Bear Witness: Dr. Kurt Alan Ver Beek on Justice, Violence, and Faith in Honduras

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com What does it mean to live out brave faith in the world’s most violent neighborhoods? In this episode of Faithful Politics, we sit down with Dr. Kurt Alan Ver Beek, a sociologist, missionary, and co-founder of the Association for a More Just Society (ASJ) in Honduras. Dr. Ver Beek’s decades of work tackling systemic corruption, homicide reduction, and police reform are the focus of Ross Halperin’s book Bear Witness: The Pursuit of Justice in a Violent Land. From moving his family into one of Honduras’s toughest neighborhoods to helping lead a national police purge that cut homicide rates by nearly 70%, Dr. Ver Beek shares the risks, faith, and persistence behind real change. This conversation dives into Christian courage, the challenges of confronting drug trafficking and corrupt systems, and how ordinary people can build trust where institutions have failed. Guest Bio Dr. Kurt Alan Ver Beek is a sociologist, missionary, and co-founder of the Association for a More Just Society (ASJ), a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to fighting corruption and defending the vulnerable in Honduras. For more than 30 years, he and his wife Joanne have lived in one of Tegucigalpa’s most dangerous neighborhoods, working alongside local leaders to reduce homicide, reform policing, and advocate for systemic justice. Ver Beek’s leadership helped drive Honduras’s historic police purge, which dismissed thousands of corrupt officers and introduced new accountability structures. His work is profiled in Ross Halperin’s book Bear Witness: The Pursuit of Justice in a Violent Land (available on Amazon). Support the show 🎧 Want to learn more about Faithful Politics, get in touch with the hosts, or suggest a future guest? 👉 Visit our website: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com 📚 Check out our Bookstore – Featuring titles from our amazing guests: faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/bookstore ❤️ Support the show – Help us keep the conversation going: donorbox.org/faithful-politics-podcast 📩 Reach out to us: Faithful Host, Josh Burtram: Josh@faithfulpolitics.com Political Host, Will Wright: Will@faithfulpolitics.com 📱 Follow & connect with us: Twitter/X: @FaithfulPolitik Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics 📰 Subscribe to our Substack for behind-the-scenes content: faithfulpolitics.substack.com 📅 RSVP for upcoming live events: Chec...