Wild Goose

When we observe a tension between Jesus and Caesar, we acknowledge that a fundamental tension remains at the heart of Christianity. The tension is not between religion and atheism or secularism. Nor is it between organized religion and personal spirituality or between Christianity and other religions. The tension is located within the heart of Christianity itself because it is a radical conflict between faith that is life-giving for all and faith that is damaging and destructive of people and the earth. Jesus vs. Caesar serves as an indictment of the pieties of empire and their push for political, economic, cultural, and religious domination. Some forms of Christian faith (Jesus) versus other forms of Christian faith (Caesar). Whom and what will we trust and serve? Jesus embodies and exposes this tension in ways that transform destructive images of God, engender political and economic resilience, and model solidarity with others who are radically different, including other religions.

Joerg Rieger is Distinguished Professor of Theology and holds the Cal Turner Chancellor’s Chair at Vanderbilt University. His work reflects on the misuse of power in religion, politics, and economics. His main interest is in movements that bring about transformation and in the positive contributions of religion and theology. He is author and editor of more than 20 books, translated in 6 languages, and over 140 articles.
www.joergrieger.com

Board Vice-Chair
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. Notable among the many books he has authored are: “A New Kind of Christian”, which won Christianity Today’s “Award of Merit” in 2002; “Everything Must Change” tracing critical ways in which Jesus’ message confronts contemporary global crises; and We Make the Road by Walking, marking a turn toward constructive and practical theology. His 2016 release, The Great Spiritual Migration, has been hailed as his most important work to date. Brian is married to Grace, and they have four adult children and five grandchildren. His personal interests include wildlife and ecology, fly fishing and kayaking, music and songwriting, art, history, and literature. www.brianmclaren.net

Jen Hatmaker is the author of eleven books, including New York Times Bestsellers For the Love and Of Mess and Moxie. She is the happy hostess of a tightly knit online community where she reaches millions of people each week. She and her husband, Brandon, founded the Legacy Collective, a giving community that funds sustainable solutions to systemic problems around the world. They also starred in an HGTV series called “My Big Family Renovation” and live in a 105-year-old farmhouse just outside Austin, TX with their five kids. She speaks at events all over the country and hosts the popular podcast For the Love with Jen Hatmaker. Check out her books, schedule, and blog at jenhatmaker.com/

Shane Claiborne graduated from Eastern University and did graduate work at Princeton Seminary. In 2010, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Eastern. His adventures have taken him from the streets of Calcutta where he worked with Mother Teresa to the wealthy suburbs of Chicago where he served at the influential mega-church Willow Creek. As a peacemaker, his journeys have taken him to some of the most troubled regions of the world – from Rwanda to the West Bank, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Shane is a founder and board member of The Simple Way, a faith community in inner city Philadelphia that has helped birth and connect radical faith communities around the world. He is married to Katie Jo, a North Carolina girl who also fell in love with the city (and with Shane).

Shane writes and travels extensively speaking about peacemaking, social justice, and Jesus. His books are translated into more than a dozen languages. Shane speaks over 100 times a year, nationally and internationally.
www.thesimpleway.org

If by some odd set of circumstances we were to meet at a party where neither of us knew the host and were both the party-partners of someone else, and we were trapped in the kitchen, and in a kind effort you sought to break the awkward silence by saying, “so, who are you?”, I would want to tell you that deep down I am a novice ultra-marathoner and try not to talk constantly about having run a 100-mile race recently. And at this very moment, I wish I was out on a run.

But instead, in order to fit the protocol of casual, professional interactions I would tell you that I am a pastor, an author, a convener who seeks to be a goodness conspirator & possibility evangelist finding creative, entrepreneurial and generative ways to enlist people to join in the hopes, dreams, and desires of God for the world.

If you seemed at all interested in all that professional stuff I might include that I do that work by being the pastor of Solomon’s Porch in Minneapolis, speaking and writing on spirituality and leadership a
www.dougpagitt.com

Mark serves as Assistant Professor of Church Music at Drew Theological School and is a lecturer in the Practice of Sacred Music at Yale University. He is also the Minister of Music of Christ Church in Summit, New Jersey.

Since 1999, Mark has led music for United Methodists and others around the country, including directing music for the 2008 General Conference. His choral anthems are best sellers for Abingdon Press and Choristers Guild, and his hymns are published in “Worship & Song”, “Sing! Prayer and Praise”, “Zion Still Sings”, “Amazing Abundance”, “The Faith We Sing”, and others.

