The Life After Leaving Podcast: An Ex-Christadelphian Podcast
A podcast by ex-Christadelphians for ex-Christadelphians. Together, we dive into the history of the Christadelphians, share stories of former members leaving the sect, and cultivate community among ex-members worldwide.
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Episodes
4 days ago
4 days ago
Today we’re chatting with Steve to explore what the Bible actually says about the future “Kingdom of God”! Join us for heathen “Sunday School” as we explore the evolution of some of the ideas in the Bible that are necessary to believe in an eternal “future kingdom” including- the messiah, the resurrection, and the idea of a kingdom itself. In this episode, we also look to answer whether the Christadelphians assertion that the “kingdom of God” doctrine was present throughout the Bible is true and we examine the places where this doctrine conspicuously seems to be missing. Steves shares cultural and historical context throughout the episode to understand why the monarchy was not re-established in Israel, where some of these beliefs actually originated, and what the evolution of these ideas tells us about what people believed during different time periods. Steve also shares the story behind Christadelphians bizarre obsession with a biblically inaccurate portrayal of Ezekiel’s Temple and explains John Thomas’ Bible Math “rules” which Thomas inconsistently used for interpreting the book of Revelation. We also laugh about Samuel and his nepo babies, sweaty Jesus, and discuss *even more* failed prophecies.
Please join us for this first episode in a two-part series exploring the Christadelphian belief in the “Kingdom of God” and the end times!
TW: There is one reference to a Christadelphian who is excited to act out violence against queer people during “the end times”.
Listener discretion advised.
If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook!
Want to join our community? Find ex-Christadelphians on Facebook here
References:
Life After Leaving Podcast: Episodes 16, 21, and 31
The Temple of Ezekiel's Prophecy by Henry Sulley (Full Book)
Eureka by John Thomas (Wiki)
Eureka by John Thomas, Vol 1 (Full PDF)
Youtube series on Ezekiel's Temple:
An Accurate visual of Ezekiel's Temple Ch 40
An Accurate Visual of Ezekiel’s Temple, Ch 41
An Accurate Visual of Ezekiel’s Temple, Ch 42 & 43
Hymnary.com Who is this come from Edom?
The Kingdom of God on Earth by Stephen Hughes (Full Book)
Sunday Feb 22, 2026
Sunday Feb 22, 2026
Today we’re chatting with Andy! In today’s episode, Andy shares his experience of growing up as a Christadelphian in the UK. Ever since he was a young boy performing in Sunday School, Andy was uncomfortable in the spotlight. He shares his memories of anxiety around traditional Christadelphian expectations for men including being baptized in front of large crowds and being asked to do the readings from the platform. Andy also speaks up about what it felt like to grow up in the Christadelphian community as a child experiencing sexual abuse. He shares his thoughts about how being in a community that doesn’t value sexual education or personal autonomy made it harder to ask for help and how their belief that sex before marriage is a sin perpetuates further harm against child sexual abuse survivors by creating feelings of shame. We also talk about authoritarian parenting, post-baptism lows, and motorcycle gangs! Please join us for yet another episode of fellowship among the heathens!
TW: Child sexual abuse
Listener discretion advised.
If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook!
Resources:
Proposed law in Japan “Other acts that will constitute neglect include… blocking their interaction with friends due to a difference in religious beliefs and thereby undermining their social skills.”
Christmas apocalypse has been cancelled, says Ghana 'prophet', buys Mercedes with donations Dec 2025
Déjà rêvé
Sunday Feb 15, 2026
Sunday Feb 15, 2026
Today we’re finishing our investigation of the medical qualifications of “Doctor” John Thomas, the founder of the Christadelphians. In this history episode, we’ll follow John Thomas’ career during his time in the United States from the 1830’s into the 1850’s. We once again debunk persistent myths that have been repeated by Christadelphians for generations. Instead of accepting these myths, we critically examine them and speculate on the real reasons behind Thomas’ career choices. We also question John Thomas’ motives for his marriage, his reasons for moving frequently, and the credibility of the school that issued his M.D. degree in 1848. Zinnia also shares numerous new historical resources to do a deep dive into claims of extortion against John Thomas by the Richmond Campbellites and into the strange and questionable school, the “Scientific and Eclectic Institute” of Petersburg, Virginia, where John Thomas claimed to have earned his degree. Throughout this episode, we also reflect on what these stories indicate about John Thomas’ personality, his motivations, and why his persistent claim to have “the truth” isn’t actually something for Christadelphians to be proud of.
