News: 'Young Leaders of the Church' Series Set for May on Day1

Thursday March 31, 2011

Day1
Organization: Alliance for Christian Media
Denomination: Not available

"Day 1," the nationally syndicated radio program hosted by Peter Wallace, will present a special series featuring "Young Leaders of the Church" during the five Sundays in May. The series, the first of its kind undertaken by the program, is being produced in partnership with the Fund for Theological Education (FTE), based in Atlanta, Ga.

Each program in the series will feature an accomplished young minister preaching a sermon and interviewed by Wallace, as well as a student in preparation for a ministry career providing a brief commentary on the importance of church in a new generation.

"The goal of this series is to enrich and inspire our clergy and lay audiences to notice, name, and nurture young people in their midst with potential for pastoral ministry," said Wallace, who is also executive producer of "Day 1."

"We also hope to counter the popular public narratives about the inevitable decline of mainline denominations by spotlighting these vibrant, emerging young leaders who enthusiastically embrace church as a place for sharing their faith and engaging in community causes," he said. "We are grateful to the Fund for Theological Education for helping make this series possible, and we hope it leads to other similar ventures."

The five young leaders who will be preaching this May on "Day 1" are:

The Rev. Dr. Katharine "Katy" Hinman preaches May1. Hinman is associate pastor of Decatur (Ga.) First United Methodist Church, and earlier served as executive director of Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, a nonprofit dedicated to working with faith communities on environmental issues. She earned a master of divinity degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and earlier earned a Ph.D. in ecology and evolution from the State University of New York in Stony Brook. Before coming to Decatur First she was a pastoral scholar at Oak Grove United Methodist Church, Decatur, through a grant from FTE. Her sermon, "The Faith of the Doubter," focuses on the story of Doubting Thomas (John 20:19-31).
The Rev. Lee Hull Moses is featured May 8. She is senior minister of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Greensboro, N.C. A graduate of Albion College, she earned her master of divinity degree from the Divinity School at the University of Chicago, where she serves on the board of trustees of the Disciples Divinity House. She was a 2001 FTE Ministry Fellow. The co-author of the book "Gifts of Gilead," she is a member of the editorial board of "Fidelia's Sisters," an online publication. Her sermon, "Breaking Open," explores the story of the two disciples' post-resurrection walk to Emmaus (Luke 24:28-35).
The Rev. Adam Thomas will preach May 15. Thomas is assistant to the rector at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Cohasset, Mass. A graduate of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., and Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, he is the author of a new book, "Digital Disciple: Real Christianity in a Virtual World," to be published in May by Abingdon Press. Thomas also writes regularly on a blog, www.wherethewind.com, as well as on Day1.org and other sites. His sermon, "The Sheepfold," examines Jesus' teachings about the shepherd and his sheep (John 10:1-10).
The Rev. James Ellis III is featured May 22. Ellis is an ordained Baptist clergyman who has earned degrees from the University of Maryland, George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University, and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. After serving briefly as an associate campus minister of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ellis is currently pursuing an associate pastor opportunity in the Washington, D.C. area. An avid writer, Ellis is a featured blogger on Day1.org, has published a collection of poetry and prose, and has had sermons featured in "The National Baptist Voice" and "The African American Pulpit." His "Day 1" sermon, "Better Than Hippo Testimony," is based on the account of the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:55-60).
The Rev. Hardy H. Kim concludes the series May 29. Kim is associate pastor for church growth at First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Ga. A second-generation Korean American, Kim received a B.A. in government from Harvard University, then studied for a law degree at the University of Michigan before deciding to enter the ministry. He received a master of divinity degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. For two years he served as a Lilly Pastoral Resident at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, and has been a participant in FTE's Transition into Ministry program. His sermon, "Proclaiming Christ in the New Areopagus," is based on Paul's teaching experience in Athens, Greece (Acts 17:16-32).

The five young adults who will provide brief commentaries on the importance of faith and the church in their lives are:

Jason Myers (featured May 1), who received a B.A. from Bennington College, an M.F.A. in poetry from New York University, has lived in Atlanta since 2008. Myers, raised in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is a second-year master of divinity student at Emory University, and was a 2009 FTE Congregational Fellow. He currently serves at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where he is also a member. He hopes to pursue ministry with a special focus on creation care, social justice, and international relief work.
The Rev. Dr. Damon P. Williams (featured May 8) is a second-year master of divinity student at Columbia Theological Seminary and a 2010 FTE Ministry Fellow. Earlier he served as an associate minister at the Second Baptist Church of Ann Arbor, Mich. He earned a B.S. in industrial engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and an M.S. and Ph.D. in industrial engineering from the University of Michigan. Currently he is an associate minister at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta, and after graduating from seminary hopes to work in Christian education.
Christina A. Repoley (featured May 15) is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and serves on the ministry and worship committee of the Atlanta Friends Meeting. She is a Woodruff Fellow at Emory's Candler School of Theology, where she will receive a master of divinity degree in May. She received a ministry fellowship with FTE in 2009. She recently served on staff in the Peace Building Program of the American Friends Service Committee, Southeastern Regional Office, and as a co-coordinator of the statewide Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition. She is the lead organizer of Quaker Voluntary Service and works in the Faith and Service program of the Cousins Foundation.
Hanna Kim (featured May 22) is a master of divinity student at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Ga., and a 2010 FTE Congregational Fellow. She is originally from the Minneapolis area and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Lucia Hulsether (featured May 29), a senior religious studies and sociology major at Agnes Scott College, is interested in dynamics of immigration, nationalism, and race as they play out in contexts of religion. When she is not doing schoolwork, she works with the campus Living Wage Campaign and with the Candler School of Theology Youth Theological Initiative. A 2010 FTE Undergraduate Fellow, she is a member of the United Church of Christ and will begin divinity school in Fall 2011.

Based in Atlanta, Ga., FTE is an ecumenical advocate for excellence and diversity in pastoral ministry and theological scholarship. Its work supports the next generation of leaders among pastors and scholars, providing more than $1.5 million annually in fellowships and support to gifted young people from all denominations and racial/ethnic backgrounds. FTE invites congregations and church-related organizations to join its Calling Congregations network, which offers resources to cultivate "cultures of call." For information, visit www.fteleaders.org.

Formerly known as "The Protestant Hour," "Day 1" has been broadcast every week for 66 years. It is currently distributed to more than 200 radio stations across America and overseas.

"Day 1" is produced by the Alliance for Christian Media in cooperation with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, and other mainline denominations.