Peace Talks Podcast

The Rev. Bill Haley is the founder and Executive Director of Coracle, as well as an Anglican priest and spiritual director. He has devoted many years to ministering in urban contexts, especially in inner-city Washington DC.  With his wife Tara and four kids, Bill lives in Falls Church, Virginia.

Bill currently serves on the board for the Center for Formation, Justice and Peace, and has served as chairman of the board for the Anglican Relief and Development Fund, and on the Advisory Council for The Telos Group.  From 1996-2019 he ministered with The Falls Church in Falls Church, VA in a number of different capacities, including Director of Outreach and Associate Rector, and was the founding Rector of St. Brendan’s in the City in Washington DC.  He served as the Director of Formation for The Washington Institute and previously served as president of The Regeneration Forum and publisher of re:generation quarterly, a magazine devoted to “community transforming culture”. 

Bill’s publications includes his book, Essential Christianity and articles in The Washington Post, re:generation quarterly, Prism and Sojourners magazines, Inward/Outward of The Servant Leadership School, The Cry of Word Made Flesh, and with The Washington Institute.

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Rachel Marie Kang is a New York native, born and raised just outside New York City. A mixed woman of African American, Native American (Ramapough Lenape Nation), Irish, and Dutch descent, she holds a degree in English with Creative Writing.

She is founder of The Fallow House and her writing has been featured in Christianity Today, Ekstasis Magazine, Proverbs 31 Ministries, She Reads Truth, and (in)courage. Rachel is the author of Let There Be Art and The Matter of Little Losses.

Join Bishop Todd Hunter and the Center’s Director of Content and Community, Katie Haseltine, as they discuss the Peace Talks interview with Makoto Fujimura.

Then enjoy a guided contemplative meditation led by Vanessa Sadler. Vanessa will read John 5 several times while inviting you to notice what God might be saying to you. Reconnect to your heart and God’s with this powerful spiritual practice.⁠⁠

Makoto Fujimura is a leading contemporary artist whose work has been featured in galleries and museums around the world, including The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, The Huntington Library in California, the Tikotin Museum in Israel, Belvedere Museum in Vienna, C3M North Bund Art Museum in Shanghai, and Pola Museum in Japan. His process-driven, refractive “slow art” has been described by David Brooks of the New York Times as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time.”

Fujimura is the author of four books: Art+Faith: A Theology of Making, Silence and Beauty, Refractions, and Culture Care. He is also the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2023 Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Life and the American Academy of Religion’s 2014 “Religion and the Arts” award. From 2003 to 2009, he served as a Presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts. He has received notable recognition as a speaker, with one address selected by NPR as among the 200 “Best Commencement Addresses Ever” and by CNN as one of the top 16 “Greatest Commencement Speeches of All Time.” He is a recipient of four Doctor of Arts Honorary Degrees from Belhaven University, Biola University, Cairn University, and Roanoke College.

In this Bonus episode of Peace Talks (originally recorded for Coracle’s For the Journey podcast), Rev. Bill Haley and Bishop Todd Hunter talk about the online conference they are co-hosting called, “Do You Want To Be Well?”

The threads of Christian nationalism, racism and white supremacy, and patriarchy are not often discussed constructively in the same conversation—and we rarely explore paths toward healing.

This online conference will offer something different: opportunities for hope, healing, and spiritual practice.⁠

To register for the conference, go to: https://inthecoracle.org/do-you-want-to-be-well-2024-conference/.⁠

Join Bishop Todd Hunter and the Center’s Director of Content and Community, Katie Haseltine, as they recap Vanessa’s interview with W. David O. and Phaedra Taylor.

Then enjoy a guided contemplative meditation led by Vanessa Sadler. Vanessa will read a meditation from Howard Thurman several times while inviting you to notice what God might be saying to you. Reconnect to your heart and God’s with this powerful spiritual practice.⁠

W. David O. Taylor is an Associate Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and the author of several books, including A Body of Praise (Baker Academic, 2023), Open and Unafraid (Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins, 2020), and Glimpses of the New Creation (Eerdmans, 2019).

