Huntley Leadership Podcast
Catholic Leadership Podcast for clergy, entrepreneurs and people of influence looking to be inspired and challenged to be their best!
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2 days ago
2 days ago
What happens when ministry becomes driven more by pressure, exhaustion, and self-reliance than prayerful discernment? In this deeply practical and spiritually grounded conversation, Fr. John Riccardo joins Ron Huntley to explore surrender, leadership, discernment, and why renewal begins when leaders stop trying to control the story and “give Jesus back the pen.” If you’re longing for healthier leadership, clearer discernment, and a renewed vision for mission in the Church, this episode is for you. 👉 Get your copy of Road to Renewal: https://a.co/d/0fVLAlBp ----- Fr. John Riccardo shares hard-won wisdom from parish ministry, leadership formation, and his work with Acts XXIX. Together, he and Ron unpack what it means to restore the initiative to God, discern decisions as a team, and lead from trust rather than fear. This is a conversation for priests, parish teams, diocesan leaders, and anyone serious about renewal in the Church. In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why discernment must become a leadership habit
The meaning behind “Give Jesus back the pen”
How Alpha transformed parish culture in Fr. John’s ministry
Why leaders cannot lead alone
The difference between prayer before work and prayer to discover the work
How fear and self-reliance block renewal
Why friendship and trust are essential for mission
----- About Fr. John Riccardo: Fr. John was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1996. In 2019, after 23 years in parish ministry, he founded ACTS XXIX to proclaim the gospel in an attractive and compelling way and to equip clergy and lay leaders for the age in which God has chosen us to live. Fr. John is a graduate of the University of Michigan, the Gregorian University, and the Pope John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family. Relevant Links Acts XXIX: ActsXXIX.org Facebook: / actsxxixmission Instagram: / acts.xxix YouTube: / actsxxix Mentioned Resources Road to Renewal by Ron Huntley and collaborators: https://a.co/d/08k2fAPx Alpha: https://alphausa.org/ Acts XXIX Leadership Intensives: https://www.actsxxix.org/leadership-i... If this conversation served you, subscribe to the Huntley Leadership Podcast for more conversations on renewal, leadership, discernment, and mission in the Church. ---- Be the first to get updates on our new course by signing up for our newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/huntleyleadership/... ___ You can also listen to the podcast weekly on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! Listen on Spotify ⇥ https://spoti.fi/3PYXGa6 Listen on Apple ⇥ https://apple.co/3vjltcS Subscribe on YouTube ⇥ @huntleyleadership ___ Work with Huntley Leadership! Contact us to inquire about coaching or speaking ⇥ https://www.huntleyleadership.com/con... Visit our course website ⇥ https://courses.huntleyleadership.com ___ Connect with Huntley Leadership! Connect on LinkedIn ⇥ / huntleyleadership Follow on Twitter ⇥ / ron_huntley Follow on Instagram ⇥ / huntleyleadership Follow on Facebook ⇥ / huntleyleadership Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⇥ @huntleyleadership ___
Monday May 11, 2026
Monday May 11, 2026
Feeling stuck trying to move your parish from good intentions to real mission? Listen to this podcast.
Get your copy of Road to Renewal here: https://a.co/d/05iLF4Rm
In this episode, Ron Huntley sits down with Bishop Gerard Bergie and Fr. Patrick Gilmurray from the Diocese of St. Catharines to talk about their new diocesan pastoral plan, Light from Light: Setting Hearts on Fire with God’s Love.
Together, they explore what it takes to create a diocesan vision that is rooted in prayer, discernment, leadership, collaboration, and missionary purpose. Bishop Bergie shares the heart behind his episcopal motto and why the Road to Emmaus has shaped his vision for the diocese. Fr. Patrick shares what this looks like on the ground in parish life, including the hope, challenges, and fruit that come when ordinary parishioners begin to encounter Christ and step into mission.
This conversation is for bishops, priests, parish leaders, and lay Catholics who want to see their parishes become dynamic communities where hearts are set on fire with God’s love.
Learn more about the Diocese of St. Catharines: https://www.saintcd.com/
Take the Parish Missional Health Assessment: https://dpc4olay0gt.typeform.com/MissionalHealth?typeform-source=www.huntleyleadership.com
Learn more about Huntley Leadership: https://www.huntleyleadership.com
Get Road to Renewal: https://a.co/d/05iLF4Rm
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You can also listen to the podcast weekly on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Listen on Spotify ⇥ https://spoti.fi/3PYXGa6
Listen on Apple ⇥ https://apple.co/3vjltcS
Subscribe on YouTube ⇥ @huntleyleadership
___
Work with Huntley Leadership!
Contact us to inquire about coaching or speaking ⇥ https://www.huntleyleadership.com/contact-us
Visit our course website ⇥ https://courses.huntleyleadership.com
___
Connect with Huntley Leadership!
Connect on LinkedIn ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Follow on Twitter ⇥ / ron_huntley
Follow on Instagram ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Follow on Facebook ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⇥ @huntleyleadership
Sunday Apr 26, 2026
Sunday Apr 26, 2026
Many leaders today are being drawn into end-of-life conversations they were never trained to navigate.
In this episode, Ron Huntley sits down with David Maginley—psychospiritual specialist, hospital chaplain and author of Early Exits—to explore what’s really happening beneath requests for medical assistance in dying.
👉 Start with your free Parish Missional Health Assessment:https://dpc4olay0gt.typeform.com/MissionalHealth?typeform
This conversation reframes dying not simply as a medical event, but as a deeply human and spiritual process—one that calls for presence, discernment, and a renewed understanding of suffering, dignity, and love.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why most MAID requests are driven by existential—not physical—suffering
What “ego deconstruction” means at the end of life
How to respond when someone raises MAID as an option
The difference between empathy and true compassion
What patients really mean when they talk about “losing dignity”
Why presence—not solutions—is the most powerful form of care
How pastors and caregivers can accompany people through dying with wisdom and courage
About David Maginley
For 25 years, David Maginley provided psycho-spiritual care to the cancer, palliative and intensive care units of the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Now in private practice, he is the award-winning author of Beyond Surviving: Cancer and Your Spiritual Journey and Early Exits: Spirituality, Mortality and Meaning in an Age of Medical Assistance in Dying. He has been featured in the documentaries Here Right Now, When You Die, and The Universe is Unfolding as it Should. David has also survived cancer four times, which resulted in a profound near-death experience and explorations in the connection of body, mind and spirit. He knows cancer from both sides of the hospital bed, and this life from both sides of the veil.
Relevant Links
Parish Missional Health Assessment: https://dpc4olay0gt.typeform.com/MissionalHealth?typeform
davidmaginley.com
Mentioned Resources
Early Exits by David Maginley
Research on nearing-death awareness and end-of-life consciousness
If this conversation served you, consider subscribing and sharing it with a fellow leader navigating these questions.
Tuesday Apr 14, 2026
Tuesday Apr 14, 2026
If you want your parish to actually reach people beyond your parish walls in 2026, listen to this podcast! In this episode, we unpack why evangelization is often the first thing leaders abandon—and what it actually takes to build a culture that brings people to Christ. 👉 To go deeper, grab a copy of Road to Renewal—a practical guide built from real parish transformation stories: https://a.co/d/05iLF4Rm
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Most pastors and parish leaders believe evangelization is essential. But in practice, it’s often crowded out by more immediate demands.
In this conversation, Ron sits down with leadership coach Rob McDowell to explore why that happens—and what it actually takes to build a parish culture where reaching people becomes normal. Drawing from real ministry experience, research, and hard-won lessons, this episode offers a grounded and practical vision for evangelization that leaders can begin applying immediately.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why evangelization is often the first priority leaders abandon
The difference between valuing evangelization and building a culture for it
What “conversion communities” are—and why only a small percentage of churches become them
Why most people are more open to faith conversations than we assume
How to normalize evangelization without making people feel awkward or forced
The role of leadership in modeling—not just teaching—mission
Practical ways to begin shifting your parish culture toward outreach
About Rob McDowell: Rob McDowell is a leadership coach who works with pastors and ministry teams across North America. He served on the senior leadership team at Saint Benedict Parish and has worked in churches in Wisconsin, Maine, and Nova Scotia. He now coaches leaders around the world and lives in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia with his wife Julie and their three sons. Relevant Links: Rob on X: https://x.com/mcdowell_robRoad to Renewal (Book): https://a.co/d/05iLF4Rm
Mentioned Resources: You Found Me – Rick Richardson DivineRenovation.org Cornerstone Windgate Be the first to get updates on our new course by signing up for our newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/huntleyleadership/...
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Work with Huntley Leadership! Contact us to inquire about coaching or speaking ⇥ https://www.huntleyleadership.com/con...
Visit our course website ⇥ https://courses.huntleyleadership.com
Thursday Apr 02, 2026
Thursday Apr 02, 2026
Feeling stuck, forgotten, or behind in life while waiting for what you desire? Listen to this conversation.
Explore Maria’s work: https://www.theintentionalsingle.com
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In this episode of the Huntley Leadership Podcast, Ron Huntley sits down with Maria Spears Mumaugh, co-founder of The Intentional Single, to talk about one of the most common—and least talked about—realities facing women today: the experience of singleness. Drawing from years of coaching, ministry, and personal experience, Maria shares the patterns she sees across thousands of women navigating the “space between” where they are and where they hope to be. This conversation goes beyond surface-level advice and addresses the deeper questions of identity, healing, and purpose.
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In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why so many single women feel stuck, forgotten, or behind
• The biggest lies women believe about singleness
• Why “just pray more” isn’t enough
• How to move from waiting → living intentionally
• The role of identity and healing in relationships
• Why community and sisterhood are essential
• How to prepare for marriage without putting your life on hold
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Connect with Maria
The Intentional Single Website: https://www.theintentionalsingle.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theintentionalsingle/
YouTube: @theintentionalsingle2342
Maria Spears Mumaugh
Website: https://www.mariaspears.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariaspears/
YouTube: @TheMariaspears
Podcast: Thriving in the Space Between
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6xTorQrSlbq7gJUbdI8B97
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About Maria
Maria Spears Mumaugh is a Catholic mindset and life coach, speaker, musician, and author, and the co-founder of The Intentional Single. She helps women grow in confidence, pursue deep healing, and thrive in their single and dating years. She is also the co-host of Thriving in the Space Between, where she guides Catholic women to live fully in the present while holding hope for the future.
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If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with someone who needs to hear it.
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Subscribe to the Huntley Leadership Podcast for more conversations on leadership, renewal, and building healthy, mission-driven churches.
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You can also listen to the podcast weekly on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Listen on Spotify ⇥ https://spoti.fi/3PYXGa6
Listen on Apple ⇥ https://apple.co/3vjltcS
Subscribe on YouTube ⇥ @huntleyleadership
___
Work with Huntley Leadership!
Contact us to inquire about coaching or speaking ⇥ https://www.huntleyleadership.com/contact-us
Visit our course website ⇥ https://courses.huntleyleadership.com
___
Connect with Huntley Leadership!
Connect on LinkedIn ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Follow on Twitter ⇥ / ron_huntley
Follow on Instagram ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Follow on Facebook ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⇥ @huntleyleadership
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Frustrated by church meetings that waste time and go nowhere?
Listen to this podcast.
Get Road to Renewal: https://glnk.app/go/NVe_rIO7sLzF
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In this episode, Ron Huntley explains why many parish meetings fail—and how leaders can fix them by building a clear meeting structure that develops people and strengthens mission. Drawing from real coaching conversations with parish leaders, Ron walks through the four key meeting platforms that help healthy churches multiply leadership and maintain alignment:
• Leadership team meetings
• One-on-one meetings
• Team meetings
• All-staff meetings
When these meetings are structured well, they build prayer, trust, clarity, and accountability across the parish. But when meetings lack purpose, they waste time, frustrate staff, and stall renewal. If you want your parish to grow in leadership and fruitfulness, your meeting structure matters more than you think.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why most parish meetings fail
• The difference between leadership meetings and team meetings
• How one-on-one meetings prevent leadership bottlenecks
• What all-staff meetings should actually accomplish
• Why administrative teams are critical for healthy ministry
• How leadership teams maintain alignment and vision
• Why great meetings multiply leaders and strengthen mission
Resources mentioned:
Road to Renewal: https://glnk.app/go/NVe_rIO7sLzF
If this conversation helped you, consider sharing it with a pastor or parish leader who wants to see renewal in their church.
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You can also listen to the podcast weekly on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Listen on Spotify ⇥ https://spoti.fi/3PYXGa6
Listen on Apple ⇥ https://apple.co/3vjltcS
Subscribe on YouTube ⇥ @huntleyleadership
___
Work with Huntley Leadership!
Contact us to inquire about coaching or speaking ⇥ https://www.huntleyleadership.com/contact-us
Visit our course website ⇥ https://courses.huntleyleadership.com
___
Connect with Huntley Leadership!
Connect on LinkedIn ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Follow on Twitter ⇥ / ron_huntley
Follow on Instagram ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Follow on Facebook ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Subscribe to this YouTube channel ⇥ @huntleyleadership
Monday Mar 02, 2026
Monday Mar 02, 2026
Frustrated that your parish is strong in one area but weak where it matters most?
Listen to this podcast.
Take the free Parish Missional Health Assessment: https://dpc4olay0gt.typeform.com/MissionalHealth
In this episode, Ron Huntley explains the problem of lopsided parishes—churches that are strong in certain areas (like discipleship or ministry) but weak in others (like evangelization, fellowship, administration, or support). The result is predictable: burnout, stagnation, low invitation, and fewer stories of transformation. Ron walks through the framework behind the Parish Missional Health Assessment (PMHA) so you can identify what’s missing and why your parish may feel stuck.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The 5 systems of parish life: worship, ministry, fellowship, evangelization, discipleship
- The 2 foundations that sustain mission: administration and supporting key people
- The 4 missional skills that accelerate growth: invitation, quality, leadership culture, vision
- Why “more teaching” doesn’t automatically produce evangelization
- Why weak support systems create burnout and constant volunteer turnover
- How poor administration quietly blocks engagement and leadership development
- Why quality matters if you want people to invite their friends
- How vision unifies a parish and turns activity into stories
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Links & resources:
Parish Missional Health Assessment (PMHA): https://dpc4olay0gt.typeform.com/MissionalHealth
Road to Renewal: https://glnk.app/go/NVe_rIO7sLzF
Contact Ron: ron@huntleyleadership.com
Wednesday Feb 18, 2026
Wednesday Feb 18, 2026
Worried renewal means copying another parish’s style? Listen to this podcast.
Get Road to Renewal: https://glnk.app/go/NVe_rIO7sLzF
In this episode, Ron Huntley is joined by Melissa Wilkinson, host of the Rebuilt Podcast, to talk about what she’s learned after interviewing leaders across the parish renewal space.
Melissa shares the patterns she sees in parishes that are truly moving. From building a leadership team and layers of leaders, to the powerful link between message series + small groups, to the non-negotiable role of prayer in leaders who last.
You’ll also hear why Rebuilt coaching is not about making parishes copy Nativity, it’s about helping each parish become the best version of itself in its own community.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What surprised Melissa most about renewal after hosting Rebuilt
- Why renewal feels “unduplicable” to many leaders—and why it’s not true
- The myth of becoming a “mini Nativity”
- The hidden engine behind sustainable parish change
- Why leadership teams and layers of leaders prevent burnout
- How message series + small groups can unify a parish across campuses
- Why prayer is the price of admission for renewal leadership
Links & resources
Road to Renewal: https://glnk.app/go/NVe_rIO7sLzF
Called to Coach?: https://courses.huntleyleadership.com/courses/calledtocoach
Ron on the Rebuild Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKH_ss_9310
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Work with Huntley Leadership!
Contact us to inquire about coaching or speaking ⇥ https://www.huntleyleadership.com/contact-us
Visit our course website ⇥ https://courses.huntleyleadership.com
Monday Feb 02, 2026
Monday Feb 02, 2026
Wondering why your plans are solid but momentum is fading? Listen to this podcast.
Get Road to Renewal (available now): https://glnk.app/go/NVe_rIO7sLzF
What if the leadership you’re building has vision, principles, and process—but is quietly losing its foundation?
In this solo episode, Ron Huntley unpacks a pattern he’s seen derail renewal again and again: when process becomes the priority instead of serving love. Drawing from Scripture, lived pastoral experience, and decades of leadership observation, Ron challenges leaders to examine the relational foundations beneath their structures. This is a practical, pastoral conversation about presence, trust, and why renewal never begins with a perfect plan.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why renewal always starts with imperfect people, not perfect systems
- How process-first leadership slowly erodes trust and credibility
- What Jesus’ foot-washing in John 13 reveals about true authority
- Why you can’t outsource relational leadership
- How Alpha creates the proximity renewal depends on
- The difference between delegation and investment
- A simple framework to assess the health of your relational foundation
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Key Scriptures referenced:
John 13:1–14 1
Thessalonians 2:8 2
Timothy 4:6
If this episode challenged you, subscribe to the Huntley Leadership Podcast for more conversations on leadership, renewal, and mission. And if you know a leader who’s carrying a lot of responsibility right now, share this episode with them.
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Work with Huntley Leadership!
Contact us to inquire about coaching or speaking ⇥ https://www.huntleyleadership.com/contact-us
Visit our course website ⇥ https://courses.huntleyleadership.com
___
Chapters:
00:00 The Foundation of Leadership
04:48 The Role of Love in Leadership
12:10 Assessing Relational Foundations
13:49 Renewal Begins with Presence
Tuesday Jan 20, 2026
Tuesday Jan 20, 2026
Looking for a real-life blueprint for leading costly vision in the Church? Listen to this podcast.
Get Road to Renewal (available now): https://glnk.app/go/NVe_rIO7sLzF
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What happens when your values and your options stop lining up — and you realize you can’t just critique the problem anymore? In this episode, Ron sits down with Eric Myatt (Director of Canada for Divine Renovation, former CCO missionary, and co-founder of Frassati Academy in Halifax) to unpack the discernment, courage, and leadership required to build something that doesn’t exist yet.
This is a conversation about conviction under pressure, shared leadership, and what it costs to step into vision when families, finances, and the future are on the line.
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In this episode, you’ll learn:
How “background noise” becomes a leadership decision you can’t avoid
What it looks like to discern quickly when your values and options no longer align
How to win people to a vision before it’s real (and keep moving through uncertainty)
Why shared leadership is the only sustainable way to carry big mission
How Frassati Academy moved from idea to reality — and what’s still fragile today
What donors and leaders of means need to hear about funding mission
How to build a culture where faith is normal, celebrated, and non-negotiable
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About the guest:
Eric Myatt is the Director of Canada for Divine Renovation, a former missionary with Catholic Christian Outreach, a worship leader and musician, and a husband and father. He and his wife Angie are co-founders of Frassati Academy in Halifax.
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Links & resources
Frassati Academy: https://www.frassatiacademy.ca/
Divine Renovation Canada: https://divinerenovation.org/canada/
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If this episode encouraged you, subscribe for more conversations on leadership, mission, and parish renewal — and share it with a parent or pastor who’s carrying a similar burden.
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Work with Huntley Leadership!
Contact us to inquire about coaching or speaking ⇥ https://www.huntleyleadership.com/contact-us
Visit our course website ⇥ https://courses.huntleyleadership.com
---
Connect with Huntley Leadership!
Connect on LinkedIn ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Follow on Twitter ⇥ / ron_huntley
Follow on Instagram ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Follow on Facebook ⇥ / huntleyleadership
Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⇥ @huntleyleadership