Workshop Title:
About Jen DeLeon
Jennifer DeLeon is director for racial justice at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). From 2018 to 2021, she served as director for justice for Women of the ELCA, where she developed resources and learning opportunities on human trafficking, domestic violence, immigration and racial justice. Before that, Jennifer was director of government relations and advocacy for Lutheran Social Services in Chicago. She has over 20years of community organizing experience in Chicago, addressing issues such as hunger, immigration, housing, child welfare and health care. Her work has focused on finding faith-based solutions to systemic injustices. Jennifer has been a consultant for faith-based organizations on leadership, multicultural competency, advocacy and the intersection of faith, justice and culture. A member of Trinidad Lutheran Church in Chicago, she holds a master’s degree in theology from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management from DePaul University.
Workshop Title: Embodiment Activity
About Rev. Sung
Rev. Jennifer Sung has been an ordained pastor with the ELCA since 2019. Currently she serves at Calvary Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, near George Floyd Square. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary and her undergraduate degree from Bethel University. Jenny writes, speaks and preaches as #Freerangepastorjenny for national and international audiences, both in person and online. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok at #FreerangepastorJenny
Opening—Bishop Eaton, Judith Roberts, Jaqueline Lewis, opening preacher, and Ali Paris, musician
About Rev. Eaton
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton was reelected to serve a second six-year term as ELCA presiding bishop at the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Eaton is the ELCA’s fourth presiding bishop and was first elected at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
Eaton earned a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the College of Wooster.
Eaton was ordained in 1981 and served three different congregations in Ohio before being elected bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Ohio Synod in 2006. She was reelected synod bishop in May 2013, shortly before her election as ELCA presiding bishop.
Eaton’s four emphases for the ELCA are: We are church; We are Lutheran; We are church together; We are church for the sake of the world. These four emphases are fundamental to identifying who the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is.
Opening — Bishop Eaton, Judith Roberts, Jaqueline Lewis, opening preacher, and Ali Paris, musician
About Rev. Dr. Lewis
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis is senior minister and public theologian at Middle Church in New York City. Celebrated internationally for her dynamic preaching and commitment to building a just society with fierce love, Dr. Lewis champions racial, economic, and gender/sexuality justice. The author of several books, including Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-breaking Kindness That Can Heal the World and The Just Love Story Bible, she has been featured on NBC, CBS, PBS, MSNBC and NPR and in the New York Times, Washington Post, Ebony and Essence.
About Judith
Judith Roberts is senior director for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
She has served as the ELCA, director for racial justice, as a co-convener for the National Council of Churches (NCC), Joint Action and Advocacy working group, and as a member of the NCC’s Truth and Racial Justice Task Force. Judith is an alum of Springfield College in Springfield, Mass., and holds an M.A. in Southern studies from the University of Mississippi. She enjoys spending time with family, visiting museums, cooking, and traveling.
Opening — Bishop Eaton, Judith Roberts, Jaqueline Lewis, opening preacher, and Ali Paris, musician
About Ali
Ali Paris is celebrated for his artistry on the qanun, a traditional instrument dating back to the 14th century. Blending Middle Eastern music with jazz and Western classical, Ali has been called an “unrivaled, unique artist” by the late Quincy Jones and “one of the most eclectic and diverse artists” by Paul Simon. Born in Morocco, Ali graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has won numerous international accolades and collaborated with Paco De Lucia, Concha Buika, Alicia Keys, Bobby McFerrin and Jack DeJohnette. Ali has performed at the White House, the Kennedy Center, the Newport and Montreux jazz festivals and the Royal Palace in Jordan. A soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Michigan Philharmonic, he was featured in the Grammy-winning Spanish documentary Entre2aguas and the religious drama Noah. In addition to his musical achievements, Ali has collaborated with other artists to support such initiatives as Doctors Without Borders, Save a Child’s Heart, and Keep a Child Alive.
Workshop Title: “God’s Holy Darkness: Healing Through Representation and the Impact of Children’s Literature Across Generations”
About Beckah
Beckah Selnick (she/her) is a writer and author. She is the co-author of God’s Holy Darkness and the upcoming God’s Holy Body. As a perpetual student of comedy, storytelling and religion, she has studied at Harvard University Extension School, Second City (Chicago) and John Carroll University. Her curiosity with the world and what it believes has seen Selnick serving a homelessness initiative and giving tower tours at an ancient abbey in the United Kingdom, teaching English and pressing cabbage in a rural village in the Slovak Republic, and serving coffee in Seattle. Selnick lives with her family—Michael, Jonah, and Declan—in the Pacific Northwest. You can find more about her on social media (@BeckahSelnick) or by visiting beckahselnick.com
Closing — Benhi !Khabeb closing musician, Bishop Felix Malpica closing preacher and closing song
About Benhi
Benhi !Khabeb was born and raised in Namibia, specializing in indigenous music past and present, through natural African roots composition. He plays many different indigenous instruments like the djembe, talking drum, kess-kess, calabash, and mbira. Benhi has participated as a musician in countless ELCA events over the years. As a singer and keeper of the oral traditions and history of the Khoisan people of the Namib Desert, he is regarded as a living instrument, resonating the voice of the ancestors.