Mark received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Yale University and his Master of Music in Organ Performance from Juilliard. Mark is a lifelong United Methodist. He is the grandson, son, brother, uncle, and cousin to United Methodist clergy. As a lay delegate to the 2000 and 2004 and 2012 General Conferences, Mark was a witness to Christ’s mission of breaking down the dividing walls of hostility and fear in the United Methodist Church.

Life Compass Living begins with who you are, who your people are and where you want to be as your life unfolds. It helps you:• Take responsibility for your life choices• Get comfortable having crucial conversations with those you love• Actively share life with your core relationships and community• Become well informed about the complexities of maturing in a complex, modern lifestyle• Set and accomplish realistic goals for securing your future in relation to your current life stageLife Compass Living is for everyone! Come identify vulnerabilities and opportunities that need to be addressed in your life stage and leave with more resources on how to continue the process.

Aline Defiglia is a licensed psychotherapist adventuring at the intersection of health, healing, and the restoration of connection with self, others, and the sacred. Her practice specializes in mind and body healing modalities, life coaching, hypnotherapy, and team performance consulting. Aline is also a Certified Senior Advisor and serves as a foundational partner and facilitator with the Life Compass Living Community. She and her husband are currently in the process of moving from Chicago, IL to Chattanooga, TN. Discover more at ABWellness.life.
https://lifecompassliving.com/

Between 2007 and 2015 the number of Evangelicals supportive of marriage equality jumped from 26 to 36 percent and 51 percent among Millennials. But 100 of America’s 100 largest churches are still not open and affirming. What are the obstacles to full inclusion and when can we expect them to be overcome?Rev. Dr. Paula Stone Williams, a national speaker on LGBTQ issues of faith and gender discrimination, will explore current trends in American religion and what they mean for vulnerable populations.

Rev. Dr. Paula Williams is a nationally known speaker on gender equity and transgender advocacy. She is also the Pastor of Preaching and Worship at Left Hand Church in Longmont, Colorado, and the president of RLT Pathways, Inc., a non-profit providing counseling and coaching services. Paula serves on the board of the Q Christian Fellowship, the Union of Affirming Christians, and the WITH Network of progressive churches. As a transgender pastor, Paula has been featured in the New York Times, the Denver Post, NPR and The Huffington Post. Paula’s TEDxMileHigh talk on gender equality has been viewed over a half million times on YouTube. For more information visit paulastonewilliams.com.

Jen Hatmaker is the author of eleven books, including New York Times Bestsellers For the Love and Of Mess and Moxie. She is the happy hostess of a tightly knit online community where she reaches millions of people each week. She and her husband, Brandon, founded the Legacy Collective, a giving community that funds sustainable solutions to systemic problems around the world. They also starred in an HGTV series called “My Big Family Renovation” and live in a 105-year-old farmhouse just outside Austin, TX with their five kids. She speaks at events all over the country and hosts the popular podcast For the Love with Jen Hatmaker. Check out her books, schedule, and blog at jenhatmaker.com/

John Pavlovitz is a writer and pastor from Wake Forest, North Carolina. In the past three years, his blog Stuff That Needs To Be Said has reached a diverse audience of millions. A 20-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John’s mission is to help the Church become a more compassionate, loving environment for all people. He serves on staff at North Raleigh Community Church and his first book A Bigger Table, will be released in October. http://johnpavlovitz.com/

Frank Schaeffer is an artist and a New York Times bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction. Frank is a much sought-after speaker and has lectured at a wide range of venues from Harvard’s Kennedy School to the Hammer Museum/UCLA, Princeton University, Riverside Church Cathedral, DePaul University, and the Kansas City Public Library. Frank has been a frequent guest on the Rachel Maddow Show on NBC, has appeared on Oprah, been interviewed by Terri Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air and appeared on the Today Show, BBC News and many other media outlets. Frank is also a blogger on Huffington Post, Alternet, and Patheos. http://www.frankschaeffer.com/index.html
www.frankschaeffer.com

If by some odd set of circumstances we were to meet at a party where neither of us knew the host and were both the party-partners of someone else, and we were trapped in the kitchen, and in a kind effort you sought to break the awkward silence by saying, “so, who are you?”, I would want to tell you that deep down I am a novice ultra-marathoner and try not to talk constantly about having run a 100-mile race recently. And at this very moment, I wish I was out on a run.

But instead, in order to fit the protocol of casual, professional interactions I would tell you that I am a pastor, an author, a convener who seeks to be a goodness conspirator & possibility evangelist finding creative, entrepreneurial and generative ways to enlist people to join in the hopes, dreams, and desires of God for the world.

If you seemed at all interested in all that professional stuff I might include that I do that work by being the pastor of Solomon’s Porch in Minneapolis, speaking and writing on spirituality and leadership a
www.dougpagitt.com