Faith & Fire 2.0 Conversations – Faith in the Public Square Series
Our faith-based conversations about the politics of today will continue and focus on critical legislation and issues across America. Join us for these candid, faith-filled, and Holy Spirit-led panel conversations with faith leaders, theologians, historians, justice organizers, and advocates across the spectrum of U.S. social concerns. We offer these conversations as part of NCC’s ACT NOW to End Racism campaign.
Faith in the Public Square Series
Faith and Fire Conversation 2.0 on Voting Rights
Wednesday, July 21, 2021 with panelists: Quincy Howard, OP, Government Relations Advocate for NETWORK; Bo Shuff, Execcutive Director of DC Vote; and Breon Wells, Founder of the Daniel Initiative. Moderator: Minister Christian S. Watkins, NCC Justice Advocacy and Outreach Manager.
Faith Fire 2.0 Conversation: White Christian Nationalism
July 7, 2021 with panelists: Rev. Dr. Rob Schenck, President and CEO of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute; Ms. Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of Baptist Joint Committee; and Rev. Dexter Udell Nutall, Sr. Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, Washington, DC. Moderators: Rev. Aundreia Alexander, Esq., Associate General Secretary, Action and Advocacy for Justice and Peace, and Minister Christian S. Watkins, Justice Advocacy and Outreach Manager
Faith & Fire 2.0 Conversation: a Juneteenth Call for Reparations
Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The panel discussed the biblical/spiritual faith foundation for reparations, historical reparations initiatives, current HR40 legislation, objections and resistance, and our call to action with panelists Christian Brooks, Representative for Domestic Issues, PC(USA) Office of Public Witness; Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs, Director of Community Engagement and Racial Justice, Minnesota Council of Churches; Rev. Mark A. Thompson, Host of “Make It Plain”/member of NAARC and N’COBRA; and Victoria Strang, Policy Advocate with Faith Communities, Human Rights Watch. Co-moderated by Rev. Aundreia Alexander, Esq., NCC Associate General Secretary, Action and Advocacy for Justice and Peace; and Minister Christian S. Watkins, NCC Justice Advocacy and Outreach Manager.
“Chaos or Community: Courageous Conversations During Chaos” Series
This series aims to have courageous, contextual, and spiritual/theological conversations among prominent clergy, academics and activists/organizers relevant to the “twin pandemics” of racism and Covid, and our country’s tumultuous political landscape. The conversation topics for the series have been derived from MLK’s “Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community?” book chapters.
“Birth of a New Nation: Interfaith Dialogue as Model for Building Unity”, TUESDAY, January 19, 2021 at 1pm ET, with panelists: Rabbi Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; Erica Littlewolf, Program Coordinator, Indigenous Visioning Circle Program Coordinator, Mennonite Central Committee Central States, member of Northern Cheyenne Nation; and Mohamed Elsanousi, Executive Director, Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers. Moderators: Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary; and Minister Christian S. Watkins, Justice Advocacy and Outreach Manager
“Where We Are Going: Spiritual Sustenance for the Journey Ahead” Wednesday, January 13, 2021 @ 1pm ET. Panelists: Dr. Loida I. Martell, Vice President of Academic Affairs/ Dean and Professor of Constructive Theology of Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky; and Dr. Heidi Miller, Director of the Master of Practical Theology and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Pfeiffer University,shared some truly inspiring spiritually formative wisdom and faithful witness! The beauty of courageous conversation is the provision of fresh breath of wisdom bringing new life. Moderated by Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune, NCC Chief Operating Officer and Minister Christian S. Watkins, NCC Justice Advocacy and Outreach Manager.
“New Year, Who ‘Dis: No More of the Same Old Stuff!” Wednesday, January 6, 2021 @ 1pm ET. Panelists: Rev. Shazetta Thompson-Hill – Assoc. Pastor at Christian Chapel Temple of Faith CME, Dallas, TX; and Derrick Lewis, II – National Field Organizer for the NAACP Youth and College Division, (Unfortunately, Abigail Scholar – Executive Director of Central Washington Justice for Our Neighbors could not attend.) Moderators: Rev. Aundreia Alexander, Esq. and Min. Christian S. Watkins
“Where Are We Going: Beloved Community through Bethlehem (Pt. 1)” Wednesday, December 16, 2020 @ 7p.m. ET. Panelists: Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Dean of United Theological Seminary at Columbia University; and Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson, Executive Minister of Justice and Service for the Baltimore-Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church
“The World House: Mutual Inclusion for Beloved Community” December 9, 2020 at 1p.m. ET. Dr. Dennis Edwards, New Testament at North Park Seminary, author: “Might from the Margins”; Christian Brooks, MDiv, MSPPM, Representative for Domestic Issues, Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness; Sara Benitez, Vice President of Organizing and Campaigns, Faith in Public Life; and Rev. Noel Anderson, United Church of Christ, and Grassroots Coordinator for Church World Service. Moderator: Min. Christian S. Watkins, NCC Justice Advocacy and Outreach Manager.
“The Dilemma of Americans: Where Is Christ?“
Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 1 p.m. ET. Panelists: Rev. Dr. Rob Schenck, President and CEO of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute; Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of Baptist Joint Committee; and Rev. Dexter Udell Nutall, Sr. Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, Washington, DC. Moderator: Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune.
“Racism and the White Backlash: Role of the Church Against White Supremacy”
Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 1 p.m. ET. Panelists: Rev. Dr. William H. Lamar, IV, Senior Paster, Metropolitan AME, Washington DC; and Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ and NCC Governing Board Chair. Moderator: Rev. Aundreia Alexander, NCC Associate General Secretary, Action and Advocacy for Justice and Peace.
Inaugural Panel: “Where are We? Spiritually Diagnosing America’s Illnesses”
(Ref: Eph. 6:12-13). Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 7 p.m. ET. With Panelists: Rev. E. Michelle Ledder, Director of Equity and Anti-Racism for the General Commission on Religion and Race of The United Methodist Church; Rev. Angela Ravin-Anderson, Social Justice Ministry Co-Lead of Wheeler Ave. Baptist Church in Houston, Texas; and Rev. Reuben Eckels, Interfaith Advocacy Minister for Immigrants and Refugees, Church World Service. Moderated by Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune, NCC Chief Operating Officer and Minister Christian S. Watkins, NCC Justice Advocacy and Outreach Manager.
