Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Duffy.
Hi Joshua, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am married to my beautiful wife, Mallory (10 years this past January). We have three kids: seven, five, and two years of age.
My parents were married at Pilgrim, I was baptized at Pilgrim, I went to school at Pilgrim (we then moved to Spring, TX after 4th grade), and 25 years later I became the Senior Pastor of Pilgrim.
I hit a rough patch in ministry and went to see a Christian counselor, Dr. Paul Looney. I recognized I had neglected real time with just me and God. Dr. Paul graciously offered me his home in Westcliffe, Colorado. I went there for 48 hours, fasted and prayed, and was led to launch a new ministry called Westcliffe. Westcliffe is an online based ministry.
I have been so blessed to be joined by some really great people in the very beginning stages of this process. Dr. Looney joined me in this endeavor immediately and has been a huge blessing to me and my family. Tavarious Linzer, a great friend of mine and just an amazing worship leader and artist, was all in from the very beginning. Michael Middleton, who has just recently joined the team as well, has already created some stellar content. He and his wife, Jamie, have given us greater insights in navigating social media as well.
The people behind the scenes in all of this are so important as well. Pam Mintari and Malachi Talbott have done an amazing job editing story boarding, soundtracking, and editing content to be as cinematic and impactful as possible.
Malachi, especially, is really wanting to build a brand and career from his experiences with Westcliffe in film, along with his brother, Levi Talbott, who has joined us as a photographer for our shoots as well. They are both passionate about their work and looking for additional opportunities. It pains me to say that because I want be selfish and keep the team together! But I also want the very best for both of them.
Kaitlin Duffy has been huge for us in our social media presence and trying to figure out how to best connect with people. Jeff Hall has also provided much needed sound mixing and mastering for Westcliffe worship music, and is all around awesome.
More on Westcliffe can be found at Westcliffe.org, on Facebook@ facebook.com/westcliffetx, on Instagram @westcliffetx and on our YouTube Channel @ youtube.com/c/Westcliffe.
Our content episodes are released on these platforms every weekly, followed by a Thursday podcast that features myself and Dr. Looney at 11am on our YouTube channel. Our podcast is now on five platforms: IHeartRadio, Pandora, Amazon music, iTunes and Spotify. Search: The Westcliffe Climb
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been easy, but it has certainly been rewarding. Early on, funding had been an issue. Learning how to deliver messages looking at a camera instead of people was definitely an adjustment as well.
To be really really honest, the reactions we received were just completely different than we thought or expected. People that we thought could care less about it were super pumped about this endeavor and so encouraging. Then people that we thought would be there with us every step of the way, were almost silent. I think this comes with the territory of trying something different. The people around you may be trying to understand what you’re doing, why you are doing it, and how what you are doing makes them possibly feel about themselves- what they are or are not doing in their lives or even attempting to do something that doesn’t quite fit in the box that people have put us in, in this life. Hopefully that makes sense! Ha!
So one of the struggles for sure, were launching something and recognizing that I needed, and my team needed to have peace about what we were making together was not going to come from external affirmation. We had to be proud of, and we had to enjoy what we were making and creating together because we were being faithful to ideas and thoughts that were being put on our hearts that we believe are from God.
I think it is that way with true artists, and that is one of the things I really admire about people who are truly artists. They don’t set out to do anything with the prerequisite that people will like it. They set out to do something that is honest and authentic, and it just so happens that other people like it. We are drawn to people like that because they don’t seem to need the very thing that traps so many of us, critiques or complements. Both are a prison for our potential.
My faith in Jesus has no doubt carried me through it all, even though the times when I have lacked faith and trust in Him, His Will, and provision for me and my family. In short, He was faithful, even when I wasn’t.
And truthfully, if not for Mallory and our three kids, I don’t know if I would have taken some of the risks that I have taken so far with Westcliffe. As a husband and father, I want to be able to provide for my family and offer them the best possible life that I can with the gifts that I’ve been given. Oddly enough, being online, stepping into the social media realm and witnessing how toxic it is capable of being, if it was just me, I probably would have put off or avoided all together doing Westcliffe. Perhaps I’m being too honest, but then again, what’s the point of doing the interview if I can’t be real. God Willing in spite of the obstacles, pressures, setbacks and uncertainty, I pray Heaven gets bigger, Hell gets smaller, and along the way I can provide the best possible life for my family.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a pastor. Honestly, I never wanted to be a pastor. And really really honestly, my wife never wanted to marry a pastor. So we both had that in common when we got married and then I became a pastor! Ha!