Please join us for another exciting history episode as John Thomas’ lies and criminal activity get exposed by Zinnia, a harbinger of destruction.
Listener discretion advised
Resources and References:
Thank you to the ex-Christadelphians for sharing information about these Lancet articles!
The Lancet 1829-1830
See: Oct 10, 1829; Jan 16, 1830; Jan 30th, 1830
John Thomas: His Friend and His Faith”
Dr. Thomas: His Life & Work
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Professor James Staughton
The Millennial Harbinger, 1835
“The New England Botanic Medical and Surgical Journal” Vol 2, No 8, Page 122, April 16, 1848
Population of Cincinnati in 1830 and 1840
Physicians in Ohio 1819-1850 (used 1831 Directory)
University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine
Population of Cincinnati (1830: 24,831)
Cincinnati population in the 1800s
America’s current population (2025): 333.3 million
Current number of American physicians (2025): 1,044,734
Population of Philadelphia 1830
Desilver’s Philadelphia Directory (1831)
Doctors in Philadelphia
The Millennial Harbinger (Feb 1835)
Demon Of Unrest by Erik Larson
James H Hammond
Philadelphia & Virginia
The Millennial Harbinger, 1834
“A Review of the Defence of Dr. John Thomas" (Email lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com for a digital copy)
The Apostalic Advocate, May 1837 pg 18-19
Dr. Thomas: His Family and the Background of His Times’ by Charles Blore
Inflation Calculator
Payment of Doctors
Doctor Fee Bills
Millennial Harbinger, Feb 1838
Take Back Your Life by Janja Lalich and Madeline Tobias
John Thomas M.D. Newspaper
The Christadelphian Magazine, April 1886
A Muppet Christmas Carol
LAL Podcast: S1 Ep 6: Christadelphian True Crime
Rush Medical College
The Christadelphian Magazine, April 1886 “Dr. Thomas’s Professional Status”
Formation of the AMA
Incorporation of the S&E College March 1st 1847
1847 “J Thomas M.D.”
1846 Oct Classes
The New England Botanic and Medical Journal, 1848 “Biography of John Thomas M.D.”
Nov 1847 “Virginia Institute"
Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati
Philadelphia Diploma Mill
Degree Mills by Allen Ezell and John Bear
Dr. John Buchanan
The Rise and Fall of Dr John Buchanan
Alexander Campbell on the S&E School
Worcester, MA school
S&E College to Send Diplomas to MA
The History of Medicine by Alexander Wilder
Eclectic Medical Journal 1844-1848
Eclectic Medical Journal 1849-1850
August 1848 Ad
THOMSONIANISM IN VIRGINIA by JAMES O. BREEDEN
*email lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com
“Medical Training in the United States Prior to the Civil War”
Harbinger, 1853 “Dr of Opinions”
Harbinger 1854 “not D.D. or M.D.”
Impeachment & John Thomas’ Farewell
Eclectic Schools
Eclectic Medical Institute in Cincinnati
The Early Development of Medical Licensing Laws in the US
Herald 1851, p 279
Sunday Feb 01, 2026
Sunday Feb 01, 2026
Today we’re chatting with Katie! Katie’s story is an eye-opening account of the harms and pressure of sexism in Christadelphian culture on young girls. As a child, Katie was pulled out of the public school system in order to spend her time primarily caring for her brothers and taking care of the household tasks. As she grew older, was pressured to find a husband and begin to follow a “timeline” which would lead to staying home and having children while being told that she shouldn’t get an education at university. Despite the lack of encouragement and guidance, Katie escaped the Christadelphians, explored life as an independent woman, and attended university. In this episode, Katie also shares what it was like to join the Christadelphians as a child with her family, about Christadelphian dating culture, and about the poor behavior of the “brothers” in her former ecclesia that ultimately lead to her leaving Christadelphia once and for all. Please join us for yet another episode of fellowship among the heathens!
Listener discretion advised.
If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook!