In 2016, he produced a short film on the Psalms with Bono and Eugene Peterson. An Anglican priest, he lives in Austin, Texas, with his children and artist wife, Phaedra, with whom he has produced three sets of illustrated prayer cards (here, here, and here), and you can usually find him on Twitter (@wdavidotaylor) or Instagram (@davidtaylor_theologian).

Phaedra Jean Taylor was raised on the rocky shores of northern Scotland, where a love of all things old seeped into her bones. She completed her BFA in sculpture at the University of North Texas, where she was also awarded the Most Outstanding Student in the Visual Arts award. She interned at the Chinati Foundation, in Marfa Texas. Since then she has been exploring the disciplines of encaustic painting and watercolor. Her work has been exhibited in juried, group, and solo exhibitions, and is held in private collections of various individuals around the globe. Phaedra lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, Anglican priest and theologian, David Taylor, and two children, Blythe and Sebastian. Together they make creative liturgical resources for families and church communities.

Jon Guerra is a Devotional Music Singer-Songwriter based in Austin, TX.  In 2020, he independently released, “Keeper of Days.” Guerra began describing his style as “devotional music” – a term he coined to refer to his musical style – as “less Sunday morning worship music, and more Monday morning prayer music.”

His 2023 album, “Ordinary Ways,” was critically acclaimed and won Best Album of The Year at the Gospel Coalition’s yearly round up.

His songs have been described as, “contemporary Psalms with the earnestness of George Herbert, the reverent doubt of R.S. Thomas, the piercing acuity of Christian Wiman, and the determined vulnerability of St. Augustine’s Confession.” (Fr. Zac Koons, Mockingbird Magazine)

In addition to songwriting, Guerra, alongside his wife, Valerie, composed music for Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life” (2019). He is currently touring, writing for his next album, and enjoying tacos with his wife and daughter in the ever-balmy Texas hill country.

Join Bishop Todd Hunter and the Center’s Director of Content and Community, Katie Haseltine, as they recap Vanessa’s interview with Steve A. Prince.

Then enjoy a guided contemplative meditation led by Vanessa Sadler. Vanessa will read Caged Bird several times while inviting you to notice what God might be saying to you. Reconnect to your heart and God’s with this powerful spiritual practice.

Steve A. Prince is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and he currently resides in Williamsburg, Virginia.

He is the Director of Engagement and Distinguished Artist in Residence at the Muscarelle Museum at William and Mary. Prince received his BFA from Xavier University of Louisiana and his MFA in Printmaking and Sculpture from Michigan State University.

Prince is a mixed media artist, master printmaker, lecturer, educator, and art evangelist. He has worked with several church’s of various denominations across the nation spreading a message of hope and renewal philosophically rooted in the cathartic nature of the Jazz Funerary tradition of New Orleans.

Join Bishop Todd Hunter and the Center’s Director of Content and Community, Katie Haseltine, as they recap Vanessa’s interview with Leslie Roberts and Bryana Russell from Sanctuary Mental Health ministries.

Then enjoy a guided contemplative meditation led by Vanessa Sadler. Vanessa will read 1 Corinthians 13 several times while inviting you to notice what God might be saying to you through the passage. Reconnect to your heart and God’s with this powerful spiritual practice.

Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries equips the Church to support mental health and wellbeing.

Leslie Roberts is the Communications Director at Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries. She holds a Master of Arts in Christian Studies from Regent College and lives in Vancouver, BC. Prior to Sanctuary, she worked in advertising, film production and post-production, and ministry at a church in Texas, as well as running her own photography business.

In her time working at the church, she recognized that one of the biggest needs in the Church is for education, awareness, and care for people living with mental health challenges.

Bryana Russell has worked as a consultant, speaker, published writer, producer, and connector in the non-profit sector, including Church ministries, for the past two decades. Prior to her work with Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries as Director of Engagement, she worked as gallery curator, bridging conversations of art and faith. Her undergraduate work focused on International Studies and Psychology, and she holds a Masters of Theological Studies, with a concentration on art and female embodied. Her most important work, however, is raising four boys, aged 15, 13, 10, and (surprise) 1, alongside her beloved husband, Chris.

