Our Authors

Brent D. Christianson

Brent D. Christianson (12/1951 - 5/2020), is a retired Lutheran pastor (ELCA) and former Lutheran Campus Pastor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI. He is a published poet and has written several studies and meditations for his denomination.

Suzan D. Johnson Cook

Dr. Sujay, also known as "Dr. Fabulous" is a bestselling author, Faith Leader, Entrepreneur, Global Influencer and Diplomat. She was the first African American, Faith Leader and Woman to serve as the US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, the Obama administration, and Faith Advisor to President Clinton. She brings the world together by providing "Inspiration for the Nations™", through her writing, keynote speaking, business leading and faith based retreats, especially for the Christian woman, worldwide. As CEO and Founder of the WOMEN ON THE WORLDSTAGE (W.O.W) and the Global Black Women's Chamber of Commerce (GBWCC), and recipient of the $1 Million dollar Lilly grant, the REAL Black women in Ministry THRIVE initiative, her Ministry centers around Well Being and Wealth for Women. Often seen as a tv commentator and on air personality, her videos, Live with Sujay and Conversations with Ambassador Sujay, can be seen on YouTube and other platforms. She has given more than 4,000 speeches and sermons through her global Communications firm, Charisma Speakers. For inquiries and booking information go to CharismaSpeakers.com or www.DrSujay.Live. A citizen of the world, she has a "fabulous lifestyle" and resides between New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC. She has two adult sons, Samuel and Christopher.

Floyd Massey

Massey grew up in Gastonia, N.C., and earned a bachelor's degree from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. in 1936. Massey taught American history, sociology and economics at Booker T. Washington High School in Columbia, S.C. until 1941. During this time he earned his master's degree and doctorate in divinity at Colgate Rochester Divinity School in Rochester, N.Y. In 1943, Massey became pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church in St. Paul, Minn. During his tenure at the Pilgrim Massey increased church membership from 125 to more than 1,000. From there Massey became pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church in Watts from 1965 to 1987. While there, he co-authored Church Administration in the Black Perspective with Samuel B. McKinney.

Samuel D. Proctor

Reverend Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor (1921-1997) was Pastor Emeritus of the Abyssinian Baptist Church of New York City and Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University. Dr. Proctor was President of Virginia Union University, Richmond and North Carolina A&T State University. He held administrative positions with the Peace Corps in Nigeria and Washington, D.C. and the National Council of Churches. Dr. Proctor served on the governing boards of the United Negro College Fund, National Urban League and the Overseer's Visiting Committee for the Divinity School at Harvard University. He was Pastor-In-Residence for the Institute for Child Advocacy at Children's Defense Fund/Haley Farm. He was awarded honorary doctorate degrees from more than 50 colleges and universities. Dr. Proctor was a prolific writer and preacher, authoring We Have This Ministry , How Shall They Hear , and Sermons from the Black Pulpit , among many others.

Israel Galindo

Israel Galindo is dean and professor of Christian Education at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA. He has written twelve books, including The Craft of Christian Teaching (Judson Press), and The Hidden Lives of Congregations , (Alban Institute) which was selected as one of the "10 best books of 2005" by the Academy of Parish Clergy. Galindo is Executive Director of Educational Consultants (www.galindoconsultants.com). A frequent seminar and workshop presenter, he also serves on the faculty of the Leadership in Ministry Workshops, a clergy training program. Dr. Israel Galindo, Doctorado en Educación,es decano y profesor de educación cristiana en Baptist Theological Seminary en Richmond, VA. El Dr. Galindo es autor de 12 libros, entre otros El Arte de la Enseñanza Cristiana (Judson Press), y The Hidden Lives of Congregations , (Alban Institute). El Dr. Galindo es Director Ejecutivo de Educational Consultants (www.galindoconsultants.com). Ofrece seminarios y talleres con mucha frecuencia y también forma parte de la facultad de Liderazgo en Talleres para el Ministerio, un programa de capacitación para pastores y pastoras.

Portia George

Portia George formerly served as marketing sales representative for Judson Press and as director of the American Baptist Speakers Program. Active in Christian education for more than thirty years, she founded "Kingdom Kids," a program designed to help children of all ages in their journey to know Christ. An accomplished writer, George authored three other children's books, and also contributed to several devotionals and specialty Bibles, including Sister to Sister, Volume 2 and Women at the Well, Volume 2 , both from Judson Press.

R. Wayne Stacy

Norman Maring

Norman H. Maring was professor emeritus of church history at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Seminary). A well-known writer and Baptist historian, Maring's books included Baptists in New Jersey: A Study in Transition , and American Baptists: Whence and Wither . Maring was a past president of the American Baptist Historical Society and served on many American Baptist boards and commissions.

Jini M. Kilgore Cockroft

Jini Kilgore Cockroft, M.Div., DMin., is an ordained American Baptist Churches USA (ABC) minister. In 2008, she and her husband Pastor Willie Cockroft founded HighWay Ministries, an urban mission in South Los Angeles that offers spiritual and practical nurture to people with low incomes. She has contributed to several Judson Press books including: Sister to Sister: Devotions for and from African American Women Vol 1 (1995) & Vol 2 (1999), A Servant's Journey: The Life and Work of Thomas Kilgore (1998), Those Preaching Women, Vol. 2 (1985), and No Other Help I Know: Sermons on Prayer and Spirituality (1996). As a teacher, preacher, writer, editor, administrator, and missionary, Jini has devoted her life to Christian spiritual formation, justice and inclusion. Go to www.hwmin.org to learn more about Highway Ministries.

Orlando L. Tibbetts

Dr. Orlando Tibbetts (1919-2014) published eight books prior to his retirement. He was born in Portland, Maine, raised and educated in the greater Boston area. He earned a BA degree, S.T.M., and a D.Min. He was granted an honorary Doctorate because of his work as an educator in Mexico.

Clfford A. Jones Sr.

Clifford A. Jones Sr., DMin, MDiv, MTh, is senior pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina where he has served since 1982. He is the editor of From Proclamation to Practice: A Unique African American Approach to Stewardship (Judson Press, 1997), and contributed to How Can I Find God? (Triumph Books, 1997), From One Brother to Another: Voices of African American Men (Judson Press, 1997), Consuming Passion: Christianity and the Consumer Culture (InterVarsity Press, 1998), Becoming and Practicing What It Means To Be A Christian (AK Classics, 2011) and The Star Book for Stewardship (Judson Press, 2012). For Dr. Jones's complete biography, visit the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church website.

W Wilson Goode

W. Wilson Goode, DMin, MA, is the former mayor of Philadelphia, an American Baptist minister, and champion of children of the incarcerated. He has a Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Doctor of Ministry from Palmer Theological Seminary. Dr. Goode a senior fellow at Public/Private Ventures where he created and manages the Amachi Mentoring Program, the largest national effort to date working with children of the incarcerated. He is the author of In Goode Faith (Judson Press), and Building from the Ground Up: Creating Effective Programs to Mentor Children of Prisoners .

Myrlene Hamilton Hess

Myrlene Hamilton Hess grew up in South Dakota and has a degree in Secondary Education from Northern State University in Aberdeen, and an MDiv and DMin from Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California. She is pastor of Morning Star Presbyterian Church in Bayville, NJ which she co-founded with her late husband, the Rev. Dr. Edward S. Hamilton. Myrlene's passion is helping people find their special gifts for ministry and putting them to work in places that are fulfilling and that help the church grow. When time permits, she enjoys leading retreats and speaking at seminars. When she is not teaching or preaching or leading groups at Morning Star, she 9penjoys writing, spending time outdoors with her husband church Elder Eric W. Hess, and playing with their labrador retriever, Amazing Grace.

Curtiss Paul DeYoung

Curtiss Paul DeYoung a noted racial justice academic, activist, and author. Presently he is the CEO of the Minnesota Council of Churches. Its twenty-seven member communions come from Historic Black, Mainline Protestant, Pentecostal, Greek Orthodox, and Peace Churches in Minnesota. DeYoung previously served as the Executive Director of the historic faith-based racial justice organization Community Renewal Society in Chicago with its unique programmatic combination of church-based community organizing, policy advocacy, and investigative journalism. Dr. DeYoung was the inaugural Professor of Reconciliation Studies at Bethel University in St. Paul, MN. Rev. DeYoung served at congregations in Minneapolis, New York City, and Washington, DC. He is an ordained minister in the Church of God (Anderson, IN). He consults and speaks nationally and internationally with extensive relationships among activists and peacemakers across the United States and in South Africa and the Holy Land. DeYoung earned a Doctor of Education from the University of St. Thomas (MN) and a Master of Divinity from Howard University School of Theology (Washington, DC). He is an author and editor of thirteen books on racial justice, reconciliation, social justice activism, and cultural competency. With South African anti-apartheid activist Allan Boesak, he co-authored Radical Reconciliation: Beyond Political Pietism and Christian Quietism (Orbis). He was on the editorial team for The Peoples' Bible (Fortress). His book Coming Together in the 21st Century: The Bible's Message in an Age of Diversity (Judson) is a defining text in the cultural hermeneutics of the Bible.

Curtis Ramsey-Lucas, editor

Curtis Ramsey-Lucas is editor of The Christian Citizen , a digital-first publication of American Baptist Home Mission Societies. He is editor of The Christian Citizen Weekly e-newsletter and host of the Justice. Mercy. Faith. podcast. His articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Religion News Service, Sojourners, Baptist News Global, and Good Faith Media .

Everett C. Goodwin

A third-generation Baptist minister, Everett C. Goodwin is pastor of Scarsdale Community Church in Scarsdale, New York, and former chaplain at Flint Hill School in Oakton, Virginia. The author of The New Hiscox Guide for Baptist Churches and Baptists in the Balance , Goodwin has pastored congregations in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Washington D.C., where he was senior minister of the historic First Baptist Church.

Ingrid Dvirnak

M. Ingrid Dvirnak has determined that her life's purpose is to communicate the messages of God through both spoken and written words in ways that her family and friends, church and denomination will be enriched to the glory of God. She has served as the former editor of Baptist Leader magazine and as a consulting editor and writer for Judson Bible Journeys for Adults , published by Judson Press. She is the author of The Work of the Clerk (Judson Press) and co-author of Renewing God's People (American Baptist Home Mission Societies). Previously she was also the editor and program associate for American Baptist Women's Ministries in Valley Forge, PA. More recently she coordinated the communication efforts of the American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains. She is currently retired, living in Elizabeth, Colorado.

Marvin A. McMickle

Marvin A. McMickle, DMin, PhD is currently Interim Regional Executive Minister of The Cleveland Baptist Association of American Baptist Churches USA. He was Interim Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, where he previously served as senior pastor for nearly twenty-five years. He has also served as past president of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, New York. No stranger to academia, McMickle previously served as professor of homiletics at Ashland Theological Seminary and in 2009, spent a semester as a visiting professor at Yale University Divinity School. He also taught at Case Western Reserve, Cleveland State, Princeton, and Fordham universities. A prolific author, McMickle, has more than a dozen books to his credit, including resources on preaching, ministry, and African American history

Ángel Luis Gutiérrez; Edited By Miriam Z. Gutiérrez and Juan Ángel Gutiérrez

El ya fallecido Ángel Luis Gutiérrez fue hijo de la Iglesia Bautista. Fue pastor por más de 50 años y sirvió como ministro ejecutivo de las Iglesias Bautistas de Puerto Rico. Apasionado por la historia bautista, Gutiérrez asistió a un corto seminario sobre el tema en la Universidad de Oxford, Inglaterra. Enseñó historia bautista en el Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico, recibiendo un doctorado HonorisCausa de esa institución

Linda Hollies

Linda H. Hollies (1943-2007) received her MDiv from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and her DMin from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. In 2006 she was named pastor of the Calvary United Methodist Church in Jackson, Michigan, making her the first black American woman to serve as senior pastor of a mainline Protestant church with a predominantly white congregation in Jackson. In addition, she was the spiritual director/pastoral counselor of WomanSpace in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Hollies was the editor of Sister to Sister, Volume 2: Devotions for and from African American Women (Judson Press) and author of several books including Inner Healing for Broken Vessels and Jesus and Those Bodacious Women .

Kirk Byron Jones

Dr. Kirk Byron Jones, PhD, DMin, MPhil, MDiv, is a graduate of Loyola University, Andover Newton Theological School, and holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Emory University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Drew University. A pastor for twenty years, Rev. Jones was the founding minister of Beacon Light Baptist Church in New Orleans, and Senior Minister at Calvary Baptist Church, Chester, PA; Ebenezer Baptist Church, Boston, MA; and First Baptist Church, Randolph, MA. Currently a professor of ethics and preaching at Andover Newton Theological School, Dr. Jones serves as guest preacher and teacher at churches, schools and conferences throughout the United States. His writings have been published in various journals, including The Christian Century , Leadership, Gospel Today , Pulpit Digest , and The African American Pulpit , a quarterly preaching journal he co-founded in 1997. Dr. Jones is the author of several best-selling books including Rest in the Storm: Self-Care Strategies for Clergy and Other Caregivers which was recognized in 2009 as one of only 40 books and films selected by Sojourners magazine as the "Best Resources for Social Change." The Sojourners list included the works of historic and contemporary luminaries, including Sojourner Truth, Henri Nouwen, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Jones's other popular titles include: • Addicted to Hurry: Spiritual Strategies for Slowing Down • The Jazz of Preaching: How to Preach With Great Freedom and Joy (Abingdon Press) • Morning B.R.E.W.: A Divine Power Drink For Your Soul and The Morning B.R.E.W. Journal (Augsburg Books) • Holy Play: The Joyful Adventure of Unleashing Your Divine Purpose (Jossey-Bass). Dr. Jones enjoys a leisure life of family play, reading, listening to music (especially jazz), and having new learning adventures every day.

Elizabeth Conde-Frazier

Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, MDiv, PhD, is dean of Esperanza College at Eastern University in St. David's, Pennsylvania. Prior to assuming this position, she served as associate professor in religious education for the Claremont School of Theology, taught at Latin American Bible Institute, and served as director of the Orlando E. Costas Hispanic and Latin American Ministries Program. An ordained American Baptist minister with more than 10 years experience in the local church, Dr. Conde-Frazier is the author of Hispanic Bible Institutes and coauthor of A Many Colored Kingdom: Multicultural Dynamics for Spiritual Formation . She has also authored many academic and church-related papers on justice issues, such as immigration and ecumenism, as they relate to religious education.

Alice R. Cullinan

Leon H. Sullivan

(1922-2001) Born in Charleston, West Virginia, Leon H. Sullivan became a Baptist minister at age 18 and eventually moved to Philadelphia to become pastor of the Zion Baptist Church in 1950. From the pulpit, he could clearly see the needs of his community. Reverend Sullivan founded the very first Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) in 1964. The OIC provided job and life skills training and matched its graduates up with the employment needs of Philadelphia businesses. The undertaking was a huge success, and the programs were replicated in cities across the United States. In 1969, OIC International was created to provide employment-training services on a global scale.

Patricia Gould-Champ

Patricia Gould-Champ, PhD, is a pastor, theologian, educator, and community leader with more than four decades of ministry experience. She served for twenty-five years as the founding senior pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, where she led the congregation in developing a holistic, community-centered ministry addressing spiritual, educational, economic, and social needs in the East End of the city. Dr. Gould-Champ is currently Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, where she teaches and mentors students preparing for pastoral and church leadership. Her scholarly and ministerial interests include pastoral leadership, succession planning, congregational care, and clergy well- being. A recognized voice in church and community leadership, Dr. Gould-Champ has been honored for her work in faith and education, including receiving the MLK Beloved Community Award from Virginia Union University. Through her writing and teaching, she continues to encourage pastors and congregations to engage leadership transition as sacred work rooted in faith, courage, and love for the church.

Gardner Taylor

Newsweek magazine has said that Gardner Taylor (1918- 2015) is one of the twelve greatest preachers in the English-speaking world. He is considered by many to be the greatest living African American preacher. The recipient of over 100 honorary degrees, he served as pastor of Concord Baptist Church in Brooklyn for forty-two years. He is the author of the six-volume series, The Words of Gardner Taylor (Judson Press). After retiring in 1990, he maintained an active travel and speaking schedule. In 2000, he received The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, recognizing exceptional meritorious service.

Jean Alicia Elster

A resident of Detroit, Michigan, Jean Alicia Elster, JD, is a professional editor and writer whose articles have appeared in national publications such as World Vision and Black Child . In addition to the Joe Joe in the City series, she is the author of the young adult novel Who's Jim Hines? (Wayne State University Press) which was selected as a Notable Book by the Library of Michigan. She also collaborated in the manuscript preparation for the award-winning Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue with Today's Youth by Rosa Parks (Lee & Low Books). She is the editor of several books published by Judson Press including Playbook for Christian Manhood: 12 Key Plays for Black Teen Boys by James C. Perkins and Profiles in Black: Phat Facts for Teens by Marvin A. McMickle. Jean Alicia Elster and her husband are the parents of a son and a daughter.

Marilyn Turner-Triplett

Marilyn P. Turner-Triplett, MDiv, DMin, is founding director of American Baptist Home Mission Societies' Rizpah's Children program, which seeks to create a network of community outreach ministries that provide long-term solutions to the complex challenges faced by children affected by poverty. Turner-Triplett preaches and teaches throughout the US and Puerto Rico. Her articles have appeared in magazines such as The Christian Citizen and Sojourners .

Cynthia L. Hale

Cynthia L. Hale, MDiv, DMin, is founder and senior pastor of the 5,000-member Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia. As a woman of vision, Dr. Hale is honored locally, nationally, and internationally for her leadership, integrity, and compassion. She serves on various boards in her denomination and in the Atlanta area, as well as being co-chair of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. Inducted into the Martin Luther King's Board of Preachers of Morehouse College, Dr. Hale was also selected to give the opening invocation at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Miriam Z. Gutiérrez

Miriam Z. Gutiérrez, es ministra bautista ordenada en Puerto Rico y casada con el autor por 46 años. Es docente adjunta en el Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico, donde enseña cursos relacionados a la denominación . Ha servido en distintas capacidades a nivel denominacional.

Rosalie Hall Hunt

Rosalie Hall Hunt is a sought-after speaker at churches, conferences and conventions and in addition, frequently performs missions monologues. The daughter of missionary parents in China, Hunt is a retired Baptist missionary, and has taught in Myanmar (formerly Burma), South Asia, Australia, the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Hunt is a member of the Board of Directors of The Alabama Baptist. Through 2007 she served as president of the Alabama Woman's Missionary Union, then for five years as national recording secretary of Woman's Missionary Union. Hunt holds an MS in Counseling and an MA in English and Speech Communication. Since the publication of Bless God and Take Courage , she has been awarded honorary doctorates from Judson University in Elgin, IL, and Judson College in Marion, AL.

Walter S. Thomas

Frank A. Thomas is one of the most creative, pioneering, and prominent thought leaders of this generation. Thomas holds a PhD in Communications (Rhetoric) from the University of Memphis and currently serves as the Nettie Sweeney and Hugh Th. Miller Professor of Homiletics and Director of the Academy of Preaching and Celebration at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Jacqueline Glass

Jacqueline Glass, a resident of Jersey City, New Jersey, is founder of At the Well Conferences, Inc. The 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization began as a means to empower women, particularly women of color, who oftentimes are on the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. Her impetus for creating the organization was personal. Workplace challenges for women prompted her to direct energies toward planning conferences that provide empowerment in the areas of finance, health, and spirituality. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, she received her Master of Divinity degree in 2003. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Lehman College in 2000 where she graduated with the distinction of Magna Cum Laude. A licensed minister, she served as Adjunct Professor in Old Testament at the College of New Rochelle in the Bronx from 2004 to 2005. She currently serves as Associate Minister at Elmwood Presbyterian Church, Newark, NJ. A publishing professional, she worked as a freelance marketing consultant and editor for Judson Press, a 185 year-old Christian publisher, for several years. She served as the Editor for two books: Those Preaching Women, Volume 4 (Judson Press: 2003) and Fire in the Well by Henry and Ella Mitchell (Judson Press: 2002).

Henry H. Mitchell

(1919-2022) An ordained American Baptist Churches USA minister, Rev. Dr. Henry H. Mitchell served from 1945 -1959 as a denominational staff person in Northern California. He subsequently pastored California churches in Fresno and Santa Monica before beginning his esteemed academic career. Time in academia included: • Being named the first Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Black Church Studies at Colgate Rochester Divinity School • Serving as founding director of the Ecumenical Center for Black church Studies, in Los Angeles • Acting as Academic Dean and Professor of History and Homiletics at Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University • Team teaching along with his wife, the late Rev. Dr. Ella Pearson Mitchell, as Visiting Professors of Homiletics at the Interdenominational Theological Center • Mentoring students, again with Ella, in the Doctor of Ministry Program at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio Dr. Mitchell is author of three texts, Black Preaching , The Recovery of Preaching and Celebration and Experience in Preaching . He co- authored two other books, Soul Theology and Preaching for Black Self-Esteem with Dr. Emil M. Thomas. In 2004, his Black Church Beginnings, 1650- 1990 , a radical rewrite and correction of early Black Church History, was released by Eerdmans Publishing. The Mitchell's inspiring love story, Together for Good , was originally published in 1999 and re-released by Judson Press in 2005. Rev. Dr. Mitchell is a native of Columbus, Ohio. He holds degrees from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania (B.A & L.H.D, hon.); Union Theological Seminary, New York (B.D./M.Div); California State University at Fresno (M.A. Linguistics); Claremont School of Theology, California (Th.D.); and The American Baptist Seminary of the West, Berkeley, CA (D.D., hon.).

Jeffrey A. Johnson

Jeff has been in professional ministry for nearly forty years. He has served as a local church pastor in three different congregation, one church twice. He has been a member of region staff, an executive minister, and a national executive. He has done coaching and consulting work for decades in and outside his own denomination. He is a husband, father, son, mentor, and mentee. You are NEVER too old to learn!

Glenn H. Asquith

The Rev. Dr. Glenn H. Asquith Sr. (1904 - 2008) An American Baptist pastor, editor and noted authority on church life, Dr. Asquith authored 14 books, including Church Officers at Work. He was a graduate of Eastern Baptist College and earned his Doctor of Divinity degree from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ordained in American Baptist Churches USA, Dr. Asquith pastored American Baptist churches in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Dr. Asquith was named pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church in Haddonfield, N.J., where, as interim pastor at age 86, he helped lead the church through an arduous building and renovation project. He retired from pastoral ministry in 1970. Recalling his father's ministry, Dr. Glenn H. Asquith Jr. said, "I remember him as a builder and convener of people. Everywhere he went he united people and focused [them] on a common purpose. He was also an evangelist. Two weeks before his death, he was evangelizing the staff and residents at the nursing home [where he lived] because he said that he wanted as many of his friends as possible in heaven with him." During his many years of service to the denomination, Dr. Asquith served as executive minister of both the American Baptist Churches of New York State and the Philadelphia Baptist Association. Also, he oversaw development of a new Sunday school curriculum as editor- in-chief with the American Baptist Board of Education and Publication, headquartered in Valley Forge, PA., from which he retired in 1967. Today this board's work of discipleship, education and publishing is carried on by National Ministries.

Marcia Bailey

Rev. Dr. Marcia B. Bailey is an American Baptist pastor and an Associate Professor of Teaching at Temple University. Marcia has had the unique experience of having led several congregations as a Transitional Pastor, being a member of a congregation in pastoral transition and being a settled pastor as well. These three perspectives give depth to her understanding of the wealth of possibilities inherent in the “time between” settle pastors and her belief that God can bring about transformation even in transition.

Wendell L. Griffen

Wendell L. Griffen, DDiv, is well-known as a lawyer, jurist, legal educator, religious leader, and public speaker. He serves as pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, and also as Circuit Judge for the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Arkansas. Dr. Griffen is the founder and CEO of Griffen Strategic Consulting which specializes in diversity and inclusion, cultural competency, strategic planning and development, public policy and government relations, legal affairs, and litigation management. He is a member of the Board of Directors for The Christian Ethics Today Foundation and serves as a trustee of the Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference. Dr. Griffen is the author of two blogs: Wendell Griffen on Cultural Competency and Justice is a Verb! blogs.

