Westminster Town Hall Forum

Thomas Friedman is a Pulitzer Prize-winning weekly columnist for The New York Times, focusing on foreign affairs, the Middle East, globalization, and environmental issues. He is the author of seven bestselling books, including The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization; The World Is Flat: A Brief History of theTwenty-first Century; and the winner of the National Book Award, From Beirut to Jerusalem. His latest book is Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations. Born and raised in St. Louis Park, MN, he graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in Mediterranean studies and earned an M.Phil degree in Middle Eastern Studies at Oxford University.

Timothy Naftali is associate clinical professor of history and public service at NYU. He was the founding director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum where he curated its nationally acclaimed exhibit on Watergate, and founding director of the Presidential Recording Project at the Miller Center of Public Affairs. An award-winning author, his writings focus on national security, intelligence policy, international history, and presidential history. His published works include, among others, One Hell of a Gamble: Krushchev, Castro, and Kennedy, 1958 – 1964 and Blind Spot: The Secret History of American Counterterrorism. He holds degrees from Yale University and Johns Hopkins University and a doctoral degree in history from Harvard University.

Gene Robinson is a retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire. In 2003, he received national attention as the first priest in an openly gay relationship to be consecrated a bishop in a major Christian denomination. Since his retirement in 2013, he has served as a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, speaking and writing on the issues of race, poverty, immigration reform, LGBT rights, and the full inclusion of transgender people in the life of the Church and in American society. Recently, he has been speaking on behalf of the nonprofit organization Compassion & Choices, which advocates state-of-the-art care and a full range of options for people who are dying to ensure their comfort, dignity, and control at the end of life.

Glennon Doyle Melton is the founder of the online community Momastery, which draws hundreds of thousands of readers daily to her writings on marriage, motherhood, faith, addiction, and recovery. She is the author of The New York Times bestselling book Carry On, Warrior, and the newly released memoir, Love Warrior. In her books and blog posts, she shares poignant and candid observations about life’s challenges and the need to live authentically and without shame. A speaker in high demand, she has shared her insights with businesses, universities, faith communities, nonprofits, women’s groups, and parents’ organizations. She is a graduate of James Madison University in Virginia and currently lives in Naples, Florida, with her family.

Rodian Shchedrin - 10/31/91 by westminsterforum

Michael Dorris - 12/03/92 by westminsterforum

Julian Bond - 01/01/91 by westminsterforum

Jessie Allen - 04/02/93 by westminsterforum

Faith Daniels - 07/11/92 by westminsterforum

Eddie Glaude Jr. is the William S. Tod Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University and Chair of the Department of African American Studies. He is the author of the award-winning book In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America and co-editor with Cornel West of African American Religious Thought: An Anthology. His latest book is Democracy in Black: How Race Still Governs the Soul of America. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Morehouse College, a master’s degree in African American studies from Temple University, and a PhD in religion from Princeton University. His scholarly pursuits and public service have been informed by his years growing up in the coastal town of Moss Point, Mississippi.