2019 Faith Leaders Symposium
The 2019 Faith Leaders Symposium and Evening in the Word, supporting Northern Seminary’s Master of Arts in Urban Leadership Program, was held on Wednesday, August 21, 2109. The event was hosted by the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church located in the Englewood community in the heart of the city of Chicago.
The symposium featured three panel discussions:
- Reaching and retaining Millennials in Ministry, led by panelists Greg Armstrong, Nick Rivera, and Johnathan Brooks
- Healthy Minister Healthy Ministry, led by panelists James Brooks and Jill Fleagle
- In Times Like These What Shall We Preach, led by panelists Gail Rice, Gary Hayles, and Floyd James
Each panelist possessed experience and expertise in their respective subject matter. After each panelist gave a 10 to 15-minute presentation on their respective topic, the floor was opened for questions and answers.
Approximately 150 Faith Leaders attended and participated in the symposium. The attendees engaged in an energetic dialogue with the panelists and each other, as they discussed the issues facing urban communities and shared best practices for ministering in urban churches. The issues included: violence and crime, racism, social media and ministry, economic development, God’s love and the LGBTQ community, church security, succession planning, legalization of marijuana, and the “Me Too” movement.
After a dinner break, the group reassembled for the “Evening in the Word” featuring praise and worship, a student testimony from Lawrence Walker, and a keynote address by Rev. Albert Wayne Johnson, General Secretary of the Progressive National Baptist Convention. The attendance for the “Evening in The Word” was approximately 225.
Feedback from the event indicated we met its intended purpose to bring much needed information and guidance to persons leading in urban contexts’.
We appreciate everyone who presented and attended. Those interested in studying more deeply the issues facing urban communities can take classes on the South Side in Northern’s Urban Leadership program.