Michael Gemignani

Michael Gemignani, MS, PhD, JD, (1938-2024) was the associate rector at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Lamarque, Texas, and an ordained Episcopal priest for more than 30 years. He was also a long-time spiritual director with a special interest in, and experience with, healing ministry.

Christine A. Smith

Christine A. Smith, PhD, MDiv, is senior pastor of Restoration Ministries of Greater Cleveland and author of Beyond the Stained Glass Ceiling: Equipping and Encouraging Female Pastors (Judson Press). In 2024, Dr. Smith became director of the Rudd Empowerment Center at American Baptist Women's Ministries (ABWM)-a hub to advance leadership, empowerment, and educational opportunities for women and their families. In 2025, Dr. Smith was called as associate executive director of ABWM.

Sheryl J. Anderson

Efrain Agosto

Efrain Agosto is Professor of New Testament at New York Theological Seminary in New York City. He was Interim Pastor of the Second Baptist Church of New York in 2013. Currently, he is a lay member of the United Church of Christ (UCC). He lives with his wife Olga Gisela Agosto in West Hartford, Connecticut. Efrain Agosto es Profesor de Nuevo Testamento del Seminario Teológico de Nueva York en la Ciudad de Nueva York. Fue Pastor Interino de la Segunda Iglesia Bautista de Nueva York en el 2013. Actualmente, es miembro laico de la Iglesia Unida de Cristo (UCC). Vive con su esposa Olga Gisela Agosto en West Hartford, Connecticut.

Jann Aldredge-Clanton

Jann Aldredge-Clanton, MDiv, PhD, (1946 - 2024) is a feminist theologian, author, chaplain, and teacher who leads workshops and conferences nationally and internationally. She serves as co-chair of the national, intercultural Equity for Women in the Church Community, adjunct professor at Perkins School of Theology and Richland Community College, council member of Christian Feminism Today, co- founder and co-leader of New Wineskins Feminist Ritual Community, and on the Dallas Workers' Rights Board. She is the author of numerous books, including She Lives! Sophia Wisdom Works in the World ; Earth Transformed with Music! Inclusive Songs for Worship ; In Whose Image? God and Gender , Changing Church: Stories of Liberating Ministers , and Seeking Wisdom: Inclusive Blessings and Prayers for Public Occasions .

Courtney Anderson

Douglas Beyer

Douglas Beyer is pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church of Temple City, California. He has served as interim pastor in Manila, Philippines; Taipei, Taiwan; Hong Kong, and Mexico City. He is the author of Basic Beliefs of Christians , Commandments for Christian Living , and Parables for Christian Living (Judson Press) and editor with Paul F. Ford of Words To Live By: A Dictionary for the Mere Christian , (HarperCollins, 2007).

Daniel Cash

Daniel M. Cash, DMin, currently serves as Senior Pastor of The First Baptist Church of Columbus, Indiana. He has over twenty-five years in pastoral and regional ministry. Dan served as an Area Resource Minister with the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky for eight years, consulting with churches and facilitating pastoral leadership groups. He continues to teach a course on Leadership through the Church Leadership Institute of ABC/IN-KY.

Paige Lanier Chargois

Paige Lanier Chargois, BA, MDiv, DMin (1944 - 2025), is a retired ordained minister and pastor living in Richmond, Virginia, who serves as a church consultant. A dynamic and powerful preacher and teacher, through 42 years of ministry Dr. Chargois has served on church staffs, as adjunct faculty and as a university chaplain. She is the former National Associate Director of Hope in the Cities-a national and international non-profit committed to racial reconciliation and has authored three books: Certain Women Called by Christ: Biblical Realities for Today (New Hope Publishers, 2008), The Work of the Greeter (Judson Press 2009) and Living a Job Faith: From Tried to Triumphant .

Laura Cheifetz

Laura Mariko Cheifetz, MBA, MDiv, is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She serves as the executive director of church and public relations at Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. A preacher, speaker and writer in a variety of settings throughout the church, she previously worked with The Fund for Theological Education in Decatur, GA.

William Crouch Jr

William H. Crouch Jr., MDiv, DMin, is president of Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky. In 1998, he was selected a Distinguished Fellow at Regent’s Park College, University of Oxford. In 2003, he was elected a member of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Previously he served as vice-president of development at Carson-Newman College.

Susan O'Carroll Drake

Susan O'Carroll Drake is a former public school teacher who currently works to support her children's teachers as a classroom volunteer and executive board member of the Parent Teacher Association. Drake holds an MS in Biology and Human Nutrition, a BS in Psychology, and a secondary science teaching certificate. During her year in the classroom, she received numerous teaching honors, including being named Colorado's Outstanding Biology Teacher.

Edwin S. Gaustad

Edwin Scott Gaustad (1923-2011) was one of the foremost historians of American religious history. In comments offered to the New York Times on the occasion of Gaustad's death, Martin E. Marty, professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, said, "Edwin Scott Gaustad has been for decades the premier historian of religious dissent in the United States, a scholar who set his biographical subjects—Roger Williams, Benjamin Franklin, and others—into the context of the larger story well told in his pace-setting Religious History of America . He was also the atlas maker for two generations of Americans who wanted to fuse geographical and historical interests, as he himself did so well. His Faith of the Founders is much used in our time when it has become urgent to get an accurate reading on the story of religion in the national founding. He may have liked to tell the story of dissent, but one can only remember him as someone who gave assent to other scholars, audiences, and others who welcomed his generosity of spirit, and—to the end—his smile. Generations of students knew him not only as a first-rate lecturer but also as a soul who will not soon be forgotten." Gaustad's special interest was the colonial period, in particular the nature of American religious liberty, pluralism, and dissent. His books include The Great Awakening in New England, Historical Atlas of Religion in America, A Religious History of America, Dissent in American Religion, Baptist Piety: Last Will and Testament of Obadiah Holmes, George Berkeley in America, Documentary History of Religion in America, Faith of the Founders, Liberty of Conscience: Roger Williams in America, Sworn on the Altar of God: A Religious Biography of Thomas Jefferson, Church and State in America (for young adults), and Benjamin Franklin. He is also co-author with five other authors of the textbook Unto a Good Land: A History of the American People. Gaustad was born on November 14, 1923, in Rowley, Iowa, but grew up in Houston, Texas. After serving in the Army Air Corps in 1943-45, he graduated from Baylor University (1947) and completed his graduate work at Brown University in 1951. His teaching career took him from Shorter College in Rome, Georgia (1953-57), to the University of Redlands in California (1957-65) and finally to the University of California at Riverside, where he remained until retiring in 1989, when he was named professor emeritus. He was also visiting professor at Baylor University (1978), University of Richmond (1987), Princeton Seminary (1991-92), and Auburn University (1993). A distinguished lecturer at other schools in the United States and abroad, he also served as President of the American Society of Church History and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Speakers Panel. He received Distinguished Alumni Awards at both Baylor and Brown Universities, as well as the Distinguished Teaching Award at UC Riverside and the Alumni Religious Liberty Award from Baylor.

Susan Gillies

Susan Gillies, MA, spent more than twenty years in leadership positions with American Baptist Churches USA, including directing the Ministry of the Laity in the Workplace program for National Ministries (now the American Baptist Home Mission Societies) and serving as Executive Minister of American Baptist Churches of Nebraska. In retirement, she now is a public speaker, newspaper columnist, consultant, and silversmith in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.

Juan Angel Gutierrez

JuanÁngel Gutiérrez, heredó de su padre el amor por la historia bautista. Ha escrito varios artículos sobre la libertad de conciencia y otros principios bautistas y ha contribuido con el caso de estudio de este libro acerca de la separación entre iglesia y estado, un tema que recientemente tuvo que enfrentar el pueblo bautista en Puerto Rico.

Sandra Demott Hasenauer

Frederick D. Haynes III

Frederick "Freddy" D. Haynes III, MDiv, DMin, is senior pastor of the 9,000-member Friendship-West Baptist Church and chairman of the board for FaithFormula Human Services Corporation, the church's community development corporation, both in Dallas, Texas. A popular guest preacher, Dr. Haynes's progressive and outreach, Bible-based teaching has reached millions of people across the nation and around the world. His popular daily radio broadcast, "Inspirational Vitamin," can be heard on K104 FM in northern Texas.

Johnny B. Hill

Johnny B. Hill is a scholar, activist, author and preacher, committed to global peace, reconciliation, social justice, and human rights in America and throughout the world. A graduate of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Ph.D.) in Evanston, Ill., Hill also earned degrees from Duke Divinity School (M.Div.; Th.M.), and the Bachelor in Sociology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. Presently, Dr. Hill serves as the president of the Foundation for Reconciliation and Dialogue with renowned theologian J. Deotis Roberts. He is also senior pastor of the historic Greater Good Hope Baptist Church in Louisville, KY and is the Theologian-in-Residence at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. He is also active as a member of the Justice and Advocacy Commission of the National Council of Churches, USA, and chair of the Theology of Martin Luther King Jr. Consultation with the American Academy of Religion. Hill's other publications include The Theology of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Desmond Mpilo Tutu (Palgrave MacMillan, 2007) and The First Black President: Barack Obama, Race, Politics, and the American Dream (Palgrave Macmillan Publishers, 2009).

Vincent Wyatt Howell & Vincent Wyatt Howell Jr.

Vincent W. Howell, MA, DMin, is pastor of the Centenary United Methodist Churches in Clemmons, NC. During his ministry, his leadership has focused on training clergy and laity on applying project management in the church to achieve effective project implementation, as well as to better utilize the limited resources within the local church. Vincent writes on issues of leadership and local church history.

Tabatha Johnson

Tabatha D. Johnson, MDiv, is an ordained Disciples of Christ minister serving as a palliative care chaplain. She has more than twelve years of ministry experience focused in family ministry, pastoral care, and chaplaincy. She lives in the Kansas City metro area with her husband and three children.

Christopher Michael Jones

A Graduate Fellow and Research Assistant for the State of New Jersey Amistad Commission, Rev. Christopher Michael Jones is pursuing his Doctoral studies in Speech Communications at The University of Memphis. His focus includes rhetoric in black preaching during the Reconstruction Era and the function of tonality in black preaching. Jones earned his Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Rutgers University-New Brunswick as a Merit Scholar. He has also studied Religion and Society at Christ Church College, University of Oxford and was selected in 2006 as one of America's emerging Young-Adult Leaders by the NAACP Leadership 500 Summit. Jones finished 2nd place in the Fall 2006 The African American Pulpit "Seminarian Sermon Contest" publishing the sermon titled "By Whose Authority Do You Preach?" Jones is senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Hillside, NJ and former Hip-Hop and R&B music producer having produced multi-platinum recording artists The Notorious B.I.G, Nas, Shaquille O'Neal and Toni Braxton to name a few.

David Laubach

David Laubach was formerly the Associate Executive Director for program ministries at the American Baptist Churches, USA. He serves as chair of the Church Renewal Workgroup of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), and also is a member of the BWA Evangelism and Education executive committee. A former pastor of churches in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Rev. Dr. Laubach has devoted much of his life's work to evangelism, renewal, and transformation. He holds a D. Min. degree from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, an M. Th. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and an M. Div. degree from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Bill Leonard

Bill J. Leonard holds the James and Marilyn Dunn Chair of Baptist Studies at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity where he was the founding dean. In 2010 he retired as dean but continued to teach church history in the divinity school and the religion department of the university. Prior to joining the faculty of Wake Forest in 1996, Leonard served as Professor of Church History at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, 1975-1992. While there he was for a time Associate Dean, president of the Faculty Association, editor of the Review and Expositor , and W. W. Brooks Professor of American Religion. From 1992 to 1996 he was Chair of the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama. Leonard is the author or editor of some 15 books including The Nature of the Church ; Word of God Across the Ages: Using Church History in Preaching ; God's Last and Only Hope: The Fragmentation of the Southern Baptist Convention ; Appalachian Christianity: Profiles in Regional Pluralism ; Baptist Ways: A History ; and Baptists in America . His most recent books are Baptist Questions, Baptist Answers , and The Baptist Bible (co-editor), both published in 2009. Leonard is also the author of over 400 articles published in a variety of journals, periodicals and books. Dr. Leonard holds a BA from Texas Wesleyan College (1968), an MDiv from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (1971), and a PhD from Boston University (1975). His spouse, Dr. Candyce Crew Leonard, is professor of Humanities at Wake Forest University with specialization in Spanish literature. They have one daughter, Stephanie. The Leonard's are members of First Baptist Church, Highland Avenue, the oldest African American Baptist congregation in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Samuel Mckinney

Reverend Samuel Berry McKinney (1926-2018) graduated from Morehouse in 1949 and went on to graduate from New York's Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1952. He received his Doctor of Ministry Degree from the Colgate Rochester/Bexley Hall/Crozier Theological Seminaries (Rochester) in 1975. McKinney served as pastor of Seattle's Mount Zion Baptist Church from 1958 until his retirement in 1998, and provided the longest continuous pastorship in the history of the church. Rev. McKinney was a civil rights leader as well as a minister, and did much to shape the conscience of Seattle.

