With the 2024 election less than a year away, the Walker Leadership Institute in partnership with the Bridge Alliance launched the Praxis program in January with a half day workshop. Featuring lay and clergy faith leaders committed to justice, mercy, and humility, as they lead in the contentious election season ahead. A subscription-based program, new content will be added throughout the 2024 election season. Especially suited for those who are in purple spaces, whether those are in your congregation, community, or family, the session are conversations between two leaders living faithfully into the difficult election ahead.
The training features religious and community leaders skilled in maintaining their commitments to justice and peace work in the challenging 2024 election season.
On-going training, and the opportunity to be a part of cohort-based communities of practice through the 2024 election season is offered as a continuation of the Praxis Cohort work. Cohorts will be convened around common contexts and concerns.
Subscribers have access to all Praxis conversations, past present and future.
If you have not subscribed to the on-going Praxis series, you can access all past and future content by signing up at the Praxis site. For those who are enrolled, a ZOOM invite will be sent out ahead of each session.
To learn more, or to find out about the special alum discount, contact Steve Lawler, director of the Walker Leadership Institute @ Eden – [email protected]
Recorded sessions from the January 27th Praxis launch:
Session 1: Working in the Public Sphere
The Rev. Dr. Ben Sanders III, Chief Equity Officer – City of Denver, an equity professional/consultant, social ethicist, theologian, passionate servant-leader, change-agent, and community builder.
Session 2: Working Across Boundaries
A conversation with the Rev Dr. Marian Edmonds-Allen & Professor Kristen Leslie. Rev Dr. Marian Edmonds-Allen is the executive director of Parity, Blessed by Difference, and Holy Dialogues. The Rev. Dr Kristen Leslie is Harold Peters Schultz Professor of Pastoral Theology and Care at Eden Seminary.
Session 3: Working in Rural Communities
A conversation with Sarah Melotte and the Rev Patrick Poole. Sarah Melotte is a geographer and journalist based in the rural Western North Carolina mountains. She is a staff writer for the Daily Yonder, the online source for rural news. The Rev. Patrick Poole is the pastor of St. John United Church of Christ in Maeystown, a farming community of 150 in Monroe County, Illinois.
Session 4: A Spirituality to Sustain
A conversation with the Rev Aaron Rogers & Heidi Kim. The Rev. Aaron Rogers is a passionate priest, pastor, and nonprofit leader based in St. Louis. He serves as Priest-in-Charge of Stephen’s Episcopal Church and as a consultant for the Vandersall Collective. Heidi Kim provides consulting, coaching and capacity building for inclusion and lifelong learning. She served as The Episcopal Church’s staff officer for racial reconciliation from 2014 – 2019.
Upcoming conversations:
April 18th: Two 2018 alum, DeMarco Davidson Executive Director of Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) and the Rev Christie Tennyson, UCC Pastor and Senior Development Officer @ Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services in conversation around the dynamics of working in spaces where the challenges of progressive Christian commitments are often hotly contested.
April 25th: The Rev Dr Marian Allen-Edmonds, Executive Director of Parity, Director of Blessed by Difference and Holy Dialogues returns to be in conversation with the Rev Lauren Bennet, Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Saint Louis as they engage the challenges and opportunities of engaging those who make religious claims against LGBT rights and marriage equality.
May 2nd: Pádraig Ó Tuama, Irish poet, theologian and conflict mediator, author of a dozen books including the recently published, Being Here: Prayers of Curiosity, Justice and Love will be in conversation with Develyn Hill, Eden MCL student, poet and the Executive Director of Speaking Down Barriers as they explore how poetry expresses and expands the Spirit’s possibilities in places of conflict and oppression.
