S1:E3 Dr. Ken Van Vliet
Guest Introduction
Last Fall, our friend Josh casually mentioned that we needed to have coffee with his dad. That coffee date led to another with the senior pastor of his church, Dr. Ken Van Vliet.
When my husband Mike and I sat down at that little bistro table, all we knew was that according to our friends, our spiritual journeys were very similar. Never would I have imagined to what extent, or how deeply encouraged we would leave that day.
In this podcast episode, you’ll hear Ken’s story take us through spiritual crisis, an invitation from God to “come away and die”, a reckoning with the Truth, and the choice to reorient his life around God’s love.
I believe God is offering this same invitation to other pastors and leaders. To go “from the platform to the Table”. As Ken shares with us, it is a costly journey. But, the beauty of Ken’s story is it’s not just his story. It’s the story of his entire church. It offers us a way forward as leaders. Towards normalizing deconstruction and making space for difficult questions and emotions to exist.
Ken and I talk about how this journey really is like coming off of a drug. Arresting a compulsion to perform and learning how to receive God’s love. So, in the words of the Big Book, may we all say, “Let it Begin with Me”.
“Let it Begin With Me” is a slogan used in 12-Step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous for which “The Big Book” is the foundational text. “Let it Begin With Me” is also the “Al-Anon Declaration”, and it is often shared at the end of each meeting. Platform to Table has its own 12-Step program called PTA. See our Connect page for details.
Guest Bio
Dr. Ken Van Vliet’s life is dedicated to helping others discover God’s deep and abiding love.
He has served as the Senior Pastor at Monte Vista Chapel for the last 23 years. He is also Lead Mentor of the Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation program at Portland Seminary.
Ken holds a D.Min. in Leadership and Spiritual Formation, a Master of Divinity, and a B.A. in Business Administration. His expertise and research Interests include spiritual formation in the local church, organizational and cultural change, leadership development, and pastoral coaching.
Ken enjoys riding his motorcycle, the outdoors, and savoring a glass of good wine. He shares this beautiful life with his wife Michelle and his two grown children in Turlock, CA, where he was when we spoke.