An Open Letter to Dr. Casey Church.
I met Casey a year ago. I didn’t have the voice that I do now, or the drive. I didn’t have the words or the idea. He was a voice and presence that was speaking into a world that I wanted to understand. We come from vastly different places, but he has welcomed me where others held me at arm’s length. He has taught me across time zones and thousands of miles. He has thought of me in a higher regard than I have thought of myself. Without Casey, none of this would be a thing. So, if you hate it, blame him.
Dr. Casey,
There’s a fire in my bones and a knot in my throat as I try to put words to what you’ve meant to me. You’ve been more than a mentor, more than a shepherd—you’ve been a lifeline, a lighthouse cutting through the fog of my uncertainty, guiding me toward shores I didn’t think I’d ever reach. You’ve seen me at my rawest, when I was dragging my feet in spaces that whispered, “You don’t belong here,” and yet you extended a hand and said, “Come on, we’ll make room.”
You are, without a doubt, the most punk person I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. Not because of your slick hair or tight pants, but because you’ve refused to accept the status quo. You’ve challenged conventions with grace, with wisdom, and with an unyielding commitment to truth and love. Your vast work contextualizing the Gospel in ways that people can understand has inspired me beyond measure. You’ve shown me that the Good News is more than words—it’s an invitation, a bridge, a lifeline to people who’ve been told they don’t belong. And because of you, I’ve found the courage to do the same.
Your leadership of Good Medicine Way has been nothing short of transformative. You and Brian didn’t just teach me—you reshaped my worldview. You showed me what it looks like to walk humbly, to lead with integrity, and to create spaces where healing and belonging are not just possibilities but realities. Together, you demonstrated that ministry is more than sermons and strategies; it’s about relationships, about showing up, about making room for the Spirit to move in ways we don’t always expect.
And then there’s your tenderness. I’ll never forget our first conversation. I stumbled through my words, awkward and unsure, and you met me with an earnestness that put me at ease. You listened, not just to what I was saying but to what I was struggling to say. In that moment, you showed me the kind of leader I want to be—one who meets others with grace, who sees them not for their fumbling but for their potential.
Dr. Casey, your generosity has been a mirror of God’s own grace. You didn’t have to welcome me. You didn’t have to pour your time, your energy, your spirit into someone like me—rough around the edges and full of questions that don’t have easy answers. But you did. And because of you, I’m still here. I’m still walking this path, still preaching, still dreaming of a church where all the rebels and misfits can find a home.
Thank you for being my shepherd and my friend. Thank you for believing in me when I couldn’t. Thank you for making room for a voice like mine and showing me that even the loud, the raw, the untamed can be holy.
With gratitude and rebellion,
ryan.
