Wesley Farnsworth: On Authentic Christian Community with Evidence, Human Rights, and Critical Thinking

Wesley Farnsworth is an author, speaker, and communications professional whose work centers on faith, transformation, and the formation of authentic Christian community. With more than 16 years of experience in visual storytelling, branding, and digital communication—including service in military public affairs—he helps individuals, churches, and nonprofits communicate with clarity, integrity, and purpose.

Wesley speaks and consults on recovery-informed ministry, mental and emotional health, authenticity and vulnerability, church communications, nonprofit development, and creative strategy. He is the author of The Blueprint of Becoming: A Practical Guide to Faith, Failure, and Finding Your Way Forward, and hosts the podcast Unmasked with Wesley Farnsworth, where he facilitates honest conversations about identity, healing, and the freedom found in living truthfully before God and others.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen speaks with Farnsworth about building a public life around evidence rather than vibes. They trace Farnsworth’s path into critical thinking, the mentors and books that mattered, and the common cognitive traps that make smart people believe weird things. The conversation turns to human rights: why free expression, secular governance, and scientific literacy reinforce one another, and how misinformation corrodes democratic problem-solving. Farnsworth offers practical advice for readers—how to check claims, argue without dehumanizing, and stay curious when certainty feels comforting. The interview closes on cautious optimism and concrete next steps for communities, classrooms, newsrooms, and conversations alike.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What does Christian theology define as a human being’s core?

Wesley Farnsworth: At the heart of Christian theology, a human being is defined not by productivity, autonomy, or moral performance, but by being created in the image of God. This means our core identity is relational before it is functional—we are made to know God, to be known by Him, and to reflect His character in relationship with others. Sin distorts this image, but it does not erase it; redemption restores and reshapes it. From a Christian perspective, the human core is not self-constructed but received, grounded in belonging before behavior.

Jacobsen: How does this core relate to the definition of a Christian community?

Farnsworth: If humans are fundamentally relational image-bearers, then Christian community is not optional—it is essential. The church exists as a living body, not a collection of isolated individuals pursuing parallel spiritual goals. Community becomes the environment where identity is affirmed, formation happens, and faith is both professed and practiced. A Christian community reflects God’s relational nature by creating space for mutual care, accountability, confession, and growth.

Jacobsen: Can there be confusion in church community between mere attendance and active participatory communal life?

Farnsworth: Absolutely. One of the most common confusions in modern church life is equating presence with participation. Attendance can be passive, but true community requires engagement. A healthy Christian community invites people not just to observe but to contribute—to serve, to be known, and to take responsibility for one another. These should be genuine “iron sharpens iron” relationships. Without intentional pathways toward participation, churches risk cultivating consumers rather than disciples.

Jacobsen: What pastoral realities threaten a healthy community?

Farnsworth: Several realities consistently threaten communal health: unresolved conflict, unaddressed power imbalances, burnout among leaders, and a culture that rewards appearance over honesty. Additionally, when churches lack clear values around vulnerability and accountability, people either overshare without wisdom or hide entirely. Fear of conflict, decline, and discomfort often prevents the conversations that sustain long-term communal health.

Jacobsen: How should a Christian community think about boundaries?

Farnsworth: Boundaries are not unloving; they are an expression of love ordered by wisdom. Healthy boundaries protect people, clarify roles, and create safety for growth. Boundaries acknowledge human limitation and the need for trust to be built over time. A Christian community should view boundaries not as barriers to grace, but as structures that allow grace to be experienced without harm.

Jacobsen: What is a theologically defensible model of discipline that is restorative?

Farnsworth: Restorative discipline begins with the goal of reconciliation rather than punishment. Biblically, discipline is meant to call someone back into alignment with truth and community, not to exclude them permanently. A defensible model includes clarity about expectations, proportional response, due process, and a clear pathway toward restoration. Without relationship, discipline often feels like punishment; within relationship, it can become a difficult but necessary path toward healing and renewed trust.

Jacobsen: What does repair require after harm?

Farnsworth: Repair requires truth, time, and shared responsibility. It begins with honest acknowledgment of harm, not defensiveness or minimization. Forgiveness may be offered, but trust must be rebuilt through consistent action. Communities must resist the urge to rush reconciliation without repentance or to demand silence for the sake of unity. True repair honors both justice and mercy.

Jacobsen: How can communities make room for testimony without oversharing or turning vulnerability into a moralistic performance?

Farnsworth: Testimony is meant to point toward God’s faithfulness, not put the storyteller at the center. Healthy communities create guidelines that honor privacy, consent, and context. Vulnerability should serve formation, not spectacle. Leaders play a key role in modeling restraint—showing that it’s possible to be honest without being explicit, and transparent without performing pain. When testimony is framed as witness rather than exhibition, it builds faith instead of pressure.

Jacobsen: Thank you very much for the opportunity and your time, Wesley.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN 0018-7399; Online: ISSN 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), A Further Inquiry, and other media. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations.