Welcome to our Season 4 of Between the Pew. This season will focus on Black love & ministry where we will explore the experiences of five couples as they manage marriage and life in ministry. We will explore the highs, the lows, the pitfalls and wisdom gained from couples ranging in marriage from a few years to over 50. We will hear about the struggles and joys of being Black in an evangelical denomination and how that has shaped their marriages…or not. 

Meet Marshall ‘Book’ Robinson and Tanisha Robinson; the first couple in this season's series. Tanisha and Book have been married for 22 years. They have a unique marriage story in that while having no biological children, the Marshalls have fostered and raised 17 children and adopted 2.  Book has served and ministered to God’s people since age 13 in Missouri, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida, Illinois & Indiana and is currently Pastoral Resident at New City West End in St. Louis, Mo. He is also working on his Master of Divinity at Covenant Seminary. Book also heads up InsideOut Jail & Prison Works, a holistic ministry serving the incarcerated, their families,  and the communities affected by the prison industrial complex. Tanisha is a Guinness Book of World
Records Holder, a wedding and event planner, a former Bible Study organizer and leader, a talented choir 1st Soprano, and a former Color Guard captain and pom squad member. Once a Pre-Med college major, Tanisha now is intrigued by and regularly studies criminology and trafficking by watching Law & Order SVU and Criminal Minds. Tanisha, like Book, is an avid lover of musicals.

Catch up with Book at https://restorestlouis.org/inside-out-prison-ministry or email him at [email protected]

African American Ministries hosts a weekend conference each year called LDR Weekend (Leadership Development Resource Weekend). LDR Weekend is our annual gathering for African Americans in the PCA and this weekend is an opportunity to connect with and encourage one of our denomination’s most underrepresented demographics.

In this special episode, Kellie shares what attendees can expect from LDR 2023 in Atlanta, September 1-3! Get ready for sound teaching, vibrant worship, rich fellowship, and... a block party!

LDR registration is open now! To register visit:

https://brushfire.com/mna/ldr2023/558225/register

Got questions? Reach out to Kellie at [email protected] 

In the second part of this two part episode, Jenell and Kellie continue the conversation with Professor Suzanne Bates. Suzanne is a Licensed Professional Counselor and PhD candidate. She serves as the Assistant Professor of Counseling at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO. 

Suzanne shares about her work in cultural identity development that the Lord has given her the opportunity to participate in. She also talks about her dissertation topic, the residual impact of slavery on sexual violence among African American women, and more!

To learn more about Professor Suzanne Bates visit,

covenantseminary.edu 

To contact Suzanne, email,

[email protected]

In the first part of this two part episode, Jenell and Kellie sit down with Professor Suzanne Bates. Suzanne is a Licensed Professional Counselor and PhD candidate. She serves as the Assistant Professor of Counseling at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO. 

Suzanne shares lessons she learned from her mother, her response to life's personal tragedies, her search for identity, how she discerned God's call on her life, and more! As the first black person to ever become a member of her first PCA church, Suzanne has a lot to share!

To learn more about Professor Suzanne Bates visit,

covenantseminary.edu

In this episode of Between The Pew, Jenell and Kellie talk with Dr. Vanessa Hawkins. Vanessa is the Director of Community Life at Redeemer Lincoln Square in New York. Redeemer LS is a church that is part of the Redeemer network of churches founded by the late Tim Keller (Keller passed away after the recoding of episode).

Vanessa  received her Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry in Cultural Apologetics and Communication from Covenant Theological Seminary. Vanessa shares about growing up in Arkansas, the sequence of events that led her to the PCA, the privilege of ministering to women, her doctoral research, and more!

To learn more about Vanessa and Redeemer LS, visit:

https://redeemerlsq.com/

In this episode of Between the Pew, Jenell and Charles get to know Haley Williams. Haley has worked in campus ministry with RUF City Campus in New York for the past three years. Haley talks about her upcoming move to Washington DC, her new ministry call, and how she plans to incorporate dance into her passion for growing in knowledge of the person and work of Jesus.

Click here to give to Haley’s work in Washington, DC.

In this episode of Between the Pew, Kellie and Jenell sit down with Carine Lewis, Women's Ministry Director at Urban Hope Community Church in Fairfield, AL. Carine talks about her Haitian roots, her name, why she decided to attend seminary, and her calling to minister to the "forgotten" black woman.

Click Here to give to Carine's work at Urban Hope!

Website: urbanhopecc.com

"Planting, in partnership with Perimeter Church and MNA's African American Ministries, Kindred Hope will ignite a movement of black church planting and ministry for and by Black Americans."

In this episode of Between the Pew; Jenell, Charles, Kellie, and Howard talk about the Kindred Hope church plant in Atlanta, GA. Church planters, Howard and Kellie Brown, answer important questions, like, is a black church just for black folk?" They also share the current state of the church plant, what led them to answer the call to plant, and ways listeners can support this important work!

To learn more about Kindred Hope Church or to give visit:

kindredhopechurch.org

To contact:

Howard Brown: [email protected]
Kellie Brown: [email protected]

Incorporating what he's learned in almost a decade of doing ministry at HBCUs, Rev. Cyril Chavis wrote, "The Bible Explained: A College Student's Guide to Understanding Their Faith." This book explains some of the Bible's most basic and unchanging truths, but specifically written for Black college students and their lived experience.

In this special episode of BTP, Jenell and Charles sit down with Cyril and discuss why he decided to write this book and how it is relevant and beneficial for all people groups.

CLICK HERE to order your copy of The Bible Explained today!

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CLICK HERE to sign up for the email list

Rev. Cyril Chavis is an ordained Teaching Elder in the PCA. Cyril currently serves as the RUF Campus Minister at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Jenell and Kellie sit down with Cyril Chavis, RUF Campus minister at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Howard is an HBCU (Historically Black College and University), and, in this episode, Cyril shares his heart for HBCUs and why it is important to do ministry there. 

Cyril also talks about the upcoming HBCU Link conference. HBCU Link is a conference that equips HBCU workers to lead ministries faithful to Jesus and tailor-made for black campuses. The conference will be held November 10-12 in Columbia, SC. To learn more about HBCU Link and to register, visit:

https://colapres.com/hbcu-link-2022