JOIN REV. OTIS MOSS III, AT THE REIMAGINING FAITH AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY CONFERENCE

Pre-conference: Thurs., May 10, 2018
Conference: Fri., May 11 – Sat., May 12, 2018
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
616 N. Highland Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206

CONFERENCE DESCRIPTION

The conference will be an opportunity for members of the faith, business, governmental, and academic communities to hear keynote speakers and workshop leaders share their expertise in addressing issues of social injustice in a variety of contexts, from the local to the international. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage in dialogue and strategies for addressing areas of social justice, social empowerment, economic empowerment, and community engagement. We will also honor those who have worked tirelessly toward the transformation of communities near and far at our Gala on Saturday evening.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

The Rev. Dr. Leah Gunning Francis

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Ind.

The Rev. Dr. Gunning Francis is the author of the book Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community (Chalice Press, 2015). She has interviewed more than two dozen clergy and young activists who were actively involved in the movement for racial justice in Ferguson and beyond. Dr. Gunning Francis’ additional research interests focus on transformative education as reflected in her doctoral dissertation, Beyond “Band-Aids” and Bootstraps: Toward a Womanist Vision of Christian Education as Social Transformation. She has provided pastoral leadership for congregations in Georgia, Illinois, and Ohio. Dr. Gunning Francis has received numerous awards including, the Candler School of Theology’s G. Ray Jordan Award for Excellence in integrating academic study with constructive leadership and service, and the Fund for Theological Education’s Doctoral Fellow Award.

Dr. Gunning Francis earned her bachelor’s from Hampton University, M.Div. from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and Ph.D. from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III
Senior Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, Ill.

The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III built his ministry on community advancement and social justice activism. Dr. Moss spent the last two decades practicing and preaching a Black theology that unapologetically calls attention to the problems of mass incarceration, environmental justice, and economic inequality. Moss is part of a new generation of ministers committed to preaching a prophetic message of love and justice, which he believes are inseparable companions that form the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Moss III is an honors graduate of Morehouse College who earned a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary. Dr. Moss is an ordained minister in the Progressive National Baptist Convention and the United Church of Christ. He is on the board of The Christian Century Magazine and chaplain of the Children’s Defense Fund’s Samuel DeWitt Proctor Child Advocacy Conference.

The Rev. Dr. Marsha Foster Boyd
Founder and Chief Consultant of Catalyst Connections Global LLC

The Rev. Dr. Boyd is a retired ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She is currently a consultant specializing in higher education and in empowering global communities through leadership development, training, and coaching services. She is also Board chair of the Marcus Foster Education Institute (Oakland, Calif.), named for her late father. Dr. Marsha Foster Boyd was named president emerita of Ecumenical Theological Seminary, upon her retirement from the Presidency in 2013, after seven years of distinguished service. Prior to her presidency, she was director of accreditation and leadership education at The Association of Theological Schools; associate professor of pastoral care and counseling at United Theological Seminary; and academic dean at Payne Theological Seminary. In each of these positions, Dr. Boyd has been the first African American woman to serve.

Dr. Boyd received her bachelor’s in elementary education from Tufts University, her master of divinity with a concentration in pastoral care and counseling from The Interdenominational Theological Center, and her PhD in religion and personality from the Graduate Theological Union. She was awarded the honorary degree doctor of humane letters (LHD) by Payne Theological Seminary in recognition of her illustrious and influential career in theological education.

The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Weaver
Senior Pastor, Greater Mt. Nebo African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bowie, Md.

The Rev. Dr. Weaver has a strong belief that one’s Christian duty should encompass community outreach. Under Dr. Weaver’s leadership, Greater Mt. Nebo’s ministries have had many successful projects in the community. His sense of community transcends the borders of Prince George’s County, Maryland, and the borders of the United States. As a result of his willingness to extend his gifts and talents to those abroad, Greater Mt. Nebo has developed close ties in many parts of Africa, partnering with a village in Benin to build a school there, and most recently supporting the construction of churches in Rwanda, Namibia, and The Democratic Republic of The Congo.

Dr. Weaver is a graduate of St. Mary’s Seminary and also earned a bachelor’s in business administration from Washington University, a master’s in business administration from the Harvard University Business School, and an honorary doctorate from the Sojourner-Douglass College. He currently serves as the national president of the Collective Empowerment Group, formerly known as The Collective Banking Group, an ecumenical association composed of nearly 500 churches in seven states and the District of Columbia, engaged in economic empowerment initiatives through partnerships with banks and other businesses in their communities.

MUI 2018 HONOREES

Cecile Springer, MURP

President and Founder of Springer Associates

Dr. Jared Jackson

Professor Emeritus of Church History of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

The Rev. Dr. Johnnie Monroe

Pastor Emeritus of Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church

QUESTIONS

Contact Brenda N. Henry at bhenry@pts.edu or 412-924-1362.