katarina Zell who boldly defended clergy marriage, wrote pastoral letters, and ministered side by side with their husbands.
• Florence Nightingale’s annotated Bible and how it reveals how she wrestled with faith, science, and Scripture in her private notes.
• Henrietta Mears’ 20th-century influence and how she helped shape Billy Graham and a whole generation of leaders.
• Powerful lessons for women today found by learning about the foremothers of faith who empower and challenge narrow narratives about women’s roles.
• Passing faith to our children in the home and using Scripture through song, story, and family life.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s11-ep6

-----

Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca

Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate

Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety

The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

-----

PhD (Yale)BA (Toronto), MA (Toronto), MDiv (Knox/Toronto), STM, MPhil

Marion Taylor grew up in Toronto and began her academic studies at the University of Toronto. Questions about how to negotiate the worlds of faith and the academic study of the Bible pushed her to pursue an MA in Near Eastern Studies and a Master of Divinity degree. Ultimately her journey took her to Yale University, where her interest in the history of the interpretation of the Bible was solidified. Under the direction of Brevard Childs, she wrote her doctoral thesis on the history of Old Testament studies as they developed at Princeton Seminary from 1812 to 1929.

At Yale in a class on apocalyptic literature, Marion met her husband Glen. Glen was from Calgary, but they returned to Toronto to teach at Wycliffe College. With Glen as residence dean, they lived at the College while raising three children and continuing to teach.

Marion’s interests in the Old Testament are broad. She teaches a variet

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Watch or listen to Gary Thomas, a best-selling author and international speaker being interviewed by Joanna la Fleur. In this episode Gary talks about his success as an author who has sold over 2 million copies, and how the truth of Scripture has kept him anchored. He explores this further in his new book, The Life You Were Reborn to Live, where he exposes the 12 lies that rob our intimacy with God, and how the truth of Scripture can transform us by the renewing of our mind.

In this episode, Gary and Joanna discuss:

• Gary's calling, his writing, and ministry focus which is at the heart of his work as an author on spiritual formation and relationships.
• Gary’s ministry motto which is, "The closer we draw to Christ, the more deeply we’re able to love others", whether in marriage, family, or friendships.
• His latest book, The Life You Were Reborn to Live, which reveals 12 common lies that rob believers of joy, peace, and intimacy with God.
• Romans 12 and how renewing our minds leads to true peace - rooted not in circumstances, but in relationships and God’s Spirit.
• Why Christians should embrace the reality of the supernatural, including the often-overlooked role of angels, and how this fuels a deeper spiritual adventure.
• The entitlement mentality and how we're told by Jesus that there will be persecution in this world, but that He has rescued us from a lifetime of slavery to sin, and eternal death, so every (good) little thing is an extra blessing.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s11-ep5

=====

Gary Thomas is a bestselling author and international speaker whose ministry brings people closer to Christ and closer to others. He unites the study of Scripture, church history, and the Christian classics to foster spiritual growth and deeper relationships within the Christian community.

Gary is the author of numerous books that together have sold over two million copies, have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and won numerous awards . His writings have established him as a thought-leader in the areas of marriage, parenting, and spiritual formation.

Gary holds a B.A. in English Literature from Western Washington University, an MA degree in systematic theology from Regent College (Vancouver, BC), and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Western Seminary (Portland, OR).

He served on the teaching team at Second Baptist Church, Houston for 11 years and is currently on the teaching team at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, CO. Gary is also an adjunct faculty member at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and was previously an adjunct faculty member at Houston Theological Seminary in Houston, Texas.

Gary’s speaking ministry has led him to speak in all 50 states and nine different countries, and on numerous national television and radio programs, including multiple appearances on Focus on the Family and Family Life Today. Gary’s interviews on Focus on the Family have been chosen among the “Best of 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2021.” Gary is a lifelong advocate of using the Christian classics to bring people closer to Christ.

Learn more about Gary Thomas: garythomas.com/about-gary/

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca