I think many of us have been fascinated by people who took the “road less traveled”—who chose the inconvenient life. People who chose to raise families under different rules, customs, cuisines, and even languages than most of their neighbors and friends. Men and women so committed that they’re wi...

On this episode of State of Independence, you’ll meet someone who, after decades of speaking up for seemingly lost or difficult causes, is still a cheerful and optimistic guy.
The organization is the Pennsylvania Family Institute—a non-profit headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania—just blocks...

This week on State of Independence, Joe Watkins talks with his daughter, Courtney Watkins Portlock—a school administrator—for some timely reflections on the state of education and the challenges so many children are experiencing—growing up in a complex world. (Original airdate 10-22-21)

Most of us would like to believe that when our moment of testing comes—when we’re thrown into our fiery furnace—that we’ll stand. On this episode of State of Independence, you’ll meet a man who was taken to the pinnacle of his professional career—recognized as a national leader, a role model. Unt...

His name is Phil Finch, and he was born and raised in Georgia—a decade or so before major changes in America’s civil rights laws. He was raised under the leadership of a man who was the father of the 20th Century’s most famous orator—Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr—the man who Baptized him. He was an...

Have you ever experienced worship in another culture? Maybe on a missions trip or perhaps visiting family in another city. Sometimes the tunes are familiar, but the words couldn’t be more different. In American culture, you can choose the church that’s most like you. You find the worship experien...

How do we confront the complexities of race in American in a way that recognizes the good that our differences bring—the richness that is the tapestry of a society that invites everyone—who embraces our values—to sit at the table of brotherhood? But how do we also understand the need to repent of...

Representative David Rowe and Representative Andrew Lewis have a few things in common. They grew up in Christian homes— have been active in international missions—and both have real musical talent. And now, they’re even seatmates on the floor of the Pennsylvania House, seated just a few rows back...

Duty, honor, country—three words that are almost always connected with the United States Military Academy at West Point. When West Point made the decision to admit women into its ranks, a firestorm of controversy and protest flared. What would the admission of women do to the great fraternity of ...

In past episodes of State of Independence, we’ve taken you to Pennsylvania’s Capital City—Harrisburg—and then to a neighborhood known as “Allison Hill”. We’ll meet one of those bright lights making a difference for the people he loves and serves in the name of Jesus. Pastor Joshua Robertson serve...

Every election cycle, dozens of Christians seek and win public office. How is that changing politics in Iowa? Does it change the debate when Christian leaders serve with humility—cooperate where possible—and compromise in a principled way. One man, Greg Baker, works full time to answer these ques...

There’s one piece of the Reagan mystique that often goes unexplored—his inner life. Hidden in the letters, speeches, and handwritten notes are clues to Ronald Reagan’s deepest well—his faith. On this episode of State of Independence, we’ll meet a man who explored Reagan’s spiritual life and found...

Lancaster County is one of America’s rural treasures—home to tens of thousands of Amish families, pristine farmland, and acres and acres of some the most scenic, unspoiled views. It’s why so many couples retire early to places like Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community. But they come f...

Another look at more remarkable individuals from the Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community in Southern Lancaster County. This week features Bob Adams & Bruce Helland.

For friends with loved ones in personal care and retirement communities, the pandemic has been a hotbed of fear and anxiety. On Joe Watkins: State of Independence this weekend, the CEO of Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community, Robert Hayward lays our an encouraging strategy for fighting f...

Is politics a playground for insiders? Is government a “good old boys club” — a system that operates by a different set of rules than the ones they impose on the rest of us? Is it a swamp? A circus? A charade? A house of cards? Is it all just a game? Polls show that this is exactly the way millio...

In Pennsylvania’s capital city of Harrisburg, there’s a thriving church that’s defying norms. It’s conservative theologically—in their understanding and interpretation of Scripture—but it’s one of the most internationally and racially diverse congregations in the state. As you might expect, Sunda...

Former presidential speechwriter, Mary Kate Cary reflects in how we, as Americans can recover the power of words. Cary shares personal reflections on her friendship with President George HW Bush.

What did faith mean to Winston Churchill?

Churchill was far from transparent about his religious beliefs and never regularly attended church services as an adult, even considering himself “not a pillar of the church but a buttress,” in the sense that he supported it “from the outside.” But Gary...

A decade ago, Peter Sulek was the front man for a popular Slovakian band, getting ready to ink a big record deal with one of the country’s leading producers. But something told him to postpone the opportunity and sign up for another—a Philadelphia-based program, The John Jay Institute—a program t...

Interview with professor Stephen Fried: the bestselling author of “Rush: Revolution, Madness, and Benjamin Rush—the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father”.

The 44th Vice President of the United States, J. Danforth Quayle reflects on a lifetime of service and the values that sustain him.

If you had to typecast Clifton Davis, he’d be the quintessential good guy. Naturally gifted with personal grace, charm, acting and musical talent—show business is such a comfortable fit for him. So, whether it was playing the bachelor barber Clifton Curtiss on ABCs hit series That’s My Mama or Am...

Sarah Zylstra is a Chicago-based journalist who co-authored a challenging new book about the way some Americans are quietly, almost imperceptibly, entering a world strained to the breaking point by invisible viruses, volatile economic markets, and explosive political debates. In Gospelbound: Livi...