Featured Keynote Speakers
Dr. Marcia McFee
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Rev. Karoline Lewis, Ph.D
Karoline M. Lewis is the Marbury E. Anderson Chair of Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary, St. Paul MN, where she has taught since 2007. Lewis is the author of A Lay Preacher’s Guide: How to Craft a Faithful Sermon (2020), Embody: Five Steps to Leading With Integrity, SHE: Five Keys to Unlock the Power of Women in Ministry (including an accompanying facilitator guide, participant guide, and DVD) and John: Fortress Biblical Preaching Commentaries, as well as numerous articles and book chapters. She was one of the 100 religious scholars in the United States to contribute to the Values and Voices Campaign (valuesandvoices.com). Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Lewis holds degrees from Northwestern University (B.A.), Luther Seminary (M.Div.), and Emory University (Ph.D, New Testament Studies and Homiletics). She has served as Treasurer of Academy of Homiletics and Regional Coordinator for the Upper Midwest Region of the Society of Biblical Literature. Lewis is the Program Director of the Festival of Homiletics and Chair of the Homiletics and Biblical Studies Section of the Society of Biblical Literature. Lewis leads conferences, workshops, and retreats internationally on the Gospel of John, the New Testament, interpreting the Bible, preaching, leadership, and women in ministry. She is a contributing writer for Working Preacher, co-host of the site's weekly podcast, Sermon Brainwave, and regularly authors the Dear Working Preacher column. Visit karolinelewis.com for resources on preaching, leadership, and being a woman in ministry. |
Rev. Dr. Velda Love
Velda Love joined the UCC as Minister for Racial
Justice on February 1, 2020, beginning her ministry to help the church live
into its vision of building a just world for all. A native of Chicago, Love brings to the national setting of the UCC her knowledge and expertise of critical race theory, leadership development, and community outreach, along with preaching, teaching, writing, and even fund development. She was a member of Trinity United Church of Christ for more than 20 years. That experience developed her spirituality, theology, biblical understanding, and racial justice from an African and African-American perspective. That experience also led to being deeply committed to social justice, gender equality, issues of race, and eliminating racism. Velda hopes to develop relationships with national staff and colleagues to understand how racial justice intersects with other issues, such as environmental justice, economic justice, criminal justice and mass incarceration, public education, millennial movement advocacy, and civil and human rights. Accomplishing this work will assist in developing a curriculum for dismantling racism in church and society that is comprehensive and strategic for the short-term and long-range. Prior to joining the UCC, Love spent nine years (2008-2017) at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago as an adjunct professor and conference speaker, and served North Park University as the director of intercultural justice and learning for 16 years (2000-2016). Love earned her bachelor's degree from Roosevelt University in 1990, and a master's degree from North Park Theological Seminary in 2006. She attended Chicago Theological Seminary and obtained her D.Min. in 2016, and served various boards and task force that address interfaith dialogue, homelessness, and youth incarceration. Velda believes that given this critical juncture in our nation, conversations on race are still a priority. Racial justice and racial equality need to be part of our national dialogue. As Christians in the United Church of Christ, we are responsible for changing the narrative of how we engage the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is inclusive, liberating, and radical.
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