Ep. 162: Mike Cosper On “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill”

On today’s mid-week “Extra” episode I’m pleased to have on the program Mike Cosper, the producer and host of the podcast phenomenon “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.” By virtually any measure, “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” has set a new standard for podcasters in the Christian world. Its episodes have had more than 14-million downloads, frequently ranking at the top of the charts on Stitcher and iTunes. But perhaps more importantly, the podcast has truly moved the needle regarding how Christians relate to megachurches, platform-building, and what I have been calling the “Evangelical Industrial Complex.” Mike Cosper is a former pastor. He spent 16 years as one of the executive pastors at Sojourn Church, watching it grow from 12 people in an apartment to 4,000 people in four locations across the city of Louisville. In 2016, he started Narrativo, a company that serves individuals and brands by developing longform podcasts. In 2020, he joined the staff at Christianity Today to further develop their podcast network. A quick reminder that this show exists because of the generosity of our readers and listeners. We take no money from the ministries we cover. There’s no advertising on our website. We are completely listener and reader funded. If you’d like to make a donation to MinistryWatch, just go to MinistryWatch.com and hit the donate tab at the top of the page. If money is a little tight now…hey, I get it. Been there a time or two myself. You can still help the program. Just rate us on your podcast app. The more ratings we get, the higher we rank with search engines, and that means other people can find us more easily. Rating us just takes a second, and it doesn’t cost you a dime. It’s a free and easy – and important – way you can support the MinistryWatch podcast. The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Ben Warwick. We get database and other technical support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Emily Kern, and Casey Sudduth. I’m Warren Smith, and – until next time – May God bless you.