References:
Corinthians 11:8-9 "For man did not come from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man made for woman, but woman for man"
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
Meghantschanz on IG “The Role of a Godly Husband (if women butchered the Bible the way men have)”
Clarabelltoks on IG
Flipping Vacation Bible School
If we spoke to men the way we speak to women
If we spoke to boys the way we speak to girls
If we spoke to boys the way we speak to girls (2)
If we spoke to boys the way we speak to girls (3)
Flipping misogyny and homophobia in the church
Flipping misogyny in the church
Sunday Jan 25, 2026
Sunday Jan 25, 2026
Today we’re chatting with Bec! In this episode, Bec shares her experience growing up as a “Logos” Christadelphian in Australia and trying to follow the ‘straight and narrow’ path until she made the difficult decision to leave her marriage and embrace her identity as a lesbian! Bec shares some vulnerable stories of life inside the ecclesia. From trying to be a good daughter and getting baptized as her mom was dying, to learning about her mother’s hidden heartbreak which had become fodder for gossip at their ecclesia, and to growing up and meeting Christadelphian men who wanted to marry her… if they could control her. Despite some heavy topics, we also enjoyed a few laughs as we asked, what did Solomon’s wives really do together while he was busy? If Christadelphian brothers see rainbows and assume it’s a queer symbol then have they voluntarily given “God’s symbol” to the gay community? And does sage really work to get rid of ghosts in your house??
Please join us for yet another episode of fellowship among the heathens!
TW: Domestic violence, coercive rape, postpartum depression, suicidal ideation
Listener discretion advised.
If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook!
References:
Underworld with Kate Beckinsale (2003)
Proverbs 3:15 “She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.”
Forced Adoptions in Australia:
SBS News: “I was told my baby had died. Decades later, I learned that was a lie”
“Social worker tells of forced adoptions”
“Catholic Hospitals Apologize for Forced Adoptions”
From God to Gay Podcast
Will I ever be good enough by Dr. Karyl McBride
Joyce Meyer (Author)
Lee-Ann Cipri (Medium)
Sunday Dec 07, 2025
Sunday Dec 07, 2025
Today we’re learning about the history of hands-on energy healing in the early Christadelphian community! In this episode, Zinnia discusses the founding of an ecclesia in Edinburgh, Scotland that quickly became interested in practicing hands-on energy healing. These new believers were radical free thinkers who offered sassy -but scriptural- retorts to the demands of Robert Roberts and John Thomas around the validity of baptisms. They also hosted lectures and classes for anyone interested in learning the art of “curative mesmerism”. The Edinburgh ecclesia not only became practitioners of “curative mesmerism” themselves, but also became involved in creating and supporting a local mesmerism organization and promoted the practice as part of the “doctrine of health” to other ecclesias while attributing their healing abilities to God. We also discuss the attitudes that attracted these early believers to Mesmerism and the various theories around what may have contributed to the decline of the practice of mesmerism in this ecclesia. We also learn about Robert Roberts “irresistible” experience with another man, the reason why Robert’s wife was re-baptized after their marriage, and hear about Zinnia’s experiences with hands-on energy healing in the modern day. Please join us for another fun blast to the past learning more forgotten history about the Christadelphians!
Listener discretion advised.
If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com
References:
The Early History of the Kingdom of God in Britain" by William Norrie
Part one
Pg. 128 “The Edinburgh Church of Baptised Believers of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God”
Pg 167 Sassy Rebuttals
Pg 178 Edinburgh Church
Page 202 Curative Mesmerism
Pg 245 On Jane Norrie’s rebaptism
The Life after Leaving Podcast Episodes:
S1 Ep 8 Robert Roberts and the Fandom of John Thomas
S1 Ep 10. The Bearded Wisdom of the Christadelphians
S1 Ep. 13 Hypnosis, Telepathy, and Ghosts
S1. Ep 4 Fellowship with Rob
S2. Ep 16. Fellowship with Steve
S3. Ep 32 Fellowship with Ben
‘John Thomas: His Friends and His Faith’ by Peter Hemingray
P 131-132 Declaration of Beliefs in 1847
P 127-129 John Thomas’ Rebaptism
P 192-194 The Marturion Magazine
My Days and My Ways by Robert Roberts
Mesmerism story pages 78-79
“Dr. John Thomas: His Life and Work” by Robert Roberts
Mesmer (1994)
Alan Rickman
The Brief and Strange History of Mesmerism and Surgery
The phony health craze that inspired hypnotism (Youtube)
The Mesmerist by Wendy Moore
Drake-Kendrick Lamar Feud
Referenced by William Norrie: “Messenger of the Churches” issued in July 1858 No. 2
Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come by John Thomas, May 1858