About Dawn
Dawn Rundman is director of congregational development and marketing at Augsburg Fortress Publishers, where she has developed more than 20,000 pages of faith formation curriculum and five Bibles for kids and youth. With a Ph.D. in developmental psychology, Dawn writes, teaches and speaks about how an understanding of brain development can guide the early faith formation experiences we create for young children in our church communities. Dawn is also editor of Mouth House, a new book series from Augsburg Fortress that amplifies voices for change. Dawn and her husband, Jonathan, live in Minneapolis-St. Paul and have two young-adult children.
Workshop Title: “Asian Lutheran Experience”
About Dr. Moua
Dr. Kao Nou L. Moua (she/her) has 20 years of experience working with marginalized young people as a youth worker, advocate and researcher in Missoula, Mont., and St. Paul, Minn. She is an assistant professor in the social work department at Augsburg University, where she teaches courses on youth work, anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practices, and community organizing.
Workshop Title: “BIPOC Learning — A Gathering Space for People of Color”
About Dr. Sherman-Conroy
Dr. Kelly Sherman-Conroy is a Native American theologian, activist and storyteller. A member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, she is the first Native woman theologian in the ELCA to have received a Ph.D. Her work focuses on systemic theology, Lakota spirituality and racial reparations. She is an outspoken champion for social justice and healing, and her work has received national and worldwide acclaim. She is an adventurer, a mother and a friend.
Workshop Title: Poetry Selection
About Joe
Joe Davis is an award-winning spoken-word artist and bestselling author who uses poetry to power possibility. He is the founder and director of Finding Your Freedom Practice, an arts education program that activates hip-hop, spoken word, creative writing and theater as tools for holistic wellness. Based in Minneapolis, he tours internationally to join schools, faith spaces, nonprofits and businesses to practice envisioning and embodying a world of collective liberation and human flourishing. Joe's first two books are We Rise Higher: Poems and Prayers for Graduates and Remind Me Again: Poems and Practices for Remembering Who We Are. To connect with him, book him or learn more, visit JoeDavisPoetry.com.
Workshop Title: “Call to Allyship Panel — Q & A”
About Rev. !Khabeb
Rev. Angela T. !Khabeb is a distinguished alumna of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, where she earned her Master of Divinity degree, was named a Bridges Scholar and won the James Kenneth Echols Prize for Excellence in Preaching. She is an in-demand writer, speaker and preacher who has appeared several times on the “Faith Friday” segment on ABC’s Good Morning America. She lives with her husband, Benhi, and their three beautiful children in Minneapolis, Minn.
Workshop Title: “Call to Allyship Panel — Q & A”
About Rev. Dr. Walker
Rev. Dr. Andrea L. Walker has been active in the ELCA for decades. She earned her Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from the Lutheran Schoolof Theology at Chicago. Writing her DMin thesis in 2007, titled “A Place at the Table: An African American Lutheran Preaching From Margins to Mainstream,” helped her to discover this framework for L.O.V.E. This framework guided her global work in Africa and is practiced in every aspect of her life.
Workshop Title: “Unmasking the Racism in Anti-racism Education in Our Faith Communities”
About Rev. Dr. Brown
The Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown is an African American queer pastor and educator with more than three decades of experience advocating for underrepresented communities. With a heart for community and access for all, she stands — and activates — as a truth-teller at the intersection of faith, education and justice. Dr. Starr Brown is the creator of the ACTION Project, a nationwide anti-racism program, and has authored two social justice–centered facilitator guides for ministry leaders. She serves as anti-racism consultant for several organizations, including the ELCA’s White Lutherans for Racial Justice. Equipped with a Master of Divinity degree (Luther Seminary), an interfaith spiritual direction certification (Still Harbor) and a Doctor of Ministry degree (United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities), Dr. Starr Brown was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). To learn more about her and her work, visit www.jiastarrbrown.com.