Thomas E. McLeod Matthew Tennant

Ella Mitchell Pearson

The Rev. Dr. Ella P. Mitchell (1918-2008) was a teacher, preacher, devoted wife, mother and outstanding author. She is known as the "dean of Black women preachers." Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Dr. Mitchell graduated from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where she met her husband Dr. Henry H. Mitchell, with whom she has ministered for over sixty years. Together, they have served as co-mentors in the Doctor of Ministry Program at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and were founders of the Ecumenical Center for Black Church Studies in Los Angeles. Dr. Ella was the first woman Dean of Sisters Chapel at Spelman College and also taught at the American Baptist Seminary of the West and the School of Theology at Claremont. Dr. Mitchell was the editor of five volumes of the series, Those Preaching Women , and, with her husband, completed their joint autobiography, Together for Good , which shares the secret to lasting love and friendship. In October of 2007 she celebrated her ninetieth birthday surrounded by family and friends on a birthday cruise.

Harold Nichols

In his lifetime, Harold Nichols was a deacon with 40 years of experience and conducted numerous training sessions for deacons in churches of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, the oldest association of Baptists in the United States.

Sharon Norris Elliott

"Live significantly!" That's the inspiring message of Sharon Norris Elliott, award-winning author, speaker, publishing expert/visionista, and astute Bible teacher, whose delightful teaching ministry always inspires her audiences to think Biblically, speak intelligently, work passionately, act responsibly, love unconditionally, and live significantly. Her aim – and her encouragement to everyone who will listen– is to live a life that matters. Sharon offers a "Boys Like Jesus" seminar for churches and community organizations. Interested? Download the brochure here, visit her website at www.LifeThatMatters.net, or email her at LifeThatMatters@yahoo.com Visit Sharon's daily devotional blog: www.sanewriter.wordpress.comand her online Bible study: www.LifeThatMatters.net ("A Heart for the Word" Podcast)

Richard P. Olson

Richard P. Olson, MDiv, STM, PhD, is recently retired from Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas, where he was Distinguished Professor of Pastoral Theology. He has also had extensive ministry experience as a pastor in a variety of congregational settings. He earned his PhD in Social Ethics and Sociology of Religion from Boston University. More pertinently, Olson has had career-long participation in ecumenical organizations. He has studied at the United States Holocaust Museum and participated in 5-week study course, "A Religious Mosaic in the Holy Land," at Galilee College, Israel. He chaired the planning committee for the ABCUSA sponsored Midwest Baptist-Muslim Dialogue event, and continues in extensive interfaith activity, study, and speaking on these matters. His current activities include conversations with leaders at the local Islamic Center, bringing seminary classes to Shabbat services at a nearby synagogue, taking a short online course on the Sufis (Muslim mystics), and helping with a summer interfaith study-action program for elementary school children at his local church.

Marcia Patton

Marcia J. Patton, PhD, MDiv, MAR, is the first executive minister of the newest American Baptist Churches USA region, the Evergreen Association. Evergreen Association is unique among American Baptists because it is organized around ethnic caucuses and does its work by consensus. Prior to this appointment in 2004, she spent thirteen years as Associate Executive Minister with the American Baptist Churches of Northwest, and served as associate minister for churches in Pennsylvania, Utah, and New Jersey. Dr. Patton serves on the transition team with American Baptist Churches USA, and as a delegate to the National Council of Churches Assembly.

Glenn Porter

Glenn E. Porter, MDiv, DMin, combines ministry and media. He is senior pastor at Queen Street Baptist Church, Norfolk, Virginia, contributing writer at The Christian Citizen, co-editor with Jonathan C. Augustine of Leadership in Times of Crisis: Alpha Phi Alpha's Ministers as Prophets, Priests, and Kings (ROM Digital Ink Press, 2024), and author of Journey With Jesus Through Lent (Judson Press, 2017). He is also an associate chaplain with Sentara Hospitals in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Please visit www.drgporter.com for more information or engagement requests.

Richard E. Rusbuldt

J. Manny Santiago

J. Manny Santiago, MDiv, es nacido en Puerto Rico, Bautista Americano de cuarta generaciín. Es escritor, pastor, profesor universitario, organizador comunitario, orador y teólogo. Actualmente el Rvdo. Santiago es pastor en la Iglesia Bautista Universitaria en Seattle, WA. Santiago es también conferencista a distancia del departamento de humanidades de la Universidad Interamericana en Ponce, Puerto Rico y trabaja a nivel nacional con la juventud de las Iglesias Bautistas Americanas. A fourth-generation American Baptist from Puerto Rico, J. Manny Santiago, MDiv, is a writer, community organizer, public speaker, and theologian. Currently, Rev. Santiago is pastor at University Baptist Church in Seattle, WA. Santiago is also a distance-learning lecturer at the Interamerican University in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and works at the national level with youth and young adults in the American Baptist Churches USA.

Spruill Ed Sonya

Sonya Spruill, Ed's wife, is also co-founder of Teachers Motivating Kid, Inc. She presently teaches at Central Middle School in Melbourne, FL, and holds a bachelor's degree in Education from Florida State University.

Robert G. Torbet

The late Robert George Torbet, a former seminary dean, professor, and historian, held degrees from Wheaton College, the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Seminary), and the University of Pennsylvania from which he earned a PhD. He was editor, department director, and board member of the American Baptist Board of Education and Publication (now Judson Press), and also served as president of the American Baptist Convention. Although Torbet produced several historical works, he is probably best known for A History of the Baptists .

Romal J. Tune

Romal Tune is Founder and Executive Administrator of two touchstone organizations dedicated to connecting faith communities, corporate and public entities, social-change advocates, and underserved young people: the national non-profit Faith For Change, which solicits community involvement with high-needs schools, and FFC Consulting, which engages and connects companies and organizations with the faith-based community at large. A regular contributor to the Huffington Post as well as other publications, Tune is also a popular motivational speaker and teacher. He graduated magna cum laude from Howard University and Duke Divinity School.

Henry C. Vedder

Ralph Watkins

Rev. Dr. Ralph Watkins, PhD, DMin, MA, is the Pastor of Wheat Street Baptist Church and the Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. He was the assistant dean of the African American Church Studies Program and associate professor of society, religion, and Africana studies in the School of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. With over 20 years of pastoral, teaching, and administrative experience, Dr. Ralph Watkins is an active teaching scholar with over 250 publications and conference presentations to his credit, including five books. In recent years, Watkins has received a Governor's Teaching Fellowship, Lilly Teaching Fellowship, Fulbright Hayes Fellowship for a study in Ghana, a Wabash Teaching Fellowship, and various awards and study grants to study in Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Mexico, and Ethiopia. He is ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination and served as the executive pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles under Rev. Dr. John J. Hunter. Prior to FAME he served as Director of Ecclesia / Executive Pastor at The City of Refuge under Bishop Noel Jones in Gardena California.

Edward Taylor

The Reverend Edward L. Taylor was reared in Ville Platte, LA in the heart of Louisiana's French speaking Acadiana region. He currently serves as Teaching Pastor of Crosswalk Community Baptist Church, a multiethnic, mission-oriented congregation in Sunnyvale, CA and as President of Taylor Ministries. He is married to LaTrice Taylor. The Taylors have one son, Paul.

Alvin D. Johnson

William C. Turner Jr.

William C. Turner is pastor of Mount Level Missionary Baptist Church and associate professor of the practice of homiletics at the Duke University Divinity School, both in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr Floyd Flake

Floyd Flake is the senior pastor of the 20,000+ member Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in Jamaica, NY. He is the current president of Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio, the nation's oldest private African American university. For ten years, Flake served in the U.S. Congress, and is now a commissioner on the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education. Preaching since the age of 15, Flake holds a B.A. from Wilberforce University, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH. He is author of The Way of the Bootstrapper (HarperSanFrancisco).

Lora-Ellen McKinney

Lora-Ellen McKinney is the daughter of a third-generation Baptist minister and an expert in community health, social services, social justice, and education. She currently heads her own consulting firm in Seattle, WA. Her Kellogg National Fellowship Award provided her dispute resolution training through the Harvard Negotiation Project and Eastern Mennonite University's Conflict Analysis and Transformation program. McKinney received her MS and PhD from the University of Washington in Seattle, and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Carmichael Crutchfield

Carmichael D. Crutchfield, DMin, PhD, is Vice President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean, Clara Scott Chair of Church and Ministry, Professor of Christian Education, Spiritual Formation, and Youth Ministry at Memphis Theological Seminary. He is an ordained Elder in full connection of the CME Church. He also serves as General Secretary of The Department of Christian Education and Formation of the CME Church.

Harold Trulear

Harold Dean Trulear is Director of the Healing Communities Prison Ministry and Prisoner Reentry Project of the Philadelphia Leadership Foundation. Designed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Healing Communities has been implemented in over 20 sites nationally, in partnership with such organizations as the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the Christian Association for Prisoner Aftercare and the National Women's Prison Project. Dr. Trulear is an ordained American Baptist minister and serves as Associate Professor of Applied Theology and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Howard University. He also serves as a Fellow at the Center for Public Justice in Annapolis, MD. He is founding president of GLOBE (God Leading Our Best Efforts) Ministries, a youth services agency in Philadelphia and has taught religion, public policy and community studies in several institutions, including Yale University, Drew University, Hartford Seminary, Eastern University and Vanderbilt University. A graduate of Morehouse College (BA) and Drew University (PhD), Dr. Trulear has authored over seventy published monographs, articles, essays, sermons and reviews, including African American Churches and Welfare Reform (Center for Public Justice) and Faith Based Initiatives with High Risk Youth (P/PV) and writes a bi-monthly column for Prism: The Alternative Evangelical Voice .

Debora Jackson

Debora Jackson, MDiv, DMin, is the former Director of Lifelong Learning at Yale Divinity School and former Executive Director of the Ministers Council, ABCUSA. Dr. Jackson also served as the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Needham, MA. Having previously held numerous corporate leadership positions, she served as a Chief Operating and Chief Information Officer and an independent consultant.

Billie Montgomery Cook

Billie Montgomery/Cook is a proud Spelman graduate ('73) and retired University Administrator (Old Dominion Univ.). She is a freelance writer, author, local history researcher, playwright and dramaturg. Additionally, she has served as Coordinator of Drama Ministry for a number of years (Third Bapt. Church) and is Creative Director of The Not-Just-for- February Players, an African American Readers Theatre Troupe. Cook's first book published by Judson Press, The Real Deal: A Spiritual Guide for Black Teen Girls , is a national best seller! Initially written to her daughter, Jeanina (deceased) who was facing the trials of puberty, countless "daughters/nieces/granddaughters, etc.," along with rites of passage groups, church youth groups, VBS programming, sororities, social/civic groups, etc., use this text in helping "their daughters" to understand the importance of building a spiritual connection with God, the Father. Sisters of Scripture: Mentors in Womanhood , Cook's second book with Judson was honored by winning The Illumination Award for Devotionals (2015, The Jenkins Group). This text has proven to be effective and exciting Bible study/ discussion resource material for not only singles/women's church groups and prison ministries (Sunday School, VBS, etc.) across the country but teen groups as well. Billie Cook's latest book, Rise Up and Pray: Sustenance for A Pandemic, The 2020 Presidential Election and Beyond , is a collection of prayers taken from her Facebook pages over the span of the year 2020 during the time of universal Covid 19/pandemic confinement. So many things happened that year - so many lives lost, the presidential election and it's ongoing aftermath, etc. Like so many others, prayer became Cook's "lifeline". She shares them within these pages. Billie M/Cook resides in Portsmouth, VA with her husband, (retired) Rev. Keith S. Cook. Presently, they are members of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Portsmouth, VA.

Alan R. Rudnick

Alan R. Rudnick, MDiv, is an American Baptist pastor, author, blogger, and social media practitioner. He is senior pastor of the DeWitt Community Church, Syracuse, New York, and previously served in pastoral staff ministry for more than 10 years. In 2010–2011, Rudnick was a Fellow with the Lewis Center for Church Leadership housed at Wesley Theological Seminary. Visit Alan's website at http://alanrudnick.org.

William Griffith

William H. Griffith is a retired hospice chaplain having been on the staff at Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona, and Hospice of South Central Indiana. A 35 year veteran of pastoral ministry, he holds both Doctor of Ministry and Master of Divinity degrees. His studies have focused on grief recovery, pastoral counseling, and preaching. Dr. Griffith is also the author of the Judson Press book More Than a Parting Prayer: Lessons in Care-Giving for the Dying . He is available for conferences, seminars, or workshops to address the issues of grief and care-giving for the dying. Visit his website at www.wmgriffithbooks.com and contact him at wmgriffith@aol.com.

Ed Spruill

Ed Spruill is co-founder and executive director of Teachers Motivating Kid, Inc., a non-profit organization. Presently a youth pastor and minister at Greater Faith Temple Church of God in Christ in Melbourne, FL, he travels doing motivational speaking of students. He holds a bachelor's degree in English from Florida State University.

Nancy E. Hall

Nancy E. Hall, MDiv, DMin, describes herself as a pastor, professor, and church musician. An ordained minister in the American Baptist Churches USA, she is currently Associate Professor of Ministry and Congregational Music and Director of Contextual Education at American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, California, as well as serving as Pastor of First Baptist Church of Berkeley. Dr. Hall writes and teaches extensively about liturgy in its broadest sense as "the work of the people." Among the courses she has taught are Planning Congregational Music; Leading Music for Worship; Worship in Free Church Traditions; and Conversations about Worship. Rev. Dr. Hall worked closely with the late John Skoglund as coauthor of the twenty-fifth anniversary revision of his classic Manual of Worship .

Hugh Poland

Hugh Poland, MDiv, is a member of the Society for American Baseball and the Woodworkers' Club of Houston. He has utilized many of the illustrations in Intentional Walk , Steal Away , and The Master Carpenter during his ministry in Texas churches. He is a regular contributor to the men's devotional magazine, Stand Firm, as well as PreachingToday.com, and has also been published in The Student and Church Musician and Leadership Journal. The author has degrees from Houston Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Kathryn Choy-Wong

Kathryn Choy-Wong is an American Baptist Churches ordained minister and co-founder of I-Relate Intercultural Leadership Institute, a non-profit educational and consulting organization dedicated to creating and providing training and tools to support the development of culturally competent leaders.

Joseph Robinson Jr.

Author, speaker, and real-world leader Joseph Robinson, Jr. is passionate about helping people identify and cultivate vital characteristics of leadership. Robinson conducts workshops and seminars on leadership topics, strategic planning, team building, and conflict resolution. Whether you lead in church or the community, a classroom or boardroom, there are some essentials you must know. Some might call them principles, but Robinson believes they are much more and has identified what he calls 7 leadership imperatives, gleaned from the life of the biblical figure, John the Baptist. In 2006, Robinson took an early retirement from his position as a senior division manager for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to focus on a speaking and writing ministry to help equip others with the knowledge and tools they need to lead in their own world. His 26 years of public administrative experience provided him with a laboratory for implementing his 7 leadership imperatives. Over more than two decades with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Robinson honed his supervisory, mentoring, and communication skills, and was certified as a quality manager through the American Society for Quality. He understands business and the challenges inherent with delivering quality products and services. As a deacon at his church, The Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Robinson also appreciates how leadership characteristics in the secular world translate into the church and ministry setting. He knows from experience that effective leadership at all levels is essential. Included in Robinson's varied experiences is having obtained his BA degree from the University of Virginia. An active member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Robinson also serves as Executive Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Development Institute. This program is an initiative of the Harrisburg Interdenominational Ministers Conference to develop emerging community leaders. To inquire about retaining Robinson for speaking engagements, consulting services, workshops or seminars, please visit: www.josephrobinsonjr.com. E-mail: Jrobin2009@aol.com Mail: 2009 Bradley Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17110 Office: (717) 919-4392

Joy Freeman

Joy Freeman, MDiv, is an American Baptist chaplain serving at North Kansas City Hospital in the Kansas City metro area. She is board certified with the Association of Professional Chaplains. Also a trained labyrinth facilitator, she is a wife and a mother to a seven-year-old daughter and a precious child who is now in heaven.

Janet Mccormack

Janet Rae McCormack is a board certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains and an American Baptist Churches USA clergyperson. She serves as Denver Seminary's Chaplaincy Training Center Director, and is assistant professor of chaplaincy and pastoral counseling. A retired Air Force chaplain, she has extensive experience in military, hospital, police, prison, NASCAR, crisis, trauma, and industrial chaplaincy. She holds a D. Min. degree from Denver Seminary, and an M. Div. degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Naomi Paget

Naomi Kohatsu Paget is a board certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains and crisis interventionist for the FBI, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, and American Red Cross. She is the author of Disaster Relief Chaplaincy (North American Mission Board) and also has broad chaplain experience in the workplace, parish, healthcare, community, and law enforcement arenas. She is an adjunct professor at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and Denver Seminary, with a D.Min. from Golden Gate Theological Seminary and an M.Div. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Elaine Flake

Elaine Flake is co-pastor of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral. She is the co-founder with her husband, Floyd Flake, of the Allen Christian School in Jamaica, NY, and they collaborated to write Practical Virtues (Amistad). She is the author of God in Her Midst , and has contributed to Those Preaching Women, Volume 4 (Judson Press). Her several degrees include a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York, and Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary.

Ronald J. Sider

Ronald J. Sider (1939-2022) was professor of theology, holistic ministry, and public policy as well as director of the Sider Center on Ministry and Public Policy at Palmer Theological Seminary. A widely known speaker and writer, Dr. Sider was also president of Evangelicals for Social Action, publisher of PRISM magazine, and a contributing editor to Christianity Today and Sojourners magazines. His Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger was recognized by Christianity Today as one of the one hundred most influential religious books of the twentieth century.

Jeffrey D. Jones

David Gregg

David Gregg, MDiv, MA, served for nearly a decade as the minister of congregational life at Lake Street Church of Evanston, Illinois before returning to the University of Chicago's Divinity School for doctoral studies. He remains closely connected to and concerned with local church ministry, and serves as a frequent guest preacher and consultant. A member of Grace Baptist Church, Chicago, Gregg serves on the executive cabinet of the American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago.

Peter M. Wherry

Peter M. Wherry, MDiv, DMin, currently serves as pastor of Mayfield Memorial Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. In more than thirty years of ministry, he has had experience in a wide variety of settings, as pastor, preacher, professor, and musician. He has ministered internationally and preached from coast to coast in the United States. He has taught courses at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology in Richmond, Virginia, and he serves as doctoral advisor at Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Sandra Demott Hasenauer

Karen Valentin

Karen Valentin is of Puerto Rican heritage and was born in New York City. She graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and has had devotionals published in Guideposts . She is active in several ministries at Central Baptist Church in Manhattan and uses The Flavor of Our Hispanic Faith as a discipleship tool.

Rachel Gilmore

Rachel Gilmore, MEd, has twenty years experience working in nonprofit settings in the areas of Christian education and youth ministry (including retreat ministry), as well as volunteer management, program/event planning and facilitation, and public relations. A prolific writer, Rachel writes for Christianity Today's SmallGroups.com website and previously wrote a weekly column titled "Intersections...of Faith and Life" on frankfort.patch.com. She has had more than 200 articles published in local newspapers and national magazines such as Chicago Parent, Christian Parenting Today, DevoZine, Leader in the Church Today, Church Educator and Group magazine. She is a contributor to Best of Try This One: Most Popular Ideas from the #1 Youth Ministry Resource and Plugging in Parents: 200 Ways to Involve Parents in Youth Ministry, both from Group Publishing. In 2012, her story "Gracefully Grateful" will appear in The Magic of Mothers and Daughters, a new edition of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Susan K. Williams Smith

Susan K. Williams Smith, MDiv, DMin, has formed a private not-for-profit organization aimed at empowering urban youth all over the United States through improved literacy. "Susan K. Smith Ministries" is operating as "Crazy Faith Ministries," aiming to "worship through service." She also has her own blog, "Candid Observations," which concentrates on the intersection of race, politics and religion. Dr. Smith is the author of Forgive Who? The Struggle to Obey God's Awful Command (Pub (United Church Press, 1999), and Carla and Annie (African American Images, 1989), a children's book. This former news reporter and talk show host makes her home in Gahanna, Ohio.

Russell E. D. Rathbun

Russell Rathbun, MDiv, is a founding minister with Debbie Blue of House of Mercy, a pioneering emergent church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Rathbun is also the author of Midrash on the Juanitos (Cathedral Hill Press, 2009) and the critically-acclaimed Post-Rapture Radio (Jossey-Bass, 2008). He lives with his wife, two kids, and dog KoKo in St. Paul.

Scott Sabin

Scott Sabin, MA, is executive director of Plant With Purpose, a nonprofit Christian, environmental organization that works in six countries to eradicate poverty through reforestation efforts, economic empowerment, and spiritual renewal. Sabin has been published in various periodicals including The New York Times , Christianity Today , and the San Diego Union-Tribune . He is currently a contributing editor to Creation Care magazine and a national speaker in the creation care movement.

Diane Janssen Hemmen

Diane Janssen Hemmen, MDiv, DMin, has been involved with Christian education for all ages throughout her years in ministry. An ordained Presbyterian minister, Diane currently serves a small UCC congregation and a mid-sized PC(USA) congregation in South Dakota.

Lucia Ann Mcspadden

Lucia Ann McSpadden is the co-founder and director of I- Relate and author of Meeting God at the Boundaries: Cross-cultural/Cross-racial Clergy Appointments and Meeting God at the Boundaries: A Manual for Church Leaders.

Kathleen Deyer Bolduc

Kathleen Deyer Bolduc is a nationally recognized author and speaker in the field of disability ministry. The mother of a young adult son with autism and moderate intellectual disability, she has shared her inspiring story in His Name is Joel: Searching for God in a Son's Disability (1999), A Place Called Acceptance: Ministry with Families of Children with Disabilities (2001), and Autism & Alleluias (2010). If you are interested in having Kathy speak to your church or organization, visit her website at www.kathleenbolduc.com

Joel Gregory Ministries

Joel C. Gregory, MDiv, PhD, is professor of preaching at George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University, a Distinguished Fellow of Georgetown College, and founder and president of Joel Gregory Ministries. Recently he was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. International College of Preachers, which recognizes those who embody the principles of peace, justice, and reconciliation.

Glynis Labarre

Since 2005, Rev. Glynis LaBarre has been a transformation strategist for the American Baptist Home Mission Societies. Working with local churches interested in retooling for future ministry, LaBarre has been responsible for a number of turnaround churches, including: • Delmar Baptist Church, St. Louis, Mo., a historic church that built a new worship center, doubled in attendance and re-established Sunday school for all ages • Hope American Baptist Church, Phoenix, Ariz., which transformed itself from being a self-contained church to one with missional goals. The church's ministry extended to sustaining church plants among Romanians, Hispanics, African-Americans and Anglo-Americans. • All Tribes Community Church, Tulsa, Okla., where LaBarre developed a ministry training program for Native Americans which resulted in 11 tribal elders becoming licensed ministers To date, more than 200 churches have participated in LaBarre's Missional Church Learning Experience (MCLE). LaBarre holds an M.Div., Central Baptist Theological Seminary, in Kansas City, Kansas and is certified as a ministry coach by Valwood Christian Leadership Coaching.

Adam Bond

Adam Bond, MA, PhD, is an ordained minister in the American Baptist Churches USA, and pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Richmond, VA. He was Assistant Professor of Historical Studies and American Baptist liaison at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond. His previous ministry work included serving for six years on the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin staff, and writing for Judson Bible Journeys for Adults .

Lee B. Spitzer

Lee B. Spitzer is Historian for the Baptist World Alliance and Affiliate Professor of Church History at Northern Seminary in Chicago. He is the retired General Secretary of the American Baptist Churches USA - the first person of Jewish descent to hold that office. He pastored three ABC churches and served as the Executive Minister and Senior Regional Pastor of ABC New Jersey for 14 years. His PhD is from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, in association with the International Baptist Theological Study Centre (IBTS). He serves on the Committee on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and as a IBTS Research Fellow. He is the author of several books, including Baptists, Jews, and the Holocaust: The Hand of Sincere Friendship (Judson Press, 2017) and Making Friends, Making Disciples: Growing Your Church Through Authentic Relationships (Judson Press 2010).

Charles Lewis

Charles E. Lewis, Jr., MSW, PhD, is the President at Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy. He is also an adjunct professor at Howard University School of Social Work where he teaches a seminar in advanced policy analysis. Dr. Lewis is the president of the board of directors for the Mental Health Association of the District of Columbia and is a member of the Citizen's Advisory Committee for the District of Columbia Department of Corrections. The son of a Baptist minister (the late Charles E. Lewis, Sr.), Dr. Lewis is a product of the African American church. He himself is a licensed minister who from 1989-1995 served as the Men's Ministry Coordinator under the pastorate of Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood at Saint Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY. His encounter with many African American males involved in the criminal justice system compelled him to return to school to complete his formal education in 1992 at the age of 42. After completing his BA in psychology and MSW in clinical counseling at Clark Atlanta University, he completed his Ph.D. in social policy analysis at Columbia University. His dissertation was titled, "The Negative Effects of Incarceration on Fathers in Fragile Families." Dr. Lewis published an article in the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare from his dissertation and has written several book chapters on African American males and incarceration. He and Harold Dean Trulear published an article in Black Theology: An International Journal titled, "Rethinking the Roles of African American Churches as Social Service Providers."

Brian Brewer

Brian C. Brewer, PhD, MPhil, ThM, MDiv, is Assistant Professor of Christian Theology at George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University in Waco, Texas. A seasoned pastor, Brewer served as senior pastor of Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi and as pastor of Spring Creek Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Previously, he was an adjunct professor of humanities at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey. Brewer is active in the Baptist World Alliance, serving on the Doctrine and Interchurch Cooperation Commission.

Matthew Tennant

Matthew Tennant is senior minister of University Baptist Church, Charlottesville, VA. He serves on the Human Rights Commission for the City of Charlottesville and as a visiting professor of philosophy of religion at L'Université Chrétienne du Nord d'haiti. He holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford where he also received his MSt in Theology. In addition, he has an MDiv from the Baptist Theological Seminary of Richmond, VA, and an MBA from the University of Alabama. Tennant lives in Charlottesville, VA with his wife, their two sons, and their dog and cat. The Tennants enjoy sailing and hiking.

Debra J. Mumford

Debra J. Mumford, PhD, MDiv, MABL is the Frank H. Caldwell Professor of Homiletics and Director of the Money Matters for Ministry program at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY. She is ordained in the American Baptist Churches USA and holds degrees from Howard University, the American Baptist Seminary of the West, and the Graduate Theological Union.

Shayna Lear

Shayna Lear (Philadelphia, PA) is a Certified Financial Planner™ and Chartered Financial Consultant with more than ten years of financial services experience. Presently she is enrolled in the Master's in Divinity and Master's in Economic Development programs at Palmer Seminary and Eastern University respectively.

Russell Yee

Russell Yee (Oakland, CA) is an ordained American Baptist minister who led New Life Christian Fellowship (Castro Valley, CA) for ten years and most recently served on the pastoral staff at New Hope Covenant Church (Oakland, CA). A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) and the Graduate Theological Union (PhD), Yee has been an adjunct professor at Fuller Theological Seminary since 1999. A third-generation Asian American, he has directed several groundbreaking contextualized worship projects through grants from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.

Alice Burnette Greene

Dr. Greene writes with experience, spiritual insight and a passion for empowering God's people to become change agents in the world. Pastor Greene has served churches in the Washington, DC area (Shiloh Baptist, Twinbrook Baptist, Wisconsin Avenue Baptist and Covenant Baptist UCC) and at Irving Park Baptist in Chicago. She holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Howard University School of Divinity, a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary, and a law degree from Northwestern University.

Danielle Ayers

Danielle Ayers is Minister of Social Justice at Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. Mobilizing more than one-thousand individuals in the Dallas community around Jena 6 and serving as lead on the Annual Faith Summit on Poverty are just two of the many social justice initiatives in which she has been involved. Ayers is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Urban Affairs and a certificate in Law and Public Policy from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Reginald W. Williams Jr.

Since 2008, Reginald W. Williams Jr. has served as pastor of First Baptist Church of University Park, in University Park, Illinois. For six years prior, he held the title of Associate Pastor for Justice Ministries under Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Rev. Williams holds a Master of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Rhoda Mckinney-Jones

Hyacinths-That's how Rhoda McKinney-Jones approaches the writing process. She's a keen wordsmith, using life's lexicon and beauty to pay it forward. The methodology has earned her a quiet but powerful spot as a respected editor, ghostwriter, and former daily and magazine journalist. Over the past 35 years, Rhoda has garnered a sterling reputation by focusing on the client's story. Industry veterans experience her as a creative collaborator, one inherently attuned to global social consciousness with a pen that connects to the human experience. Rhoda has innate talent and studied knowledge, though she'd say, "Beneath the noise, there's a story waiting to be told. My gift is to unveil it." Her gifts. Rhoda has edited books published by Judson Press, a boutique Christian publishing arm of American Baptist Churches USA, Crazy Faith: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives, by Rev. Dr. Susan K. Smith, and What We Love About the Black Church: Can We Get a Witness, by Drs. Joel Gregory and William Crouch, and A History of the Black Church: I Don't Feel No Ways Tired, by Rev. Dr. Wayne Croft, the former having been a nominated finalist for the prestigious National Best Book Awards in 2009. She co-authored with Bishop Donald Hilliard, Midlife, Manhood, and Ministry. Rhoda created the American Baptist Churches, USA denominational in-house magazine, The Christian Citizen. And she most recently edited Rev. Dr. Glenn E. Porter's book, Journey With Jesus Through Black History.

Denise Janssen, Carmichael Crutchfield, Virginia Lee, and Jessica Young Brown, editors

Denise Janssen, MDiv, PhD, is Associate Research Professor of Christian Education and Assistant Dean for Academics at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond. An ordained American Baptist Churches, USA minister, Denise has served as pastor of several United Methodist and American Baptist congregations.

Jerry Cain

Jerry B. Cain spent his career in Christian higher education with 14 years as President of Judson University in Illinois preceded by 20 years as Chaplain and Collegiate Vice President at William Jewell College. His fascination with the missionary legacy of Adoniram Judson led him to recruit a true Orientalist, Dr. Angelene Naw, to teach Eastern History and Civilization at Judson University. Now in retirement, his fascination with missionary history continues to grow resulting in a collaboration with Dr. Naw to produce The History of the Karen People of Burma . Dr. Cain lives with his wife, Linda, in suburban Kansas City where he is involved with the Grace Karen Baptist Church.

Joy Skjegstad

Joy Skjegstad works with nonprofits and churches throughout the U.S. to help them achieve strategic focus, develop effective community ministry, and present themselves in clear and visionary language. In addition to Real Connections , she is the author of Seven Creative Models for Community Ministry (Judson Press, 2013), Winning Grants to Strengthen Your Ministry (Alban Institute 2007), and Starting A Nonprofit At Your Church (Alban Institute 2002). She has more than 30 years of experience starting and growing nonprofit organizations and church-based community ministry programs, including serving as the Executive Director of the Park Avenue Foundation at Park Avenue United Methodist Church and as the founder of the Institute for Ministry Leaders, a university-based training program that builds the management capacity of churches and other ministry organizations. She is wife to Brad, mom to Ethan and Julia, and lives in South Minneapolis, a diverse and resilient place full of strong women.

Greg Mamula

Rev. Dr. Greg Mamula is the Associate Executive Minister for the American Baptist Churches of Nebraska. Greg's work with the ABC NE Region includes preaching, pastor searches, conflict transformation, church training, pastoral continuing education, clergy ethics, Baptist polity and history, the Department of Professional Ministry, consultation and education. He regularly speaks at conferences, retreats, and workshops on various topics relating to church life and ministry. He co-edited the book "Conflict Management and the Apostle Paul" with Dr. Scot McKnight published 2018. He is the creator and host of the podcast "Mission in 5". He writes occasional articles for online journals like Ethics Daily, Christian Citizen, and Word and Way.

Wayne E. Croft, Sr.

Wayne E. Croft, Sr. is pastor of St. Paul’s Baptist Church in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He also serves as the Jeremiah A. Wright, Sr. Associate Professor of Homiletics and Liturgics at United Lutheran Seminary. He has published several books including The Motif of Hope in African American Preaching during Slavery and the Post-Civil War Era: There's a Bright Side Somewhere (2017).

Heidi Unruh

Heidi Unruh has researched and written extensively about church-based community ministry, including co-authoring the books Churches That Make a Difference ; Hope for Children in Poverty ; Saving Souls, Serving Society ; and Equipping Christians for Kingdom Purpose in Their Work . As a ministry consultant, trainer and coach, she specializes in helping the people of God care well for neighbors and work toward the flourishing of their community, particularly by coming alongside vulnerable children and families. She is an alumni of Palmer Seminary. Heidi and her husband Jim are raising their family in Hutchinson, KS.

Jolene Cassellius Erlacher

Jolene Cassellius Erlacher, MA, EdD, grew up in Mexico as the daughter of missionaries. She has extensive experience serving with churches, non-profits and missions agencies. Jolene also worked for almost a decade in Christian higher education, specializing in leadership training, student development and personnel management. During that time, she identified the need for building awareness of generational differences and empowering young leaders as they entered the workplace, especially in ministry contexts. Jolene has a doctorate in leadership and currently works as a trainer and consultant at Leading Tomorrow.

Grace Ji-Sun Kim

Grace Ji-Sun Kim, MDiv, PhD, is an ordained minister within the PC(USA) denomination and Associate Professor of Theological Studies at Earlham School of Religion. She is author of ten other books, including The Grace of Sophia: A Korean North American Women's Christology and Theological Reflections on "Gangnam Style": A Racial, Sexual, and Cultural Critique , co-written with Joseph Cheah. Kim serves on several committees of the American Academy of Religion: co-chair of Women of Color Scholarship, Teaching and Activism Group, Research Grants Jury Committee, Comparative Theology Group, and Religion and Migration Group. She also blogs at Huffington Post, Sojourners and TIME.

Sallie Verner

Sallie Verner, MA, has served five different congregations during her 40-year career as a Certified Christian Educator in the PC(USA). In retirement, she is a facilitator and trainer of Healthy Congregations and coauthor of Healthy Congregations Facilitator Training Materials.

Lori Buck

Lori Buck, DMin, has interacted with the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community for more than 15 years. Lori has presented various Religious Interpreters' Workshops and consulted with churches to develop deaf ministries. An associate minister at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, DC, Lori is the founder of Signing with Spirit, an interpreting company to religious, academic, entertainment, and governmental organizations.