The Zoist: A Journal of Cerebral Physiology & Mesmerism and Their Applications to Human Welfare Volume 12 Christadelphians named as members of the Scottish Curative Mesmeric Association
Reiki
Prana
Qi
The Astrological Roots of Mesmerism
Mesmerising Science: The Franklin Commission and the Modern Clinical Trial
Royal Commission on Animal Magnetism
Mesmerism (History of Hypnosis Documentary Series - Episode 02)
The History of Bad Ideas: Mesmerism (Podcast)
Sunday Nov 30, 2025
Sunday Nov 30, 2025
Today we’re chatting with Rebecca! In this episode, we hear from a former Christadelphian who had no intention of leaving the community until the day she walked out the door. Rebecca shares how she was raised in a small ecclesia in a rural area with the expectation that she would get baptized, become a wife and mother, and play piano for the Sunday memorial services. Despite asking a lot of questions during her childhood, she generally conformed to the traditional Christadelphian path for a woman, married a Christadelphian “brother”, and even raised her children to be Christadelphians. But as her children reached adolescence and began to grow into their identities, she was faced with a choice between accepting her children or allowing them to be harmed by the community she loved and served. Unlike most of our guests, Rebecca hadn’t been preparing to leave mentally or emotionally. But motivated by her love for her family, she navigated the unexpected turbulence of leaving the Christadelphian community and shares both the positives and negatives of life outside the group. We also talk about the guilt of recognizing the harms of authoritarian parenting, raising sensitive children in an environment focused on doomsday theology, and about deconstructing Christadelphian views on the LGBTQ community.
Listener discretion advised.
If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com
References:
Shippensburg/ Mid-Atlantic Christadelphian Bible School
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone- Mailbox Scene (Youtube)
Sunday Nov 23, 2025
Sunday Nov 23, 2025
Today we’re chatting with Kate! In this episode, Kate begins by discussing her childhood in religious education where she grew up attending a Seventh Day Adventist School before later commuting over an hour to a Christadelphian Heritage College in Australia. We also discuss her family’s religious split over a relatives’ divorce and about the high expectations for “appropriate dress” for a “sister in Christ”- even outside the meeting. We discuss questions like, how much hair does a head covering need to cover in order to be an acceptable head covering? Do hoodies count as a head covering? And how can we style floor length denim skirts without a head covering or hat now that we’ve left?? We also chat about religious opinions on the Harry Potter series, the perils of Christadelphian relationships, and the name of a touch rugby team that was right on the [bottle]nose- the “Crystal Dolphins”!
Listener discretion advised.
If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com
References:
Seventh Day Adventists
Life After Leaving Podcast, Episode 21
(The Millerites split and many became Seventh Day Adventists while a small number became Christadelphians)
Christadelphian Heritage Colleges
Charlie Chaplin
“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto
The Christian Dolphin’s website is no longer available to view
The Religious Trauma Collective
God to Gay podcast
Sunday Nov 09, 2025
Sunday Nov 09, 2025
Today we’re chatting with Ben! In this episode, we explore how Ben went from a youth role model as the son of a renowned conservative Christadelphian preacher to pushing the limits of even the most liberal Christadelphians before leaving. Raised in a conservative branch of Christadelphia, Ben was told that some of their family had “left the faith” but was surprised to discover that there were actually just attending other, less conservative, Christadelphian ecclesias nearby! Even at Ben’s baptism, which surprisingly morphed into a roast, Ben defied convention by asking a member of the “Shield” group to baptism them at a “Logos” hall as Ben began to resist the labels and expectations they had been raised with. Throughout the episode, Ben and I also discuss Christadelphian music. From singing our favorite songs from “Fruit of Our Lips” to discussing what instruments and songs were allowed to be played to learning about their incredibly popular music nights at SCYP, we dive into what was a pivotal moment in Christadelphian music as Ben and their contemporaries created new music that pushed the limits and was even met with walk-outs and bullying. As a singer-songwriter, Ben left a lasting legacy on Christadelphian music as their songs continue to be popular in the present day. However, most Christadelphians probably don’t know that one of their favorite songs was written by a gay man and a non-binary person who both left the faith! We also talk about puppet plays, the Portland frog, and their experience helping create a LGBTQ affirming evangelical church in New York City.
Listener discretion advised.