Dr. Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt is an Associate Professor of Art and Art History at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and a Little Endowed Scholar. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. As a biracial Japanese-white woman, she has navigated the joys and tensions of a hybrid identity.

Weichbrodt has published on topics ranging from contemporary Black photographers to the patronage of Hawaiian landscape paintings to documentary photographs of Japanese Americans during World War II. She also enjoys writing for general audiences on the intersection of art history, politics, and pop culture. Her first book, Redeeming Vision: A Christian Guide to Looking at and Learning from Art, was published by Baker Academic in 2023 and received an Award of Merit from Christianity Today and the Arts and Culture Book Award from The Gospel Coalition.

Laura James has been working as a professional artist and illustrator for over twenty years. In addition to painting sacred images from various religions, she portrays women, families, and scenes of everyday life; blending intricate patterns, text, vibrant colors and sometimes surreal imagery into what she calls “art for the people.”

Laura is also a valuable member of her community, and is the originator and Executive Director of BX200: Bronx Visual Artists Directory, an online database of some of the Bronx’s best visual artists. Ms. James has recently completed a special commission for the American Museum of Natural History, as well as illustrations for her second children’s book. She lives and works in the Bronx, NY.

J. S. Park is a hospital chaplain, published author, viral blogger, and teaching pastor. He has spent the past six years as an interfaith chaplain at a 1000+ bed hospital that is designated a Level 1 Trauma Center. His role includes grief counseling; attending every death, every trauma and Code Blue; assisting with end-of-life care; and supporting patient and family advocacy. He also serves as a chaplain at one of the largest nonprofit charities for the homeless on the east coast.

J. S. has a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, completed in 2010. He has a BA in Psychology from the University of South Florida. He also has a sixth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

J. S. currently lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife, a nurse practitioner, and his baby daughter and half German Shepherd.

Dr. Barbara Peacock is the award-winning author of Soul Care in African American Practice. She received the Award of Merit from Christianity Today, and the Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture and Dallas Willard Award (MIDWC) announced Soul Care in African American Practice as the book of the year in 2021. In addition, she received an award from Christianity for Biblical Equity (Mutuality) and is a finalist with the Museum of African American History Museum (Boston) and with Black Authors Matter.

Dr. Peacock is founder of Peacock Soul Care (PSC). PSC is an institution that offers a certificate of completion in Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Formation for persons seeking the deeper journey with God. PSC is an inclusive Christocentric institute and is the first African American institute that offers these two certificates. PSC also offers special Soul Care Leadership classes for persons that would like to take semester classes.

Kaitlin Curtice is an award-winning author, poet-storyteller, and public speaker. As an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi nation, Kaitlin writes on the intersections of spirituality and identity and how that shifts throughout our lives. She also speaks on these topics to diverse audiences who are interested in truth-telling and healing.

Her new book, Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day, examines the journey of resisting the status quo of hate by caring for ourselves, one another, and Mother Earth.

Besides her books, Kaitlin has written online for Sojourners, Religion News Service, Apartment Therapy, On Being, SELF Magazine, Oprah Daily and more. Her work has been featured on CBS and in USA Today. She also writes at The Liminality Journal. Kaitlin lives in Philadelphia with her family.

Eugene is President/CEO of Bread for the World, a Christian advocacy organization urging U.S. decision makers to do all they can to pursue a world without hunger.

Eugene co-chairs the U.S. Nutrition CEO Council, the body of leaders from international NGOs encouraging the U.S. government, civil society, corporations, and other stakeholders to make global nutrition expertise into law and policy.

He serves on the board of Interaction; on the Coordinating Committee for the Circle of Protection; and as visionary for One Day’s Wages.

Prior to becoming President/CEO of Bread for the World, Eugene pastored a local church for nearly thirty years.