Dwight Stinnett

John Gleason

John J. (Jack) Gleason, DMin, is a retired ordained American Baptist Churches USA (ABC) minister who has served as a pastor of two Georgia churches, as a clinical chaplain in four U.S. states, as a clinical pastoral educator, and as an ABC National Ministries commissioned missionary. He has served as ABC Director of Chaplaincy Services, Vice President of the Congress on Ministry in Specialized Settings, President of the Missouri Chaplains Association, Chair of the Endorsers Council for Veterans Affairs Chaplaincy, and in other offices. He has edited the Spiritual Care Initiative for Professional Excellence (SCIPE) e-Newsletter and the free online Professional Spiritual Care (PSC) Knowledge Base. Jack is married and resides in Greenwood, Indiana.

Jeremiah Wright

Jeffrey Haggray, Cheryl Price, and Rachael B. Lawrence, editors

Dr. Jeffrey Haggray is the executive director of American Baptist Home Mission Societies and Judson Press. Having served congregations in New Jersey, Washington D.C., and Georgia, Haggray understands the day-to-day needs of local congregations involved in disciple-making, worship, leadership development, evangelism, and mission engagement. As a regional executive minister for the District of Columbia Baptist Convention, Haggray found that access to necessary human and material resources allows congregations and institutions to positively impact their communities without limit.

Deborah Spink Winters, editor

Deborah Winters, MDiv, PhD, is ordained in the United Church of Christ and has served in settled and transitional pastorates. She serves on faculty at Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University and with www.Coaching4Clergy.com. She has contributed material to Who Killed Goliath? (Judson, 2001), The Pastor's Bible Study, Vol. 3 (2006), and the Minister's Annual Manual (since 2008).

Press Judson

J. Thomas Son

J. Newton Brown

Edward T. Hiscox

Dr. Edward Thurston Hiscox (1814-1901) was a distinguished Baptist theologian and author who's Standard Manual for Baptist Churches (published 1890) and New Directory for Baptist Churches (1894) were considered two of the foundational works of the modern Baptist church. In 1964, these books were combined into the Hiscox Guide for Baptist Churches which is still available from Judson Press.

William L Lumpkin

William L. Lumpkin (1916–1997) was longtime pastor of Freemason Street Church in Norfolk, Virginia. He also taught religion at the University of Richmond and served as Associate Professor of Church History at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Edgar Y. Mullins

Edgar Young Mullins, 1860-1928. Minister, seminary president, and professor. An 1885 graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Mullins pastored a number of churches until his call in 1899 to become president of the seminary from which he graduated. As the new president, Mullins became professor of theology as well as executive head of the institution. His brilliance as teacher and writer, his administrative ability, and his firm but conciliatory attitude soon won the confidence of all and gave him a place of leadership in the denomination. He served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1921 to 1924, and as president of the Baptist World Alliance in 1928. In addition to numerous articles for the press, Mullins' published works include Why Is Christianity True? (1905); The Axioms of Religion (1908); Baptist Beliefs (1912); Freedom and Authority in Religion (1913); Commentary on Ephesians and Colossians (1913); The Life in Christ ; The Christian Religion in its Doctrinal Expression ; Talks on Soul Winning (1920); Spiritualism, A Delusion (1920); and Christianity at the Crossroads (1924).

Gordon H. Schroeder

Augustus H. Strong

Augustus Hopkins Strong (1836-1921) was one of the most influential theologians and church leaders in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. From 1872 until 1912 Strong served as president and professor of theology at the Rochester Theological Seminary in Rochester, New York. Among Northern Baptists he earned profound respect and exercised wide influence. As the Northern Baptist Convention began to polarize into liberal and fundamentalist factions after 1910, Strong sought to unify them on a platform of traditional doctrinal affirmations and modern scholarship. He persuaded John D. Rockefeller to underwrite a great Baptist university, which resulted in the establishment of the University of Chicago. But Systematic Theology was Strong's most influential legacy.

Jennifer W. Davidson

Jennifer W. Davidson, MDiv, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Theology & Worship at American Baptist Seminary of the West. She serves as Core Doctoral Faculty in the Religion and Practice Department and Theology and Ethics Department. In addition to teaching, she is a retreat leader who brings a deep and abiding interest in lived spirituality- seeking to cultivate attentiveness to God's presence in everyday life. It is out of this spirituality that she lives out her commitments to liberative contemplative education, engaged scholarship, and advocacy.

Lauren Lisa Ng

Rev. Dr. Lauren Lisa Ng is a writer, poet, minister, and activist. An ordained American Baptist minister, she has served in pastoral leadership, community organizing, and denominational life. Her work focuses on Asian American identity, faith, justice, and embodied theology. She holds a Doctor of Ministry degree and lives in Northern California with her family.

Edwin Reed

Edwin Reed is the Chief Financial Officer for Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral where he manages the financial operations of the ministries and eleven affiliated corporations. A former senior executive with General Motors, he holds a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Union University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University.

Grace Burton-Edwards

Nora Percival

Nora J. Percival is a Hicksite Friend (Quaker) with a strong interest in Quaker process and history. She has held leadership positions in four different Quaker meetings in different parts of the country, as well as serving with regional, national, and international Quaker organizations. In addition, she is an experienced teacher/trainer, specializing in developing and delivering health education and professional-development programs for adults.

Joseph Evans

Joseph Evans is the J. Alfred Smith, Sr. Professor of Theology in the Public Square and Director of the Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Restorative Justice at Berkely School of Theology. He is the author of The Art of Eloquence: The Sacred Rhetoric of Gardner C. Taylor (2020), Reconciliation and Reparation: Preaching Economic Justice (2018) published with Judson Press and Lifting the Veil Over Eurocentrism: The Du Boisian Hermeneutic of Double Consciousness , published with Africa World Press (2014). He has written for the American Baptist Quarterly numerous essays that include "King's Dream: The Revelation of Democratic Justice (2019)" and "Vernon Johns and the Romance of Death" (2017). Gardner C. Taylor described him as one of the "brilliant preachers of his generation." Wyatt Tee Walker said, "Dr. Evans is a master craftsman who is extremely adept in his understanding of how to prepare and deliver the prophetic sermon." Dr. Evans is married and has two adult children and three grandchildren.

Lynn Domina

Lynn Domina, A writer, teacher and traveler is the author or editor of several previous books, including Poets on the Psalms . Her work also appears in many periodicals, including The Christian Century, Christianity & Literature, and Poetry Daily. She earned an M.Div. from The Earlham School of Religion, where she took courses in the Ministry of Writing. She currently serves as Head of the English Department at Northern Michigan University and lives with her family in Marquette, MI.

G. Travis Norvell

Rev. G. Travis Norvell is the pastor of Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, and an adjunct faculty member at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. He has served as an American Baptist pastor for 22 years in both small towns and urban churches. He is passionate about the social gospel in the local church as the link for both social justice and church renewal.

John R. Tyson

John R. Tyson, MDiv, MPhil, PhD, teaches Church History and United Methodist Studies at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, New York. In addition to teaching and mentoring responsibilities, he has authored more than 75 articles and conference papers, as well as having edited or written eight books including The Way of the Wesleys (Eerdmans, 2014).

Vincent Howell Jr

Vincent W. Howell Jr., MBA, and is an active lay member of the First Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, TN. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from Tennessee State University, MBA in Project Management from Strayer University. Vincent has held a variety of IT positions and is currently a Senior IT Business Analyst. Over the years, he has participated local church audio visual ministries, website development, and transportation ministries. When not participating in various ministries at his church, Vincent and his wife are raising their two young children.

Dennis L. Johnson

Dr. Johnson is a retired American Baptist pastor with over forty years of ministry on spiritual formation and vital congregational worship. He is deeply committed to maintaining and living out historic Baptist identity and convictions. He is a graduate of Northern Baptist Theological Seminar (M.Div. and D.Min.) and has been an adjunct faculty member at Northern and Palmer Theological Seminary, mentoring students and guiding them in the practice of theological reflection. He received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Alderson-Broaddus University, Philippi, WV. He is married to Holly Bauer Johnson and they make their home in Lexington, KY.

Jessica Young Brown

Dr. Jessica Young Brown is a licensed clinical psychologist focused on the intersection of faith and mental health. She works to help individuals and organizations seek wellness by exploring God's intentions for us to be healthy and whole.

John R. Matthews with Kristina R. Gutiérrez and Ross D. Peterson

John R. Matthews has served in many capacities over the years: pastor, minister of education, chaplain resident, instructor of philosophy and logic, and adjunct faculty for a field practicum program. However, J. Matthews, as he has been known professionally, made his principal career at Midwest Career Development Service, which eventually became Midwest Ministry Development Service. Beginning as a counselor in 1970, he later became the Associate Director of the Columbus office and worked in that capacity until his retirement in October 2008. Since 2009, he has continued to work with Midwest in various adjunct roles. He has received several professional certifications: Ordained Elder in the West Ohio Conference the United Methodist Church, Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Ohio, and professional membership in the American Counseling Association and the Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling. As evidence of his noteworthy professional reputation, in 1984 he was appointed by the Governor of Ohio to serve on the state's first Counselor and Social Worker Licensing Board.

Kristina Gutierrez

Dr. Kristina Ricketts Gutierrez brings a rich array of ministry, counseling, and teaching experiences which have contributed significantly to the development of Leadership in the Church. She has ministered in churches, led ministry organizations, taught in seminaries and other professional settings in the mainland U.S., Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Chile, and Nicaragua, and served as a counselor to individuals and families. Bilingual and bicultural, her 15 years of service in Puerto Rico and Nicaragua have given her a high awareness and understanding of cultural complexities in ministry. Since 2007, she has been a pastoral counselor at the Columbus office of Midwest Ministry Development Service and has counseled and taught hundreds of pastors and others in ministry since that time. Her professional memberships and certifications include ordination by the American Baptist Churches, U.S.A., endorsement as a pastoral counselor and chaplain by the American Baptist Churches, U.S.A., professional affiliate with the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and membership in the Chaplains' Association of Ohio. During her years of service at Midwest Ministry Development, Dr. Gutierrez worked closely with J. Matthews as he sought to crystallize the broad range of insights and observations he had come to regarding pastoral ministry. Her pedagogical and organizational skills, critical thinking, attention to detail, and her own deep understanding of the key principles outlined in Leadership in the Church all contributed greatly to the eventual shaping of this book.

Ross Peterson

Dr. Ross Peterson served as the Executive Director of Midwest Ministry Development Service and Southwest Ministry Development Service for 12 years, before retiring in 2017. Since that time, he has continued to work for Midwest in an adjunct capacity, as well as providing counseling and coaching services independently. During his tenure at Midwest, he provided counseling to hundreds of clergy and consulted with various denominational officials regarding how to best support pastors in the midst of the challenges of ministry. In addition to his service at Midwest, he worked as a pastoral counselor for 23 years in several church-related settings and has taught in Chicago-area seminaries. His professional certifications include ordination in the Evangelical Covenant Church and licensure as a clinical professional counselor. His input to this book includes the chapter on social media and financial management for pastors.

Leslie Copeland

LESLIE COPELAND, DMin., is the Chief Operating Officer for the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. She has served as the director of the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative and director of Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice. She is also a contributor to the book Church on Purpose: Reinventing Discipleship, Community and Justice . She has a passion for social justice, and advocacy in the areas of anti-poverty, environmental stewardship, racial reconciliation, domestic violence, human trafficking, immigration, education, and health care.

Jonathan A. Malone

JONATHAN A. MALONE, PhD, has been an American Baptist Churches USA pastor for 20 years, most recently having served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church East Greenwich, RI. In addition to teaching the region's Baptist polity course and chairing the Standing Committee for Ordained Ministry, he has also been active on the ABCUSA Board of General Ministry and the Ministers Council. He is currently the president of the Board of Managers for the American Baptist Historical Society. Dr. Malone received his MDiv at Andover Newton Theological School and his PhD at the University of Dayton. He actively blogs at "Theological Snob" and podcasts on "Twelve Enough," both of which can be found at www.twelveenough.com. Malone is also the founder of Wilderness Journeys through which he serves as a guide for experiencing the wilderness with the divine (www.wildernessjourneys.org).

