If you’ve ever been hurt by the church, you’re not alone—and you’re not wrong for feeling it. Church Hurts And exists to help you move forward—not by ignoring the pain, but by facing it honestly. We talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of church, faith, and spirituality, with a dose of real-life recovery along the way. Your story isn’t over. There is still a vibrant spiritual life ahead of you.
Talking People with & without the Sin
Talking God Without The Ego
The Forgotten Friar
Panel Discussion
One on 1's in the AZ Son
John Bash Memorial Video
Identity 2.0
Who Are You? Identifying Identity
Identity 2.0
What Are You Doing? Life Plans
Identity 2.0
How Are You Doing? Grading Your Spirituality
From the Midst of Tragedy
Church Hurts AND Iron Sharpens Iron Phoenix
Your Top 5 Questions Answered
Watch and Listen
Conversations and talks on church hurt, leadership, faith, and healing.
John Bash has spent years engaging in meaningful conversations around faith, leadership, and the realities of church hurt. Through podcast interviews, speaking engagements, and guest appearances, he brings a thoughtful and experienced voice to topics many people struggle to talk about openly. If you’re looking for a speaker or guest who can address the complexities of faith, pain, leadership, and restoration with honesty and depth, John would be honored to be part of that conversation.
CHURCH HURTS AND...?
If you've been hurt by the church, it's tough to live a spiritually engaged life. That's why we created Church Hurts And, a podcast that shares the good, the bad, and the ugly about church, religion, and spirituality, with a dash of recovery thrown in. Once you get real about your own story, you're free to engage the vibrant spiritual life you were created to live.
I come to this work through my own pain and struggles with the church and my spirituality. In 2015, my 29-year-old son dove off a boat into the Colorado River, hit a sandbar, and became a Quadriplegic. What do you do when you're in trouble? Call Dad.
Johnny went through surgery and rehabilitation and began to accept his new life in a wheelchair. I drank. It wasn't as if I hadn't struggled in my life before, but this one was it. It wasn’t as if I didn’t have the Bible and a life of prayer to back me up, but I drank. It wasn’t as if I didn’t have friends and encouragers, but I drank.
Eighteen months later, I decided to learn from Johnny. I called Dad. Actually, I think He called me, but I answered. My Heavenly Father said, “You’ve had enough to drink and I’m not done with you yet.”
In pain, I pushed back. “But Dad, the church stuff really hurts and I’m not ready for all of that again. I mean, church hurts!”
His response was very clear and powerful:
“And?”
I want to help challenge, inspire, and encourage you in your life as we discover what comes after "And?"
Dr. John Bash
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
about Church, Religion and Spirituality,
with a dash of recovery thrown in.
Church Hurts And was a podcast created to foster a sense of honest, spiritually engaged living. It centered on the idea that in order to move forward, people needed to be truthful about their own stories—especially when those stories included pain caused by the church. That kind of hurt often left people feeling resentful, disillusioned, and stuck in their spiritual journey.
The podcast acknowledged that disappointment with the church was often justified, recognizing that it is made up of imperfect people. Drawing from decades in vocational ministry, Dr. John Bash brought firsthand experience of both heartbreak and questioning, while still holding onto the conviction that Jesus changes lives.
At its core, the message was simple: your story isn’t over.
The podcast created space for open conversations about the good, the bad, and the messy realities of church, religion, and spirituality, with an undercurrent of healing and recovery. It also aimed to support pastors and leaders who felt discouraged, offering a place where they could process their pain honestly.
Ultimately, it invited listeners to move beyond isolation and disillusionment, and to re-engage a deeper, more vibrant spiritual life.