#52: Chris Atwell (My Pastor) — On Cancer, Suffering, and Peacemaking

Today, I'm very excited to share a special conversation I had with my pastor, Chris Atwell.  Chris Atwell is the Lead Pastor of Vision and Instruction at Portico Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he planted in 2004. Chris is also an area leader in Acts 29's U.S. North Atlantic Network.

Serving in the Army, we move around a lot. Each time we move, it takes time to build community and find connection. One way we build community is getting plugged in to a local church. In 2019, we relocated from Texas to Charlottesville, VA, for me to complete the Graduate Course at the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. This course is attended by all Army Judge Advocates after they are promoted to the rank of Major, and all students that successfully complete the course receive an L.L.M. in Military Law.

During our year in Charlottesville, we really enjoyed attending Portico Church. Today, I’m very excited to share a special conversation I had with the pastor of Portico, Chris Atwell. Chris Atwell is the Lead Pastor of Vision and Instruction at Portico Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, a church he planted in 2004. Chris is also an area leader in Acts 29’s U.S. North Atlantic Network. He serves as the Dean of Students at Grimké Seminary. Chris is married to Jenn, and they have three daughters.

This is my first time sitting down with a pastor or religious leader on this show, but it was really special for me. No matter what your faith background, I hope you’ll enjoy this conversation about a faith that has really had a big impact on my life and worldview.

Chris is also a huge UVA Basketball fan.

Chris gets quite vulnerable with us and shares his battle with cancer, how he dealt with suffering, his perspective on leadership in the non-profit space, and his views on peacemaking—something that is always relevant but certainly relevant right now in the US.

Chris brought up the following books during our conversation.