CQ Podcast
The CQ Podcast helps Christians, churches, and nonprofits grow in cross-cultural competency and gospel-shaped unity. Hosted by Will Plonk, pastor and executive director of the CQ Initiative, each episode blends Scripture, practical tools, and real conversations to equip leaders to engage God’s beautifully diverse world with wisdom and hope.
Episodes
10 episodes
Leading Across Difference with Will Krause | Ep. 9
In this episode with Will Krause, we explore what happens when we we start to recognize the water we’re swimming in. What happens when we begin asking:What blind spots do I have?Who’s missing from my life?What perspectives am I not ...
Leading without Losing Yourself with Walter Belton | Ep. 8
Leadership in diverse spaces comes with a unique tension: How do you grow in cultural awareness and lead people well without losing your own voice in the process?In this episode of the CQ Podcast, Will sits down with Pastor Belton of Rad...
Bridge Building with Charnise Mangle | Ep. 7
In this episode of the CQ Podcast, we talk about bridge building — what it really takes to grow in cultural fluency and navigate hard conversations across differences.From ministry to leadership, friendships to organizations, we explore ...
Assimilation to Authenticity with KeJuan | Ep. 6
How do you lead as a person of color in a predominantly white space? This conversation holds tension: pursuing unity while carrying the weight that often comes with it. The pressure to assimilate. The exhaustion of navigating difference. The ch...
Singing + Culture with Jim Thompson | Ep. 5
Singing isn't just a response in worship. It's formation and it's obedience.In this episode, we explore the theology of singing, how worship takes on different expressions across cultures, and what that means for our day to day.
From the Block to the Boardroom with KeJuan Robinson | Ep. 4
From the block to the boardroom. What does it actually take to build something that translates across cultures?This conversation moves past ideas and into action. Because building something truly diverse requires more than good intentio...
Theology & Transformation + Culture with Frank Legare | Ep. 3
In this conversation with Frank Legare, we unpack the cultural mandate, the difference between assimilation and accommodation, and how Scripture calls the church to be a blessing to every nation.Frank shares the moments that disrupted h...
Education + Culture with Charnise Mangle | Ep. 2
We’re sitting down with educator and CQ board member Charnise Mangle to talk about culture, classrooms, and what it costs to lead with conviction in predominantly white spaces.This is about Imago Dei in real life.About being the onl...
Real Talk + Real Growth with KeJuan Robinson | Ep. 1
"Real Talk Real Growth."We're talking: the Kingdom culture, multi-ethnic ministry and what it takes to build spaces where people don't just attend... they belong. This isn't surface-level diversity talk. This is discipleship leadership....
Immigration + Culture with Alma Ruth
Join Pastor Will Plonk, Executive Director of CQ Initiative, as he sits down with Alma Ruth, a missionary serving along the southern border, for a powerful conversation on immigration, culture, and faith.Recorded in the fall of 2025 — m...