Following a Mystical Jesus

What compels a decorated combat veteran and former missions pastor to study mysticism at a center founded by Fr. Richard Rohr?

Byron McMillan’s story is one of spiritual transformation and realignment, moving from his role as pastor at an evangelical megachurch in Raleigh, North Carolina to studying at the Center for Contemplation and action in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In this podcast interview, Byron discusses his journey following a mystical Jesus. He also describes how contemplative practices, including writing, have changed his faith and outlook on the world.

Read Byron’s writing on Medium »

Topics and resources discussed in this episode: ​ ​

• Christian Community Development Agency (CCDA)
• School for Conversion
• Richard Rohr and the Center for Action and Contemplation
• Morning pages and The Artist’s Way
• Brené Brown’s TED talk on shame and vulnerability
• Meditations of the Heart by Howard Thurman
• Liberty and Justice for All: Reckoning With Our Past, Transforming Racial Pain in America

Bios

Byron McMillan is a former Army Captain and decorated combat veteran turned nonviolent contemplative peacemaker. He is from Raleigh, North Carolina and a graduate of East Carolina University. Byron is the founder of RiverFlow Communications and has been deeply influenced by the School for Conversion in Durham, North Carolina, the Christian Community Development Association, MIT’s U-Journey, Illuman, the Mystic Soul Project, and the Center for Action and Contemplation, where he completed the Living School in 2019. He humbly acknowledges all his faults and failures on his unending journey of descent where he is slowly learning to observe and experience all things in love. Byron McMillan currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Follow him on social media [Twitter, Instagram].

Ellie Roscher is a writer, theology teacher, and host of the Unlikely Conversations podcast. She is a board member at the Collegeville Institute and the author of 12 Tiny Things, Play Like a Girl, and How Coffee Saved My Life. Ellie holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in Theology from Luther Seminary. She lives in Minneapolis with her spouse and sons. Follow Ellie on social media at @ellieroscher [Twitter, Instagram, Facebook].

Matthew Ian Fleming edited the audio for this podcast. You can find Matthew on Instagram at @matthewianfleming and his other podcasts at www.alterguild.org.

Next Steps

• Support Byron McMillan’s work with RiverFlow Communications by becoming a member of his Patreon community
• Visit the Mystic Soul Project website, which centers “the voices, teaching, practices, and wisdom of People of Color at the intersections of spirituality (mysticism), activism & healing”
• Learn more about Liberty and Justice for All: Reckoning With Our Past, Transforming Racial Pain in America, an 8-month interactive online course for men co-led by Byron McMillan through Illuman
• Follow the work of the Collegeville Institute on social media at @collegevilleins [Twitter, Instagram, Facebook] and subscribe to our email newsletter

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