The Fellowship Hall
By Christopher West
This podcast showcases voices from across the Christian world who are engaged in the work of racial justice, equity, and bridge-building. Just like a church fellowship hall, we are joining hands in prayer, sitting around the table to break bread, and talking about the church. This is where friendships are built and where everyone has a seat at the table. Join us for some delicious conversation!
The Fellowship Hall Dec 16, 2021
Stephen Reeves and John Mark Boes: Called to Advocacy
In this episode of the Fellowship Hall, we hear from the advocacy team of CBF. Stephen Reeves is the coordinator for Fellowship Southwest and the Director for Advocacy. John Mark Boes is the Advocacy Engagement and Programs Manager for all of CBF. Together, they lead the denomination in advocating for justice and equity. Their book The Mission fo Advocacy: A Toolkit for Congregations outlines their strategy and different ways to get involved. You can learn more about what they do HERE.
The song you hear in the intro and outro is: We Bless the Sun by Elephant Graveyard.
Dr Jay Augustine- Called to Reconciliation
Today we have a special guest, my friend Rev. Dr. Jay Augustine, who has worn many hats: civil rights attorney, pastor, author, professor. Today, Jay serves as the pastor of St Joseph AME Church in Durham, NC, a law professor at North Carolina Central University, and is a senior strategist with the Center for Reconciliation at Duke Divinity. Jay holds a JD from Tulane Law School and a DMin from Duke Divinity.
"Called to Reconciliation: How the Church Can Model Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion" is out on Amazon now. Order yours here!
Big News: This episode is a bit of a relauch. This podcast started as a way to reach (mostly) bapitsts regionally. It has quickly
Karyn Bigelow- Environmental Advocacy and Racial Justice
Today we heard from my friend Karyn Bigelow, one of the co-executive directors of Creation Justice Ministries (learn more here) and a bee-keeper. Karyn is a graduate of Pittsburg Theology Seminary where she earned her MDiv and is currently pursuing her Masters in Global Food Security at the University of Aberdeen.
Karyn is one of the few folks who have a presence in the academy, the board room, the church, and the policy arena. You can learn more about Karyn here (link) and at her channel @beekeeping_while_black. Today, we discuss advocacy, climate justice, and combatting environmental racism.
Dr. Ryan Andrew Newson- Stone Statements and Confronting Racist Memory
Dr. Ryan Andrew Newson of Campbell University returns once again to discuss his book Cut in Stone: Confederate Monuments and Theological Disruption (Baylor University Press, 2020)
Kat Armas- Sitting With the Stories of Our Abuelitas
Kat Armas is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary (MDiv and MAT) and hosts the popular Protagonistas Podcast, where she highlights the stories of everyday women of color. She has written for a number of popular outlets including Christianity Today, Sojourners, Relevant, Christians for Biblical Equality, Fuller Youth Institute, and Missio Alliance. Today we discuss her new book- Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us about Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength (Brazos Press, 2021).
Rev Brittany Graves (ABHMS)- Advocacy and Collective Action
Rev Brittany Graves is the Associate Coordinator of Public Witness & Advocacy with the American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS). As a graduate of Truett Seminary, Brittany has experienced and worked alongside many flavors of baptist life. Today, she helps “faith leaders, clergy, creatives, and nonprofits to speak up on pressing issues of injustice, providing inclusive language and creative storytelling to bring allies and supporters along in fulfilling the work of justice and advocacy.” In this episode, Brittany invites us to think creatively about advocacy and shares some wisdom about the importance of listening in living out the gospel. Check out her Advocates Prayer writing here: “Let Anti-racism be a cornerstone to the way you live”.
Brittany's Nuance Tea podcast is on anchor at https://anchor.fm/nuanceteapodcast. Also, all are welcome to join their social media community on Facebook and Instagram @nuanceteapodcast.
Some resources mentioned in this episode:
The National Council of Churches
Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC)
American Baptist Mission Society “The Advocates Prayer” which you can find here.
Luke Bretherton “Christ and the Common Life” and his podcast “Listen, Organize, Act”
Aaron Griffiths, “God’s Law and Order: The Politics of Punishment in Evangelical America” (Harvard, 2020)
Keep an eye out for Nancy Ammerman’s new book “Studying Lived Religion”
Dr. Ryan Andrew Newson- Radical Friendship
Dr. Newson is a professor at Campbell University. He teaches courses in theology, ethics, and at the intersection of theology and science, particularly the growing field of biomedical humanities. On this episode, we discuss his book Radical Friendship: The Politics of Communal Discernment (Fortress Press, 2017) and how communities can practice real listening that leads to transformation in communities.
Rev Sunny Ikojoh (Welcome House Ministries)- What It Means to Be a Neighbor
On this episode of The Fellowship Hall, we hear from my good friend Sunny Ikojoh from the Welcome House Ministries about Christian hospitality and what it means to be a neighbor.
I came to know Sunny while he was interning for Welcome House Raleigh. He is originally from Nigeria but now lives with people from across the globe at Welcome House- Knoxville. Sunny graduated with his Masters of Divinity from Logsdon Seminary at Hardin Simmons University and is currently working on his Masters in Counseling at Carson Newman University.
Michelle Osborne and Jarred White (RAFI)- Anti-Racism and Growing Just Food Systems
On this episode of The Fellowship Hall, we hear from Jarred White and Michelle Osborne from the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI).
Michelle and Jarred work at Come To The Table, a program that works with faith communities to cultivate relationships and build the power of local growers in hopes of building better, more sustainable food systems. Michelle is a senior program manager at RAFI who holds master's degrees from Duke Divinity and from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work. Jarred is the Farm and Faith program manager at Come to The Table. After graduating from Duke Divinity, Jarred worked as a staff pastor at a church in Raleigh where he helped lead several racial justice-based initiatives and programs. He is also a World Vision Fellow, through which he helped direct attention to issues that affect migrant farmworkers.
Through their stories and work, they share with us how race has played a part in widening agricultural disparity and some of the reasons why only 4 percent of US farm owners are people of color. We hear from Jarred and Michelle about the Farmers of Color Network and Challenging Corporate Power program, as well as other ways to get involved with RAFI’s work. If you have any specific questions or want to learn more about helping launch a local CSA to support your local farmers, you can contact them at michelle@rafiusa.org and jarred@rafiusa.org.
You can also sign up for RAFI’s email list to stay informed by CLICKING THIS LINK.
Melissa Florer-Bixler- How to Have an Enemy
On this episode of the Fellowship Hall, we hear from Rev. Melissa Florer-Bixler, the pastor of Raleigh Mennonite Church, about her new book How to Have An Enemy: Righteous Anger and the Work of Peace. Melissa is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and earned a Masters in Religion from Duke University. To love your enemy means that you must first have an enemy. Her new book explores this concept and sheds light on what it looks like to live out the real, transformational biblical justice that the gospel calls us to.
You can purchase copies of this book and her first book Fire By Night (which is also incredible!) on her website www.melissaflorerbixler.com.
Rev Scott Hovey- Truth-Telling & The Gospel Of Justice
On this episode of The Fellowship Hall, we hear from Rev. Scott Hovey of St John's Baptist, Raleigh. In 2020, Scott was elected the chair of the Racial Equity and Justice Team of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina (CBF-NC). Scott shares a great word about truth-telling, rethinking our ideas of justice, and the Christian duty to listen.
Welcome to the Fellowship Hall
This is the introduction to the podcast. This is a podcast about how the church in North Carolina is dealing with issues of racial equity and justice. Let me know what you think and who you would like to hear from!