The Ministry and Entrepreneurship series highlights members of the Candler community that serve in ministry while thriving in the entrepreneurial space. Lessie is a 2nd Year MDiv at Candler School of Theology. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker and, a self-taught freelance makeup artist and C.E.O. Ever since her childhood, she has been in love with all things related to the Fashion and Beauty industry. It was at the beginning of her undergraduate career when she began to develop her craft, spending her downtime participating in college fashion shows and providing makeup services− “glamming up” anyone who would offer their face.

The Ministry and Entrepreneurship series highlights members of the Candler community that serve in ministry while thriving in the entrepreneurial space. Orlando currently serves as Senior Pastor at Bright Star United Methodist Church in Douglasville, GA. He actively encourages others to be united by faith and defined by love. Orlando owns BowTie Photos, LLC and is one of Atlanta’s premier event photography and photobooth operators. His clients include the United Way of Greater Atlanta, Emory University, the Black Data Processors Association (BDPA), and more. Orlando earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan (Ross School of Business) and a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Emory University (Candler School of Theology) in 2019.

Ministry and Entrepreneurship series highlights members of the Candler community that serve in ministry while thriving in the entrepreneurial space. Minister Alex Revelle earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Candler School of Theology in 2021 and is now the Young People Division Pastor at Cascade United Methodist Church. During his time serving in this role, he has recognized his passion found in combining technology, with theology within the young people division ministries.

The Ministry and Entrepreneurship series highlights members of the Candler community that serve in ministry while thriving in the entrepreneurial space. Our guest today is Julian Davis Reid a 2020 Candler School of Theology graduate earning his Master of Divinity. Julian is an artist-theologian who uses words and music to invite us into the restful lives we were created to live. A pianist, producer, and composer, Julian is a founding member of the jazz-electronic fusion group The JuJu Exchange (with Nico Segal and Nova Zaii) and hosts musical-contemplative workshops and retreats called Notes of Rest. He writes about faith, music, and rest on his Substack page “Julian’s Note,” and he works with the grassroots management consultancy Fearless Dialogues. 

The second installment of the Candler Black Excellence (CBE) series on Candler in Conversation features Rev. Dr. Kevin Murriel (Pastor, Cascade UMC - Atlanta) and Rev. Dr. Damon Williams (Pastor, Providence Missionary Baptist Church - Atlanta) talking about the often unspoken insights into the life of a pastor. They share their pastoral journeys and the lessons learned as they transitioned from being an Associate Minister to the role of Senior Pastor. They discussed the realities of bi-vocational ministry and the importance of finding and developing positive and nurturing relationships. We even delved into the nuts and bolts of what a minister needs to know as they walk into their pastoral role, including compensation, benefits, preaching, planning, maximizing staff and volunteers, and their professional team. We also talked about the challenges of pastoring during a global pandemic and possible silver linings. This episode will help everyone in the church.

The guest host is CBE Project Director Elliott Robinson, JD ‘16MDiv with music created by Julian Reid ‘19MDiv, both Candler alumni.

Candler Black Excellence is a multi-year project highlighting the achievements and impact of Candler’s Black faculty, alumni, and students through videos, podcasts, interviews, and articles.

This first installment of the Candler Black Excellence (CBE) series on Candler in Conversation features the Rev. Dr. Khalia Williams, Assistant Dean of Worship & Music at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. We explore the research Dr. Williams is conducting, in conjunction with the Wabash Institute, on the impact of breath and breath-work in both pedagogy and day-to-day life.

On this episode of Candler in Conversation, meet Doug Shipman, one of the February 2021 TheoEd Speakers. Doug Shipman is the Founding CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, a museum and cultural institution in Atlanta, Georgia which draws connections between the U.S. Civil Rights movement and today’s human rights struggles. Shipman recently ended his tenure as the president and CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center, a position he used to support local arts groups. He holds degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School, the Harvard Divinity School, and Emory University. Today, Shipman is invested in supporting Atlanta’s art community and promoting racial justice in the arts. He can be found online on Twitter and Instagram as @dougship. 

The name of his TheoEd Talk is "Is Reconciliation Right for America?", and you can watch it live on Sunday, February 21 at 5:00pm EST.  Visit TheoEd.com to register for the live event. 

On this episode of Candler in Conversation, meet Rev. Olu Brown, one of the February 2021 TheoEd Speakers. Rev. Olu Brown is the lead pastor of Impact Church, a multicultural gathering located in Atlanta which he planted in 2007. In 2016, Impact Church was named one of the fastest-growing churches in America. He is the author of multiple books, including 4D Impact: Smash Barriers Like a Smart Church. The name of his TheoEd Talk is "Embracing Uncertainty", and he discusses his hopes for the talk in this episode. 

He can be found online at www.olubrown.com, @pastorolubrown on Instagram, and @impactdcd on Instagram.  

On this episode of Candler in Conversation, you'll hear the Resiliency of Job lecture, presented by Drs. Carol Newsom and Karen Schieb. This lecture was originally recorded on Sunday, November 8, 2020 at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in partnership with Candler School of Theology. This event was made possible by the Manfred Hoffmann Endowment Fund and the Nancy Eiesland Endowment Fund. Together, Drs. Carol Newsom and Karen Scheib look at the various ways that Job, in the midst of his suffering, exhibits resiliency.

With national and local elections around the corner, there’s much work to do in getting our political affairs, both individually and communally, in order now. How does or how should the church and faith-based organizations navigate politics? What’s at stake on the ballots? Why should voting matter to our faith? Our all-star panelists will help us answer these questions.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

www.faithstrongvote.com

https://ballotpedia.org

https://projectoverzero.org/