People fascinate me. Their stories interest me. Movements in cultures and society in our present age, and seeing connections and lessons from our shared history across civilizations fascinates me as well.
I love Jesus. It’s odd being firmly entrenched in the institutional church because I think my nature is to swim upstream, against the current, often. When you are the senior pastor, you can’t stick it to the man, because you are the man. The only thing I try to emphasize to the people who walk into our church is that I am walking with them, in the mess with them as we together walk with Jesus.
And I think being honest and authentic is important, and allowing life and our challenges in life to be messy. I can’t fix your problems in a sitcom sermon, and I can’t land every plane of every societal issue. It’s okay to allow two ideas to exist side by side and leave a gap. I think we are desperately missing that in the church today. Many of our pastors have been compromised. You can tell someone that something is a “sin” and also tell them that “Jesus absolutely loves them”, no strings attached, no ifs, ands or buts. Our problem culturally is we have a sinful orientation. The vast majority of us need the same thing and ask the same questions, including me, the pastor.
People usually respect the clarity, and I think that is why we’ve had people join us for worship at Pilgrim who may be an atheist, or have very different social views than those I, my church, or my denomination hold. They recognize that we are taking the words of Jesus seriously, including the parts that are inconvenient or uncomfortable for our social or political filter. As an example, the Words of Jesus should really make any person completely sold out 100% to a social or political agenda, uncomfortable. He just doesn’t fit cleanly, unless we omit and alter His Words and then turn Jesus into our image.
When I think about how this all fits in with Westcliffe, we are so intentional about delivering relevant messages not trapped in the walls of a church, but within the context of everyday life. The message being simply, God is with you everywhere you go. He’s not limited to a church and Sunday morning- all of this life was meant to be experienced with Him. If Westcliffe could somehow contribute to giving people a new filter to look at their everyday lives, that would be a huge win. I know men who would rather be fishing on a Sunday morning than sitting in our church. Now think about this, that guy finally shows up and sits in a pew just to hear me read a story of another group of guys, fishing, with Jesus! Ha! That guy may not be back in my church for months or years, but if Westcliffe could equip him in a way that the next time He is out on the water, he finds himself thanking God and praising Him for His beautiful creation and beauty of all that He has made, I think that is a win. That is Westcliffe, and that’s how it fits in the greater conversation. If we are blessed relatively soon to facilitate occasional physical gatherings, we will do it. But that will only come when we feel and believe the time is right for it.
I realize not everyone may agree with me, and I realize when I day, if I even care to ask, there may even be things that Jesus Himself will tell me I got wrong as a pastor in this life! Ultimately, I am not the judge. I am a messenger of His incredible grace, mercy and love.
Church politics, scandals, drama, the politicization of faith, and all the craziness around us when people try to process faith in this life, it really all comes down to a person named Jesus.
I believe He died for me and gave me the gift of life with Him forever. How can I not want to share that with someone else?
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I trust my wife’s wisdom more now than ever. She would meet an individual, and in two minutes she’d later tell me, “You can’t trust that person.”, Don’t hire that person.”, or, “They have an agenda.” Early on, I didn’t listen to her! I bet she has easily been 95-98% accurate in her assessment of people, and I would go through months or even years of drama and pain when all I had to do was listen to her! Haha! God has given her, and I think the vast majority of women, wisdom. Mallory often times has clarity and insights that I just don’t see. This is what makes us a great team. Mallory stood with me when we had less than $100 in the account and still gave to God. Mallory stood with me even when I went into counseling, and even when we went into counseling together. We have hurt for each other and have hurt each other. God’s grace and faithfulness has carried us so many times. But what have I learned? God, no doubt, gave me a ride or die woman. She’s the real deal.
Hasn’t always been easy or fun, but I wouldn’t change a thing about our path or journey.
Contact Info:
- Email: team@westcliffe.org
- Website: Westcliffe.org
- Instagram: @westcliffetx
- Facebook: facebook.com/
westcliffetx - YouTube: youtube.com/c/
Westcliffe - Malachi Talbott – email – Malachitalbott@gmail.com instagram – @Kai.fliks
- Levi Talbott – email – levi.talbott@gmail.com; instagram – @levi.talbott
- Savannah Knight – @savannahkphoto
- Andrea Crane – @thecranehouse
- Pilgrim Lutheran Church – plchouston.org
- Pilgrim’s Information – plchouston.org; my email jduffy@plchouston.org
Image Credits
Family photos on the beach were by Savannah Knight
Family photos in the field were by Andrea Crane
All Westcliffe related photos were by Levi Talbott