Workshop Title: “Bridging Cultures: Arab Immigration and Lutheran Ministry in America”
About Rev. Sarras
The Rev. Niveen Ibrahim Sarras, born and raised in Bethlehem, Palestine, is the first Palestinian woman ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Her passion for the Bible began at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation and school in Bethlehem. She earned her Master of Divinity degree from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Old Testament studies from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Rev. Sarras has taught feminist, womanist and mujerista theology in the ELCA East-Central Synod of Wisconsin and courses on feminist theology and interfaith introductions through the University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension. Outside academia, Rev. Sarras enjoys hiking, biking, canning, watching documentaries and reading on politics, faith and Scripture. As both pastor and scholar, she advocates for critical thinking and deeper faith understanding.
Workshop Title: “Creating a Positive and Practical Call”
About Rev. Dr. Davenport
Rev. Dr. Patricia Ann Curtis Davenport assumed office as bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA on Aug. 1, 2018. She is the first African American woman in the ELCA to be elected a bishop. She has served the church in a variety of capacities, including as co-chair of the Guiding Coalition, as a member of the Congregational Vitality and African Descent Strategy teams, and as secretary of the board of Lutheran Services in America. She is a lifetime member of the Philadelphia chapter of the African Descent Lutheran Association and is active with the Black Clergy of Philadelphia, Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia and Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia. She appreciates the opportunity to serve on the Deaconess Community board. Bishop Davenport is a much-sought-after servant-leader and speaker.
Workshop Title: “Posture for Actively Anti-racist Allies”
About Rev. Dr. Denson-Byers
Rev. Dr. Yolanda Denson-Byers is an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the ELCA and holds degrees from Wesleyan University, Harvard University and Luther Seminary. Throughout her decades in ministry, she has served as a campus pastor, college professor, hospice chaplain, professional writer and parish pastor. Pastor Yolanda and her beloved wife, Tasha, have five children, and her family is the light of her life.
Closing — Benhi !Khabeb closing musician, Bishop Felix Malpica closing preacher and closing song
About Rev. Malpica
Rev. Felix Javier Malpica serves as bishop of the La Crosse Area Synod. He is a writer, musician, preacher, worship leader, father of two and husband. He is a member of the board of regents for Luther College and sits on the board of directors for Holden Village.
Workshop Title: “God’s Holy Darkness: Healing Through Representation and the Impact of Children’s Literature Across Generations”
About Rev. Faison
Faison is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, serving as program director for African Descent Ministries. Nikki is the creator of MONadvocacy, a racial justice resource grounded in play. She is passionate about queer Black liberation, cultivating diverse leadership in faith spaces and the art of creation. She resides in the Chicago area with her daughters and her two cats, Penne Pablo and Rigatoni Braxton.
Workshop Title: “Call to Allyship Panel — Q & A”
About Rev. Paris-Austin
Rev. Priscilla Paris-Austin is passionate about youth and family ministry, and she enjoys being a pastor, preacher, teacher and writing consultant. Her calling to allyship has her serving as a member of boards for diversity and inclusion in the church and in the world. She lives in eternal thankfulness for the partnership of her spouse of 25-plus years and the gift of parenting three amazing humans with whom she shares a love of God, the arts, basketball, gymnastics, superheroes and justice for all.
Workshop Title: “Antiblackness in Multicultural Spaces: Be Seen, Be Heard”
About Rhonda
Rhonda Hill has spent over a decade focusing on racism and poverty. She has served as a counselor, consultant, coach and group facilitator. She is an analytical, creative, systems thinker with compassion. Her commitment to raising awareness about racism is seen through her previous work with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), the ELCA Greater Milwaukee Synod and the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, and as founder of Race and Faith. Rhonda has master's degrees in marriage and family therapy and in theological studies. In addition to her dedication to racial justice, she is a dedicated mom to her son, Josiah.
Workshop Title: “God’s Holy Darkness: Healing Through Representation and the Impact of Children’s Literature Across Generations”
About Sharei
Sharei Green is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree as a seminarian at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Sharei has a strong commitment to community healing and sabbath, especially in BIPOC communities. You can find her writing online at Living Lutheran, Gather and Café.
Workshop Title: “Posture for Actively Anti-racist Allies”
About Shari
Shari Seifert is bivocational. She helps people buy and sell houses as a Realtor and she dismantles white supremacy in the (ELCA) Lutheran church. Shari is a member of the Race Equity Committee at Calvary Lutheran Church and part of the community at George Floyd Square. Seifert is author of Ashes to Action: Finding Myself at the Intersection of the Minneapolis Uprising. She lives, plays, and works in Minneapolis on land that was forcibly taken from the Dakota people.
