2017 Faith & Initiative Conference

2017 Conference Presenters & Sessions

2017 Anniversary Gala

In honor of our 150th Anniversary of service to the Church and new vision for the future, we hosted our inaugural Faith and Initiative Conference! Learn about the One-Five-O campaign!

The conference connected educators, scholars, clergy, disruptors, investors, and social entrepreneurs to explore the intersectionality of faith and innovation. We learned from each other, exchanged ideas, and explored ways to initiate change for the greater good.

We gathered leaders from various denominational, regional, vocational backgrounds in this movement creating additional pathways to ministerial preparation, leadership development, and community formation.

Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary is one of twelve theological institutions of the Presbyterian Church USA, and the only one that is historically African American. As JCSTS celebrates 150 years of service, the seminary is working to develop educational models focusing on innovation and providing affordable theological education rooted in the intersectionality of faith and justice.

2017 Conference Presenters & Sessions

Dr. Ralph Watkins – “The Future is Now: Loving Enough to Change”
The Peachtree Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth at Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia
Pastor of Wheat Street Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia

This session will focus on moving away from our current, outdated ways of doing things in the faith community and moving into the digital age, embracing social media and technology into the work of the church.

Melinda Weekes-Laidlow – “Clips and Conversation”
Melinda Weekes-Laidlow is the President of Weekes In Advance Enterprises, an organizational development firm offering consulting, facilitation, coaching and professional development services in arts and culture, social innovation, racial equity and collaborative leadership spaces. “Clips and Conversations” will take clips from TV shows, movies and/or other elements of popular culture to facilitate discussion around critical issues of the day in the context of the role of the faith community.

Dr. Tod Bolsinger – “Overcoming Imaginative Gridlock: Innovation, Adaptation, and a Changing World”
Vice President for Vocation and Formation and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary
"Seminary didn't train me for this." Most of our leadership problems can be solved by experts. Many of the challenges of ministry can be overcome through the faithful application of knowledge and wisdom that has been passed down through the ages. But what happens when the world changes rapidly? What do we do when our expertise is out of date or the practices of our context no longer have the impact that they once had. This lecture will discuss the challenge of leading in a rapidly changing, post-Christendom, world. Or as Edwin Friedman wrote in his seminal book, Failure of Nerve, “…when any relationship system is imaginatively gridlocked, it cannot get free simply through more thinking about the problem. Conceptually stuck systems cannot become unstuck simply by trying harder. For a fundamental reorientation to occur, that spirit of adventure which optimizes serendipity and which enables new perceptions beyond the control of our thinking processes must happen first.”

So, how does a seminary form leaders with a "spirit of adventure" that will enable them to develop the "new perceptions" that will lead to faithful innovation in the face of our most pressing and enduring challenges?

Rev. Paul T. Roberts – “JCSTS as a model in organizational change”
President, JCSTS
This talk will highlight the various ways that JCSTS has navigated change to better meet the changing needs of the marketplace, embracing innovation and collaboration.

Rev. Jessica Tate – “Following Jesus in the 21^stCentury”
Director, NEXT Church
Opening the newspaper or following stories on Twitter, we see troubling events unfolding the world over: acts of terror, a refugee crisis, devastation from natural disasters, a rise in nativist and fascist movements, a deeply polarized country, increasing pressures on the middle and lower economic classes, and news of the latest shooting. Meanwhile, cultural and behavioral shifts in the US lead to a decline in church affiliation, leaving many of our congregations fearful about their own survival. Some argue Christianity is becoming irrelevant in today’s society, but Jesus’s teaching about his identity offers a compelling vision for discipleship and the calling of the church to meaningful engagement in society today.

Sam Eaton – “59% of Millennials Raised in a Church Have Dropped Out: Hope and Help for Reaching the Next Generation” author, speaker and founder of Recklessly Alive Ministries
Using his viral article, "59% of Millennials Raised in a Church Have Dropped Out & They're Trying to Tell Us Why", Sam Eaton will share his experience with church burn out, how he created a thriving young adults ministry out of his home, and tangible ways the church can find middle ground with a generation desperate for authentic community.

Stephen Lewis – “Set Loose the Church’s Innovative Potential”
President, Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE)
This session will use an innovation game as a way to demonstrate the value of moving toward a more collaborative and inclusive model of leadership, as opposed to hierarchical. The session will explore the question of how we use all of the talents around the table to get them engaged since everyone brings something different and valuable to the table.

Dr. Ronald Carter – “Preparing Religious Innovations for the 21^stCentury”
President, Johnson C. Smith University

Panel Discussion– “Innovations in other industries that can benefit the faith community”
Panelists from a range of fields, including technology, product management, consulting, social entrepreneurship and the faith community, share the innovations they’ve initiated in their fields that could translate and be useful for the faith community.

Joey Womack, co-founder of Goodie Nation and Amplify4Good
Chidi Afulezi, co-founder of aKoma Media
Rev. Lindsay Armstrong, Director of New Church Development, Presbytery of Greater Atlanta

2017 Anniversary Gala

In celebration of our landmark 150th Anniversary, we hosted a Black-tie Gala and Fundraiser, Saturday, November 11, 2017, 7:00-11:00 p.m., at the Buckhead Club of Atlanta, 3344 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 2600, Atlanta, GA 30326.

Learn about the One-Five-O campaign!

Music for the gala was provided by the multi-talented Atlantan Tony Hightower. Tony has worked with Outkast, Goody Mob and Lionel Ritchie; and is the voice of many commercials including ones for Coca Cola, Kroger and the Georgia Lottery. As a singer, Tony prefers jazz and is building a reputation for himself by "making music like Nat King Cole." Tony's interactive style, and that of his trio, lends itself to audience participation and dancing. This is a guaranteed good time!

Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary is the only historically African-American theological institution among the 12 seminaries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The seminary provides customizable, competency-based theological education to advance communities of faith, justice, and compassion across the lines of race, class, ethnicity, and gender.