If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com
Resources and References:
Left handedness and sexual orientation
Fruit of our Lips CD (2002)
El Shaddai (Youtube)
As the Deer (unable to find CD Version)
A New Commandment (Youtube)
Shout
Living Moving Being
Wonder
Every day
Songs in a strange land
Endless
Sydney Christadelphian Young People
Flamy Grant
Bible Belt Baby (Spotify)
Drag Queen Album Tops Christian Music Charts
Hymnary.org
School of Rock
Christadelphian Art Trust
Yahweh's Youth from Living Moving Being (Youtube)
Purple Worship Book
Worship Books Audio
With All My Heart by Ben Grace, Worship Vol 1 Track 88
Rob Bell and the Mars Hill Church
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
David Crowder
Hurricane/ Superstorm Sandy
The Liturgists Podcast
Secular Humanism
What is Christian Nationalism
The Danger of Christian Nationalism
Christian Nationalism is neither Christian nor Patriotic
Experts Discuss Christian Nationalism
The Portland Frog :
ICE Protest Frogs Have a Long History
Frogs For Peace: How the Portland Frog Became a Symbol of Resistance and Hope
It’s a Wonderful Life Movie (1946)
It’s a Wonderful Life and World War II
Sean Feucht
Jane Goodall's Final Message to the World
Audrey Hepburn: “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow”
Heathen Happy Hour Podcast
Story and Tune
Purity Culture Trauma
Purity Culture Support
“Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver
Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor
Ben Grace Music
Ben Grace Music (IG)
As if Words Could Heal the Wounds
Ex Mormon Bookclub Podcast
Ben Grace: Naked and Unashamed Podcast Episode
As if Words Could Heal the Wounds Podcast
Sunday Nov 02, 2025
Sunday Nov 02, 2025
Today we’re chatting with Steve about one of his favorite topics, Biblical Studies! In this episode, we learn about the Bible from a former Christadelphian brother who left behind Christadelphian dogma for an open-minded scholarly approach to the Bible. In this episode, Dr. Steve reframes and explores many topics that we thought we knew about to see how context, translation, and history play a part in truly understanding the Bible. We learn that the Dead Sea Scrolls do *not* prove that the Bible hasn’t changed (like some of us were told), that the Bible underwent editing, redaction, and other changes throughout history (rather than being the perfect, unchangeable word of God), and that numerous passages in the Bible actually quote texts that are not found in the KJV Bible we read at all (and we never noticed?!) Steve’s expertise also brings about interesting discussion about the evolution of the doctrine of resurrection, the idea of atonement, whether God forbids homosexuality in Leviticus, and whether “Paul” actually wrote that women should be silent in the ecclesia. We also had fun exploring “sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll” in the Bible, reading “Solomon’s top ten pick-up lines”, and listening to Steve’s memory of a satirical prayer given at a Christadelphian ecclesia. Be warned, you’ll need to leave your Strongs Concordance at home for this episode, otherwise you’ll fail this class!
Listener discretion advised.
If you’re interested in coming on the podcast or have comments or questions, you can contact Zinnia at lifeafterleavingpodcast@gmail.com
Resources and References:
Reading the Bible Again For the First Time by Marcus Borg
Grimms’ Fairy Tales
The Documentary Hypothesis
Who wrote the Bible? By Richard Elliot Friedman
Redaction Criticism
National Treasure
Pseudopigrapha
Catholic Bible
Orthodox Bible
Coptic Bible
Ethiopic Bible
Testament of Moses
Testament of the 12 patriarchs
The Wisdom of Solomon
Solomon's Top Ten Pick-Up Lines
3 books of Isaiah
Wisdom of Sirach/ Ben Sira
The Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith
Hapax legomenon (a word that occurs in only one place)
Apocryphon of Jannes and Jambres
Testament of Job
Strong’s concordance
The Book of Judith
Judith beheading Holofernes (Caravaggio)
Judith Slaying Holofernes (Artemisia Gentileschi)
The Talmud
Cult Bride: How I was Brainwashed- and How I Broke Free by Liz Cameron
Book of Enoch
Instagram video on pseudepigrapha
The Ancient Greeks and Quotation Marks
The Bible: Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13, James 5:11, Ezekiel 18:20, 2 Tim 3:16, Song of Solomon 1:9, Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:2, 1 Timothy 2:11-12, 1 Corinthians 11:2-16