Cindy S. Lee is a spiritual director, urban explorer, and author (Our Unforming: De-Westernizing Spiritual Formation). She has a PhD in practical theology in the area of spiritual formation from Claremont School of Theology and a DMin in transformational leadership from Bakke Graduate University.

Lee lived in Beijing and Taipei for six years and currently resides in Los Angeles. She is an adjunct professor at Fuller Theological Seminary. Lee also leads formation retreats and workshops and mentors new spiritual directors.

Lisa Sharon Harper is a prolific speaker, author, and activist and the founder and president of FreedomRoad.us. Ms. Harper is the author of several books, including The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong can be Made Right (2016) and Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World (2022).

A columnist at Sojourners Magazine and an Auburn Theological Seminary Senior Fellow, Ms.Harper has appeared on TVOne, FoxNews Online, NPR, and Al Jazeera America. Her writing has been featured in CNN Belief Blog, The National Civic Review, Sojourners, The Huffington Post, Relevant Magazine, and Essence Magazine. She writes extensively on shalom and governance, immigration reform, health care reform, poverty, racial and gender justice, climate change, and transformational civic engagement.

Shane Claiborne is a prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author. Shane worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia. He heads up Red Letter Christians, a movement of folks who are committed to living “as if Jesus meant the things he said.” Shane is a champion for grace which has led him to jail advocating for the homeless, and to places like Iraq and Afghanistan to stand against war. Now grace fuels his passion to end the death penalty and help stop gun violence.

Shane’s books include Jesus for President, Red Letter Revolution, Common Prayer, Follow Me to Freedom, Jesus, Bombs and Ice Cream, Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, Executing Grace, his classic The Irresistible Revolution, Beating Guns, and his newest book, Rethinking Life.

Linda Royster, LCMHC, is the Strategic Alliances Manager and a Lead Instructor with the Allender Center. Linda has been called to traumatized populations since 1997 and is deeply committed to the recovery, healing, and well-being of her people. She has worked with latency age children, adolescents, and adults in hospital, academic, and non-profit milieus, respectively.

Linda holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology Graduate School and is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor who works therapeutically with a diverse clientele. Also, she authored the addendum of the 25th-anniversary re-release of Healing the Wounded Heart by Dr. Dan Allender. Her addendum addresses issues that African-American women survivors of childhood abuse might face.

Dr. Dan Allender is a pioneer of a unique and innovative approach to trauma and abuse therapy, The Allender Theory, which bridges the story of the gospel and the stories of trauma and abuse that mark so many. Dan continues to serve as Professor of Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School. Dan is the author of The Wounded Heart, The Healing Path, To Be Told, and God Loves Sex, and he has co-authored several books with Dr. Tremper Longman, including Intimate Allies, The Cry of the Soul, Bold Love, Bold Purpose. Most recently, he co-authored Redeeming Heartache: How Past Suffering Reveals True Calling with Cathy Loerzel. Dan also co-hosts The Allender Center’s weekly podcast with Rachael Clinton Chen.

About the Allender Center: At the Allender Center, everything we do is rooted in the belief that true, lasting healing of even our deepest wounds is possible. This is central to our understanding of the gospel story. Our mission is to foster redemption and healing in individuals, couples, and communities by helping them tell their stories with awareness and integrity while also training leaders and professionals to engage the stories of others with courage, artistry, and care.

Learn more about our courses, workshops, and trainings, including the Effective Trauma Care training hosted by The Center for Formation, Justice and Peace at Journey Church on October 27-28, 2023, at theallendercenter.org/events.

Dr. Jemar Tisby is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the Church’s Complicity in Racism, How to Fight Racism, and How to Fight Racism: Young Reader’s Edition.

He is also a Professor of History at Simmons College of Kentucky in Louisville. Jemar has been a co-host of the “Pass the Mic” podcast since its inception seven years ago.

His writing has been featured in the Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the New York Times among others. He is a frequent commentator on outlets such as NPR and CNN’s New Day program.

He speaks nationwide on the topics of racial justice, U.S. history and Christianity. Jemar earned his PhD in history and he studies race, religion, and social movements in the 20th century.

