Over the next four weeks, For People will feature special guests from the Diocese of Atlanta: The Rev. Matt Babcock, The Rev. Michael White, Holle Tubbs, The Rev. Kenya Thompson for Summer Shorts. Each guest will write the For Faith weekly devotional and join For People host Melissa Rau to dive deeper into their reflections. Join us each week as they share their stories and insights.

In the first guest episode, Melissa has a conversation with The Rev. Matt Babcock, vicar at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, on the parable of the reckless sower. Reflecting on Matthew 13, they call God the “reckless sower” because God keeps sowing hope, compassion, and grace even where no one expects life to grow. They discuss why the gospel isn’t asking us to obsess over outcomes, why the harvest remains a mystery, and how faith and leadership can look like simply dropping seeds and continuing to walk. Listen in for the full conversation.

Read For Faith, the companion devotional.

The Rev. Matt Babcock began his ministry with Holy Comforter on August 11, 2025. Matt was raised in central Louisiana and graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 2007, earning a BS in Agricultural Business. Following undergraduate studies, he moved to North Carolina, where he was introduced to The Episcopal Church. What began as volunteer service in a food pantry led to a rediscovery of the presence of God through the fruits of a community with a shared vision to live the Gospel. Serving alongside parishioners seeking to restore the dignity of God’s creation eventually led Matt to explore a desire to foster communities of love as he discerned his own call to ordained ministry.

Prior to seminary, Matt had a rewarding career in commodities trading, risk management, finance, and banking. He graduated in 2019 from Yale Divinity School, having earned a Master of Divinity degree; he also earned a Diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School. Since seminary training, Matt has served in various positions in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, the Diocese of Chicago, and the Diocese of Atlanta. He is a Trinity Leadership Fellow and is currently pursuing a Doctor in Ministry at Candler School of Theology.

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