A pastor from Capitol Hill Baptist Church on religious liberty and being a good neighbor

Jeff Pickering and Travis Wussow welcome Charles Hedman, a pastor and elder from Capitol Hill Baptist Church, to the show to talk about the journey this church took to meet again in D.C. during the pandemic. This conversation also happens to come while the U.S. Senate is considering the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Charles is also an attorney, and a graduate of Notre Dame Law School, where, you guessed it, Amy Coney Barrett was one of his professors. So we had to start today’s conversation about his experiences with Judge Barrett.

Guest Biography

Charles Hedman was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana. After growing up a devout Catholic, Charles came to a definitive understanding and belief in the gospel during his senior year in college at the University of Notre Dame. After graduation, Charles attended Notre Dame Law School and, later, worked as a corporate litigation attorney in Indianapolis, Indiana. Called into ministry, Charles left the practice of law and joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ (“Cru”) in 2009, working there until 2013. In addition to earning his B.A. and J.D., Charles has also earned Masters degrees in Teaching and Divinity from the University of Southern California and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, respectively, and is currently completing a Masters degree in Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Charles joined the staff of CHBC as a Pastoral Assistant in September of 2014. He and his wife Jamie live on Capitol Hill with their children.

Resources from the Conversation

• Read Jeff’s articles on CHBC’s journey
  • Why I’ve looked forward to church outside during COVID-19
  • Explainer: Religious liberty and Capitol Hill Baptist Church’s lawsuit in Washington, D.C.
  • Update: Capitol Hill Baptist wins in District Court
• A Q&A for churches on government restrictions with a religious liberty attorney
• How do you know if your religious liberty is violated?
• Download the Courage and Civility Church Kit
• Subscribe to ERLC’s Policy Newsletter