You can follow his work through his newsletter, Footnotes, and on social media at @JemarTisby.

Dr. Tory Baucum, Director of the Center for Family Life at Benedictine College, served for 30 years as an Anglican Pastor, seminary and university professor.

In this past decade he and Elizabeth, his wife, worked ecumenically and closely with the Catholic Church, especially with the Italian movement Mistero Grande and its founder Don Renzo Bonetti. The Baucums spoke at the Vatican’s 2015 World Meeting of the Family in Philadelphia.

Beginning in 2018, Tory’s friends, Fr. Paul Scalia and Fr. Dominic Legge O.P., prepared Tory and his wife for acceptance into the Catholic Church. Archbishop Naumann received them into the Church Easter of 2020.

Since then, Tory has served in the Archdiocese of Kansas City-Kansas. On Feb 19, 2003, Professor Baucum was inducted into the Copernican Academy in Torun, Poland in recognition of his life’s work in peace building.

Katelyn Beaty is author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms and Profits Are Hurting the Church and the editorial director of Brazos Press.

She has written on faith and culture for several mainstream and Christian media outlets and co-hosts the podcast Saved by the City. A native of Ohio and graduate of Calvin University, she lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Charles Robinson, along with his wife Siouxsan, founded The Red Road, an organization dedicated to serving and celebrating Native Americans and ministering the love of Jesus through practical support.

He is also the Founder of Atsiniki, a cigar company that seeks to honor Native American culture and the stories of indigenous people everywhere.

He, Siouxsan, and their 11 children work together to demonstrate how following Jesus and following the red road leads to deeper peace for all.

We’re delighted to welcome both Kristy Wallace and Bill Haley on Peace Talks to talk about The Repentance Project.

Kristy Wallace is the director of The Repentance Project. As an undergraduate student, she studied Afro-American Studies and Public Policy at the University of Maryland (UMCP).

Kristy attended graduate school at Moody Graduate School (MGS) in Chicago, IL. At MGS she was introduced to God as a God of justice. Kristy’s training in trauma-informed Intentional Listening administered by Wellspring Counseling has allowed her to walk with families living in poverty as they journey toward healing.

The Rev. Bill Haley is the Executive Director of Coracle. A graduate of Bethel College (1991) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (magna cum laude, 1994), he is an Anglican priest and spiritual director, having completed his training with the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation (2007). With his wife Tara and four kids, Bill currently lives at Corhaven in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

RICH VILLODAS

We’re delighted to welcome pastor and author Rich Villodas to join us for a brave conversation about formation, justice, and peace!

Rich Villodas is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church with more than seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens. Rich holds a Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.

He enjoys reading widely, preaching and writing on contemplative spirituality, justice-related matters, and the art of preaching. He’s been married to Rosie since 2006 and they have two beautiful children, Karis and Nathan. He is also the author of The Deeply Formed Life and Good and Beautiful and Kind.

We’re delighted to welcome teacher, spiritual director and podcaster Lisa Colón DeLay to join us for a brave conversation about formation, justice and peace! Originally from Puerto Rico and now based in Philadelphia, Lisa has an MA in spiritual formation and a passion for leading others in formational practices.

When she’s not interviewing guests like Krista Tippett, Parker J. Palmer and Seth Godin on her podcast, Spark My Muse, she’s teaching in many settings from graduate schools to workshops, writing for anthologies and print publications, and offering spiritual companioning and retreats.

On this episode, she talks about her own spiritual formation journey and the rhythms of justice that shape her actions.

We’re celebrating one year of brave conversations about formation, justice and peace!

In this special  Anniversary episode of Peace Talks, Director of Content and Community Katie Haseltine interviews hosts Vanessa Sadler and Bishop Todd Hunter!

Vanessa is a trauma-informed, certified spiritual director and Todd is an author, speaker and teacher who founded the Center and The Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others [C4SO].

They discuss their favorite Peace Talks guests, why formation is always central to justice, what catalyzes their own pursuit of justice and more. Bonus: Find out what makes Vanessa and Todd’s friendship so sweet!