Terrell Carter

Terrell Carter, DMin. is a pastor, professor, administrator in higher education, visual artist, and former police officer for the City of St. Louis, MO. His writings specialize in addressing issues of race and race relations within the Church and various communities, police and community relations, organizational leadership, and interpersonal communication. In addition to his work in higher education and law enforcement, Dr. Carter has served two nonprofit social service organizations as executive director. He is the author of multiple books and writes for Word and Way, Faithfully Magazine, Patheos.com, and Ethics Daily.

Willard W. C. Ashley Sr.

Dr. Willard Walden Christopher Ashley, Sr. is the President/CEO of Dr. Willard Ashley, Sr., LLC, Montclair, New Jersey. Under this umbrella, Ashley conducts webinars, consultation, counseling, and coaching. Dr. Ashley is a trustee and faculty member of the New Jersey Institute for the Training in Psychoanalysis. He is also a trustee of Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School. Ashley is a vocational coach with the Center for Career Development & Ministry. He is the President/CEO of Unity with Diversity, a charitable think tank on diversity, race, and racial inequalities. He is a founding partner of Mission Unbounded, a consulting company that matches assets with the mission. Ashley is the senior pastor of the Abundant Joy Community Church, Jersey City, New Jersey. Reverend Ashley has served as pastor for 39 years at various congregations. He is Vice Chair, Bergen County Human Relations Commission, New Jersey State Certified, and Nationally Certified Psychoanalyst. Dr. Ashley has taught graduate and certificate courses. Willard is a leader in Jersey City Together formerly ICO. Ashley was the second African American to be granted tenure and the first African American Dean of the Seminary New Brunswick Theological Seminary (NBTS). NBTS granted him the status, Retired Professor of Pastoral Theology. Ashley hosted a weekly program on Black Entertainment Television (BET) and was a regular on New York City radio. Ashley was a psychotherapist at The Riverside Church, New York City. Following the tragic events of 9/11, Willard Ashley designed and implemented the "Care for the Caregivers Interfaith Project, A Ministry of the Council of Churches of the City of New York. Memberships include the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis, the American Association of Marriage Family Therapists; Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society; & American Group Psychotherapy Association. Ashley is listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World.

William Augustus Jones, Jr. Jennifer Jones Austin, editor

About the Author William Augustus Jones, Jr. (1934-2006) was a staunch Christian activist and leader in the struggle for human rights and economic justice. He was a founding member and President of the Progressive National Baptist Convention; first chair of the New York Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; national chair of SCLC Operation Breadbasket; founder of the National Black Pastors Conference; and a member of the General Council of the Baptist World Alliance. A practitioner of the social gospel, Jones led thousands in boycotts and protests in New York City, resulting in jobs, higher wages, and better working conditions for people of color. Jones served as pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York, cross-country revivalist, and international preacher. He was a visiting professor at Colgate Rochester Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, Union Theological Seminary, United Theological Seminary, and Wesley Theological Seminary. His published writings include: The Black Church Looks at the Bicentennial; Responsible Preaching; The African-American Church: Past, Present, and Future; and When God Says, "Let Me Alone." Among the first to have a radio and television ministry, Jones' weekly church services were titled "The Bethany Hour." Jones's writings and sermons are archived at Brooklyn College and are accessible to the public. About the Editor Jennifer Jones Austin, the youngest child of William Augustus Jones Jr., is an advocate, lawyer, and author, and has led and secured monumental changes in social policy to strengthen and empower the disenfranchised and marginalized. Jones Austin's first book, Consider It Pure Joy is the harrowing account of her year-long battle with a sudden, life- threatening illness and the power of faith and community to transform desperation into joy. She co-hosts the award- winning radio show, "Open Line", and is a weekly guest host of the nationally syndicated radio program, "Keep'n It Real" with Rev. Al Sharpton.

Seth David Clark

SETH DAVID CLARK, DMin, is lead pastor and Chief Operating Officer of First Baptist Church of National City, CA; adjunct faculty member at Pacific Theological Seminary; and director of the US pastoral team for the Border Church/La Iglesia Fronteriza. A self-described "Midwesterner by birth and a Californian fronterizo by God's grace and calling," he works at the intersection of cultures and countries. Find out more at SethDavidClark.com.

Timothy Bonner

Timothy J. Bonner, MS, MA, DMIN, LCP is a licensed clinical psychotherapist in Lawrence, KS. After over three decades as a psychotherapist in community mental health centers, he completed this study for his dissertation at Central Theological Seminary, Shawnee, KS, where he received a Doctor of Ministry Degree in May 2020.

Dale Weatherspoon

Dale M. Weatherspoon, DMin., serves as Senior Pastor of the Easter Hill United Methodist Church in Richmond, CA. As a consultant and trainer, he served as a member of the I- Relate Institute, an Intercultural Leadership Institute, training pastors, lay leaders and church in working interculturally.

Angelene Naw

Angelene Naw, Professor Emerita of History at Judson University, Illinois has taught at the University of Rangoon, from where she also received her BA and MA. Her PhD is from the University of Hawaii, at Manoa. She is the author of Aung San and the Struggle for Burmese Independence, published by the Silkworm Books, Chiangmai, Thailand. (Co-publisher: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies). She is also one of the co-authors of the four-volume book, Political History of Myanmar 1948-1962, published in Burmese language by the Historical Research Department, University of Rangoon, Burma. While she was working as a Director of Hotels and Tourism from 1992-1998, she wrote several articles in Tourism magazines published in Thailand and Burma. She has presented a series of lectures on Karen people at conferences beginning with a paper titled "An Analysis of the Leadership Style and Political Attitudes of Aung San (father) and Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter) Towards the Karen People: A Historical Perspective," at the Karen Reunion (North America) held in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2003. Because of her dedication to the Karen refugee settlements in the United States, she was awarded the Elgin YWCA's Racial Justice Award in 2016.

Clarence E. Wright

Dr. Clarence E. Wright serves as Senior Pastor of the Love Zion Baptist Church and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Missio Seminary, both in Philadelphia, PA. His life has been devoted to public service including community economic development, homeless advocacy, anti-violence initiatives, and international missions on 5 continents. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Urban Studies from Temple University, and master's degrees in Missional Theology (MA) and Divinity (MDiv) from Biblical Theological Seminary (now Missio Seminary) where he received the MDiv award for outstanding academic achievement and the President's award for exemplifying the mission of the school. He earned his Doctor of Ministry in Transformative Leadership and Prophetic Preaching at the historic Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School where he received the Gene and Jean Bartlett Preaching Prize. Dr. Wright has held numerous ecumenical leadership positions including President of the Baptist Pastors and Minister Conference of Philadelphia and Vicinity, Pennsylvania State President in the Progressive National Baptist Convention and chairman of Chosen 300 Ministries an international missions organization with more than 20 locations worldwide. He is the devoted husband of Corinne R. Wright a software engineer, and the proud father of Clover, Lael and Elliott.

Matthew Sturtevant

Matthew B. Sturtevant, MDIV, DMIN is one of the pastors of the First Baptist Church of Lawrence, KS. He has conducted ministry in Baptist churches in Kentucky and Kansas since 1998 and has received education in Kentucky (Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary), South Carolina (a Clinical Pastoral Education residency in Columbia), and Chicago (Chicago Theological Seminary).

Dawn M. Doerr-Johnson

Dawn M. Doerr-Johnson, LMFT, LMHC, is a dually licensed therapist providing marriage and family therapy as well as mental health care in a school setting. In 2017, she became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and added credentials as a licensed Mental Health Counselor in 2018. Doerr-Johnson specializes in treating girls and young women. She served on the National Leadership Team of American Baptist Girls in Relationship, Leadership, and Service as Resources Coordinator from 2000 to 2003, then as National Coordinator from 2003 to 2006. She also worked as a Regional Manager for Girl Scouts USA from 2006 to 2010.

Virginia Lee

Rev. Dr. Virginia A. Lee is Associate Professor of Christian Education, Director of Deacon Studies, and Director of the Master of Arts in Faith, Culture, and Educational Leadership at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. Her primary teaching revolves around child advocacy and centering the voices and experiences of children. She enjoys reading, crocheting, walking, and playing with and learning from her ten great-nieces/nephews.

J. Marshall Shamell

Rev. Dr. J. Marshall Shamell has served in the Gospel Ministry since 1991, serving as a youth pastor at several churches and as an associate minister. He has served as an event/meeting planner for several non-profit organizations. He has worked in the hospitality industry as a Sales Manager, where he worked for two major hotel companies. He has earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Marian University, Indianapolis, IN, a Master of Divinity from The Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, GA, and a Doctor of Ministry at United Theological Seminary, Dayton, OH. He is a father of the late James Allen Propes.

Rachael Lawrence

Dr. Rachael B. Lawrence serves as the associate publisher of Judson Press. In the past, she has served as a pastor, editor, program evaluator, educator, and classical musician. She served at Second Baptist Church in Suffield, Connecticut, and Enfield American Baptist Church in Enfield, Connecticut, while simultaneously serving as the assistant director for the Center for Education Policy at the University of Massachusetts. She has authored articles and book chapters in religion, education, and program evaluation.

Cheryl Price

Dr. Cheryl Price is the publisher of Judson Press. She previously served as vice president of Content at Urban Ministries Inc., and she was a minister on staff at Metropolitan Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., Mount Zion Baptist Church, Seattle, Washington, and Lutheran and United Methodist congregations in New York and California. She has authored and co-authored several books.

Anna Piela

The Rev. Dr. Anna Piela is a scholar of gender and Islam, with areas of expertise that include feminism in Islam, Eastern European Islam, and Islam in popular culture and digital media. She has conducted research with Muslim women of diverse backgrounds in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Poland. She received her Ph.D. in Women's and Islamic Studies from the University of York, U.K. Her first book: Muslim Women Online: Faith and Identity in the Virtual World (Routledge, 2012) explored theological alliances between Muslim women who use digital technologies to facilitate the creation of women- centered interpretations of the key Islamic texts. Her second book, Wearing the Niqab: Muslim Women in the UK and the US (Bloomsbury Academic, 2021), focuses on the voices of women who choose to wear the niqab (the Islamic face covering) in the West. Having interviewed 40 women on both sides of the Atlantic, Dr. Piela discusses how women respond to controversies, bans, and debates involving the niqab in Europe and North America. Simultaneously, she argues for shifting the attention to niqab-wearing women's concerns and their incisive diagnoses of problems plaguing secular-liberal societies, including endemic racism, sexism, and nativism.

Michael Woolf

The Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf (he/him) holds a Doctor of Theology (ThD) degree from Harvard Divinity School. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a BA in Religious Studies in 2011 and completed his Master of Divinity degree in May 2014. Michael is also an ordained American Baptist Churches USA pastor currently serving as the Senior Minister at Lake Street Church of Evanston in Evanston, IL, a progressive congregation with a commitment to social justice and interfaith dialogue. Michael's dissertation, "Sanctuary and Subjectivity: Rethinking Practical Theological Categories in Light of the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980s," situates the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980s as an object of practical theological inquiry. In paying attention to the narratives of recipients of sanctuary, Michael proposes a reorientation of the discipline using Judith Butler's theory of subjectivation. He has served as the Editor-in-Chief of Cult/ure: The Graduate Journal of Harvard Divinity School and the Director of Publishing at the Journal of Inter-Religious Studies. His work has been published at the Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies, Glossolalia, and Cult/ure. He has also written for several popular publications.

Cedrick Von Jackson

Rev. Dr. Cedrick Von Jackson is a respected preacher, poet, speaker, writer, and educator. He serves as the Senior Pastor of the historic West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. Affectionately known as "Pastor J," he previously led congregations in Sardis and Sarah, Mississippi, and was the longtime Minister of Music at his home church, Second Baptist Church of Coldwater, MS. For over a decade, he served as musical director for Tate County Mississippi's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration. Dr. Jackson is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Memphis Theological Seminary, where he also earned his Doctor of Ministry degree with a dissertation titled "Rethinking Mental Health in the African American Church Through Preaching, Teaching, and Hospitality." He holds both bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Mississippi and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. With over 27 years in education, Dr. Jackson has served as a teacher, principal, chaplain, dean of students, and district administrator. He was honored as "Outstanding Administrator of the Year" by Kappa Delta Pi at the University of Mississippi.