#33: From Counterculture to Calling | Evan Prosser - Part 1

Can a former hippie and Harvard grad turn addiction and disillusionment into a life of radical faith and street-level impact?

In this unforgettable episode of the INNOVAT3 Podcast, host Ted Hahs sits down with Evan Prosser, the founder of The Homeless Church, a Bay Area congregation led by and for people experiencing homelessness.

Long before leading spiritual movements, Evan was living in communes, dodging careers and buying weed for $28 a kilo. But when the lifestyle collapsed under the weight of emptiness, Evan found himself crying out for something more and everything changed.

In this deeply honest conversation, Evan shares how he went from smoking under sawmill roofs to singing “Amazing Grace” on the job site and how a moment of surrender sparked a lifetime of service.

He opens up about:

Why dropping out of society wasn’t enough to heal what was broken.

How his transformation started with one quiet prayer during a work break.

What it felt like to be “born again” without religion, but full of conviction.

How The Homeless Church began as a calling, not a strategy.

The painful fallout of spiritual abuse and finding faith again through integrity.

A vision for church that centers the overlooked, the rejected and the deeply human.

If you’ve ever wondered whether change is possible, even after decades of disillusionment, this story will leave you with hope, clarity and purpose.

Show Notes:

Host: Ted Hahs

Guest: Evan Prosser — Pastor, Founder of The Homeless Church

Location: San Francisco, California

Topics Covered:

Addiction, counterculture and the search for truth.

The Jesus Movement and the birth of modern faith-led activism.

Homelessness, dignity and street-based ministry.

Rebuilding spiritual trust after religious harm.

Church as community, not just building or brand.

Living by faith in urban California.

The intersection of social justice and spirituality.

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0:00 Intro

2:10 The Hippie Life

9:04 Drugs, Poetry & the Commune Circuit

15:29 Sawmills & Searching for God

21:36 The Surrender Moment

26:07 Born Again

41:35 The Homeless Church Vision

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