END SLAVERY TENNESSEE

End Slavery Tennessee’s (ESTN) mission is to promote healing of survivors and strategically combat human trafficking in Tennessee. ESTN began as a grassroots nonprofit but was quickly elevated to a state expert on local human trafficking and survivor aftercare.

ESTN provides specialized case management and comprehensive aftercare for human trafficking survivors and tactically addresses the problem through advocacy, prevention and training of front-line professionals.

Curtis Zackery

Curtis Zackery Curtis Zackery (CZ) joins PEACE TALKS to discuss what it means to truly rest, how Jesus embodied rest, and how the need for rest is deeply embedded in our human DNA.

In this interview, he reveals how our misaligned view of rest has its roots in an identity that is out of rhythm with God, and how practicing Sabbath guides us toward a purposeful and sustainable life with Jesus.

CZ is a pastor and author of Soul Rest: Reclaim Your Life. Return to Sabbath. CZ also helms an organization called Find Rest that seeks to help spiritually depleted Christian leaders find rest.

Soong-Chan Rah

Soong-Chan Rah is Robert Munger Professor of Evangelism at Fuller Theological Seminary and the author of The Next Evangelicalism (IVP Books, 2009); Many Colors (Moody, 2010); Prophetic Lament (IVP Books, 2015); co-author of Forgive Us (Zondervan, 2014); Return to Justice (Brazos, 2016); and Unsettling Truths (IVP Books, 2019). Soong-Chan received his B.A. from Columbia University; his M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; his Th.M. from Harvard University; his D.Min. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and his Th.D. from Duke University.

Rah is formerly the founding Senior Pastor of Cambridge Community Fellowship Church (CCFC), a multi-ethnic church living out the values of racial reconciliation and social justice in the urban context. He has previously served on the boards of World Vision, Sojourners and the Christian Community Development Association.

Kat Armas

Kat Armas Kat Armas is a Cuban American writer and podcaster from Miami, FL. She holds a dual MDiv and MAT from Fuller Theological Seminary where she was awarded the Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing, and is currently pursuing a ThM at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Russell was President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2013 to 2021. Prior to that role, Moore served as provost and dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also taught theology and ethics.

Her first book, Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, Persistence and Strength, sits at the intersection of women, decolonialism, the Bible, and Cuban identity. She also explores these topics and more on her podcast, The Protagonistas, which centers the voices of Black, Indigenous, and other women of color in theological spaces. Kat is currently living in Nashville with her spouse and new baby while working on her second book, Sacred Belonging: A 40-day Devotional on the Liberating Heart of Scripture.

Russell Moore

Russell Moore is Public Theologian at Christianity Today and Director of Christianity Today’s Public Theology Project. Russell was President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2013 to 2021. Prior to that role, Moore served as provost and dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also taught theology and ethics.

Dr. Moore is the author of several books, including The Courage to Stand: Facing Your Fear Without Losing Your SoulOnward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel and The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home. A native Mississippian, he and his wife Maria are the parents of five sons.

Anthony Hendricks

Anthony Hendricks is the co-founder and director of The Public in Franklin, TN. Hendricks’ drive, passion, love for humanity, and analytical mind has helped him serve high-paced, innovative, strategically positioned ministries over the past 25 years.

Following his career in the corporate space, he entered full-time ministry as the Assistant Pastor at a local Church in Franklin, TN where he helped build a thriving multi-ethnic body. He has helped other multi-ethnic ministries grow and thrive in other cities. The world of racial reconciliation became his calling, and he’s been engaging Christ-followers and non-Christ followers in honest conversation and action around the issue of biblical unity.

Anthony holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, where he graduated with honors, and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership (summa cum laude), from Williamson College.

Gabrielle Beam

Gabrielle Beam is the Pastor of Mary of Bethany Anglican Mission and works with many pastors and ministry leaders on the forefront of revival breaking out in Connecticut and the Northeast. In addition, she is the founder of Bridgeport Arise – a work focused on building unity in the body of Christ, Rise to Read – a work focused on eliminating early childhood illiteracy, and most recently RESPONSE, a global prayer movement that was launched as a local movement on May 14, 2020.

