Brian McDowell

B.SW; Dip.PM; Cert IV (Investigations); Cert. (Expressive Release Counsellor)

Producer & Host


Brian was born into a large, non-religious family in Melbourne, Australia. When he was a teenager, several of his older siblings converted to fundamentalist Christianity.

In 1991, at 17 years old, he too converted in a Christian City Church (now c3). This was the start of almost 20 years of Pentecostal and Evangelical church involvement both as a congregant and in leadership, much of which was spent in The Assemblies of God in Australia (now the Australian Christian Churches). He attended the Assemblies of God flagship Bible College and had his sights set on formal ministry. Brian believes the first 7 or 8 years, arguably the most formative of his fundamentalist journey, were the most impactful, traumatising and left the biggest scars. 

After some years in the Baptist Union and Churches of Christ, Brian walked away from the faith in 2012 at 40 years old. Now describing himself as Agnostic, he uses his personal experiences to help others seeking to recover from the effects of toxic religious experiences.

Brian lives in Melbourne, Australia with his partner and children. In his day job, he is an experienced leader in the Health and Human Services sector.

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Brian McDowell wearing glasses and a blue sports jacket
Brian McDowell
Troy Waller in a brown shirt
Troy Waller

Troy Waller

B.A. (Biblical Studies); Grad.Dip. (Religion & Theology); M.Jour.; M.Ed.

Producer & Host


Troy came from a non-religious family and was recruited into the Revival Centres International in Canberra, Australia in 1984. He was 13 years old. He was a dedicated member until he was excommunicated in 1988 at 17 for having premarital sex.

In 1991, Troy joined the Assemblies of God in Australia (now known as the Australian Christian Churches) at 20 years old. He attended an Assemblies of God Bible College and served as both a youth pastor and an assistant pastor in a country church. 

He left the Assemblies of God to briefly attend a Baptist church and later a Church of Christ. After completing a Graduate Diploma in Religion & Theology from Monash University in 1999, Troy stopped attending church. After much soul searching and the deconstruction of his beliefs, he came to a point of unbelief in 2004. He was 33.

He believes his time in Christianity had a detrimental impact on his emotional and psychological wellbeing and he now draws on his experiences to support others deconstructing their faith and rebuilding their lives.

Troy lives with his wife and children in Melbourne, Australia. When not working in this space, he is an Accessibility and Adoption Specialist in the tech industry.

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