Why I Wanted to Start This Podcast
By Tom Rattigan – The Punter
I suggested this podcast to Harry and Leslie because, quite honestly, they’re both wiser, cleverer, and far more experienced than me. I’ve spent years working in and around churches — fixing things, managing things, trying to help others imagine new ways forward — but I’m not a minister. I’ve not been trained to preach or to lead worship. What I have done, though, is ask a lot of questions.
And the truth is, I still have loads of them.
I’ve had moments in life when faith has felt clear and full of light, and other times when it’s been more like walking through fog. I’ve had ups and downs, joys and heartbreaks, and through all of it I’ve wondered what it really means to believe — and how people like Harry and Leslie manage to keep doing it so faithfully.
So one day I thought: why not just ask them?
Not in a meeting or a formal interview, but in the way you’d ask someone over a drink — real questions, honest answers, and plenty of laughter along the way.
That’s how A Minister, a Vicar and a Punter Walk Into a Bar was born.
It started from a place of curiosity — from wanting to sit down with two people I deeply respect and ask the questions I’ve never quite found the courage (or the right moment) to ask. Questions like:
What keeps you in ministry when it gets hard?
How do you deal with doubt when people expect you to have answers?
And seriously… why do ministers wear dog collars and not dogs?
I didn’t want another podcast full of polished theology or perfect soundbites. I wanted something real — conversations that sound like life actually does. Messy, thoughtful, sometimes funny, and occasionally going down tangents that surprise even us.
Because the truth is, the Church — and faith itself — can sometimes feel a bit too serious. And while some things should be taken seriously, we don’t always have to take ourselves too seriously in the process.
For me, this is about holding faith lightly, but not lazily. It’s about laughter and honesty existing in the same breath. It’s about being okay with not knowing everything — and finding that God is still somewhere in the middle of it all.
I suppose that’s what this podcast is really about:
three people trying to make sense of life, ministry, and the messy, beautiful middle ground between them.
So if you’ve ever wondered, doubted, laughed, or rolled your eyes at the Church — pull up a chair. You’re in good company.
Because sometimes, the best theology starts with a question — and a bit of laughter.