Can the Church Really Change Child Welfare? These Leaders Say Yes
Child Welfare is broken worldwide. Is there hope? We say yes, and it's found right in our communities in the form of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ
In this inaugural episode of The Table, host Rick Morton (SVP of Engagement, Lifeline Children's Services) gathers three of the most respected voices in Christian child welfare for a conversation that's honest, warm, and theologically grounded.
Guests:
Emily Richards — Ambassador & Advisor for Show Hope (founded by Mary Beth & Steven Curtis Chapman); foster parent, adoptive sibling, and master's-level theologian
Chelsea Sobolik — Child welfare policy expert, Capitol Hill veteran, adult adoptee from Romania, and adoptive mom
Herbie Newell — President & CEO, Lifeline Children's Services (23 years); author and advocate for a whole-life pro-life ethic
In this episode:
How the Church is uniquely called to care for vulnerable children and families
Why James 1:27 is more than a memory verse — it's a mandate
The intersection of adoption theology and public policy
What a "whole-life pro-life" ethic looks like in practice
Trinitarian theology and what it means for how we engage orphan care
Why community and relationship are at the core of this work — and why isolation is the enemy
Whether you're a pastor, adoptive parent, foster parent, social worker, policymaker, or anyone who cares about vulnerable children — pull up a chair.
🔔 Subscribe for new episodes and email podcast@lifelinechild.org with topics you want us to cover.
In this inaugural episode of The Table, host Rick Morton (SVP of Engagement, Lifeline Children's Services) gathers three of the most respected voices in Christian child welfare for a conversation that's honest, warm, and theologically grounded.
Guests:
Emily Richards — Ambassador & Advisor for Show Hope (founded by Mary Beth & Steven Curtis Chapman); foster parent, adoptive sibling, and master's-level theologian
Chelsea Sobolik — Child welfare policy expert, Capitol Hill veteran, adult adoptee from Romania, and adoptive mom
Herbie Newell — President & CEO, Lifeline Children's Services (23 years); author and advocate for a whole-life pro-life ethic
In this episode:
How the Church is uniquely called to care for vulnerable children and families
Why James 1:27 is more than a memory verse — it's a mandate
The intersection of adoption theology and public policy
What a "whole-life pro-life" ethic looks like in practice
Trinitarian theology and what it means for how we engage orphan care
Why community and relationship are at the core of this work — and why isolation is the enemy
Whether you're a pastor, adoptive parent, foster parent, social worker, policymaker, or anyone who cares about vulnerable children — pull up a chair.
🔔 Subscribe for new episodes and email podcast@lifelinechild.org with topics you want us to cover.
Creators and Guests
Host
Herbie Newell
Herbie Newell serves as the President & Executive Director of Lifeline Children’s Services, holds an MBA in Accounting from Samford University and brings years of experience from his work as an independent auditor at WAKM Companies, LLC. Serving as Lifeline's Executive Director since 2003, Herbie has significantly expanded international outreach, obtained licensure in 17 states, and led the establishment of the foster care arm. A passionate advocate, he co-founded (un)adopted in 2009, focusing on equipping orphaned children with life skills for community transformation. Herbie, also the author of "Image Bearers: Shifting from Pro-birth to Pro-Life," emphasizes that being pro-life extends beyond opposing abortion, urging a broader ethic that includes fighting for racial equality and embracing every individual with the love of Christ. Herbie and his wife, Ashley, reside in Birmingham, Alabama, and are the parents to three children.
Host
Rick Morton
As Vice President of Engagement, Rick Morton shepherds the ministry’s outreach to individual, church, and organizational ministry partners as well as the ministry’s commitment to publishing resources that aid families and churches in discipling orphans and vulnerable children. Prior to Lifeline, Rick served for 15 years as a college and seminary professor, and he also served local churches in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He is an accomplished writer and sought after speaker. Most notably, Rick is the co-author of the popular Orphanology: Awakening to Gospel-centered Adoption and Orphan Care and the author of KnowOrphans: Mobilizing the Church for Global Orphanology. Rick and his lovely wife Denise have been married for over 32 years, and they have 3 children, all of whom joined their family through international adoption. God has continued to grow their family, and he now enjoys the role of “Doc” to his precious granddaughter!
Guest
Chelsea Patterson Sobolik
Chelsea Patterson Sobolik serves as Director of Government Relations at World Relief, a global Christian humanitarian organization and the largest Evangelical refugee resettlement in the U.S. She is also the former Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy at Lifeline Children's Services. She has worked on Capitol Hill on pro-life policies, domestic and international religious freedom, adoption, and foster care issues. Chelsea has been published at the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and others. She is the author of Longing for Motherhood – Holding onto Hope in the Midst of Childlessness, and Called to Cultivate: A Gospel Vision for Women and Work. She has a B.A. in International Relations from Liberty University, and lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband Michael. She and Michael became parents through international adoption, welcoming home their son this past year.
Guest
Emily Chapman Richards
Emily Chapman Richards serves as Advisor & Ambassador for Show Hope, a nationally recognized voice in adoption advocacy and child welfare work. She brings theological depth and visionary leadership to conversations on caring for vulnerable children and families, shaped by her academic training in international studies and theology, including a Master of Theology from Queen’s University Belfast. Emily lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with her husband, Tanner, and their three daughters.