Gabrielle holds a Master of Divinity and a Master of Sacred Theology from Yale Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from California Polytechnic State University.  Beyond growing up in the church, being a former student-leader in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and working as a missionary in India, Gabrielle’s background includes corporate management, contract negotiation, membership in the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG/AFTRA), and training at the National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Washington, D.C.

Justin Giboney

Justin Giboney is an attorney, political strategist and ordained minister in Atlanta, GA. He is also the Co-Founder and President of the AND Campaign, which is a coalition of urban Christians who are determined to address the sociopolitical arena with the compassion and conviction of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mr. Giboney has managed successful campaigns for elected officials in the state and referendums relating to the city’s transportation and water infrastructure.

In 2012 and 2016, Georgia’s 5th congressional district elected him as a delegate for the Democratic National Convention. A former Vanderbilt University football player and law student, Justin served on the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Board of Directors. He’s the co-author of Compassion (&) Conviction – The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement and has written op-eds for publications such as Christianity Today and The Hill.

Sheila Wise Rowe

Sheila Wise Rowe is a truth-teller who writes passionately about matters of faith and emotional healing. She advocates for the dignity, rights, and healing of abuse survivors, those carrying racial trauma, and racial conciliation. Sheila holds a Master’s degree in Counseling and has lived in the USA, Paris, France and Johannesburg, South Africa.

For over twenty-five years Sheila has been a counselor, educator, writer, spiritual director, and speaker. She is a member of the Community Ethics Committee of Harvard Medical School, a policy-review resource for its teaching hospitals. She is a member of the Redbud Writers Guild and writes essays for several publications including; The Redbud Post, Mudroomblog.com, The Art of Taleh, and The Boston Sunday Globe.  Sheila’s book; Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience released by InterVarsity Press (IVP) in 2020 was awarded the 2021 best book in Christian Living/ Discipleship by Christianity Today. When Sheila is not writing or counseling she creates art, and crafts or searches for treasures in local antique and thrift shops.

Gregory Thompson

Gregory Thompson is a scholar, writer, and artist of diverse creative background whose work focuses on race, religion, hospitality, and democracy in the United States. He serves as Executive Director of Voices Underground, an initiative to build a national memorial to the Underground Railroad outside of Philadelphia; Research Fellow in African American Heritage at Lincoln University (HBCU); and as Creative Director of Star & Lantern, a new Cocktail Bar in Kennett Square, PA whose story centers in the African American freedom struggle and the Underground Railroad (Opening June 2021). He is the Co-Creator of Union: The Musical, a soul and hip-hop based musical about the 1968 Sanitation Workers’ Strike, Co-Author (with Reverend Duke Kwon) of Reparations: A Christian Call to Repentance and Repair and is currently writing a work that explores the role of love in the work of Martin Luther King. He holds an M.A. and PhD from the University of Virginia.

Dennae Pierre

Dennae Pierre is co-Director for the Crete Collective and leads the Surge Network in Arizona. She also serves as one of the Co-Directors for City to City North America. She has her MA from Covenant Theological Seminary and DMin from Western Theological Seminary (Holland, Michigan) and is the author of Healing Prayers to Resist a Violent World. Dennae is married to Vermon, the lead pastor at Roosevelt Community Church, a multi-ethnic church in downtown Phoenix and they have five children.

KRISTIN KOBES DU MEZ

Kristin Kobes Du Mez is a New York Times bestselling author and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University. She holds a PhD from the University of Notre Dame and her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Religion News Service, and Christianity Today, and has been interviewed on NPR, CBS, and the BBC, among other outlets. Her most recent book is Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.

Michelle Ami Reyes

Michelle Ami Reyes, PhD, is the Vice President of the AACC and Co-Executive Director of Pax. She is the Scholar in Residence at Hope Community Church and author of Becoming All Things: How Small Changes Lead to Lasting Connections Across Cultures and Becoming All Things Study Guide and Conversation Cards. Michelle lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two amazing kids.