Preachers of the Week

Rev. Peter Marty | May 29

Peter W. Marty serves as senior pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, a 3500-member congregation in Davenport, Iowa, and editor/publisher of The Christian Century, a journal devoted to shaping America’s conversation about religion and faith in public life. He writes a bi-weekly column for the Century.

A frequent preacher and speaker at churches and conferences across the country, Marty has written numerous articles related to culture, character, and faith issues in our day. He is the author of The Anatomy of Grace (Augsburg Fortress, 2008). From 2004-2009, he served as host of the national radio broadcast, Grace Matters.

In 2010, the Academy of Parish Clergy named him “Parish Pastor of the Year,” an award recognizing leadership excellence and faithfulness in congregational development.

Peter has preached in some of America’s more notable pulpits including Washington National Cathedral, Duke Chapel, and Yale University. From 2010 to 2016 he served as the lead columnist for The Lutheran magazine. In 2009, he was named the visiting Hoskins Fellow at Yale Divinity School.

Peter Marty has served on various hospital, college, foundation, and community boards. He has served as narrator for different faith broadcast documentaries. Marty is a one-time fellow of the Fund for Theological Education, past member of the Louisville Institute’s Pastor’s Working Group, and a former participant in the Duke Project for the Study of Ministry.

He is a graduate of The Colorado College and Yale Divinity School, and was the recipient of an honors fellowship in history for study at Oxford University.

Peter W. Marty has piloted interfaith dialogue events, been active in anti-hate group efforts, and served on different ecumenical ministry boards. On the St. Paul church campus he leads a pastoral residency program funded, in part, by the Lilly Endowment Inc. This program, designed for fostering pastoral excellence, is the only such program in the country situated in a Lutheran Church setting.

He is the recipient of two honorary doctorates. Peter is married to Susan and they have two adult children.

Supported by the Charles & Susan Baker Family Endowment

Bishop Gregory Vaughn Palmer | June 5

Bishop Gregory Vaughn Palmer serves as the episcopal leader of the Ohio West Area of The United Methodist Church. He was assigned there Sept. 1, 2012.

Born and reared in Philadelphia, Palmer is a “child of the church,” the son of the Rev. Herbert E. and Mrs. Charlotte Sue Hewitt Palmer. Palmer’s father was a retired United Methodist pastor. His mother was a schoolteacher in the Philadelphia Public School system.

Bishop Palmer received his undergraduate degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and the Master of Divinity degree from Duke University Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. Baldwin-Wallace College, Iowa Wesleyan College, Simpson College, Hood Theological Seminary, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and United Theological Seminary have awarded him honorary degrees.

He was ordained a deacon and elected a probationary member in the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference in 1977. In 1981, he was elected into full membership and ordained an elder in the East Ohio Annual Conference.

His pastoral career includes student pastorates in North Carolina and post-seminary appointments in the East Ohio Conference in Cleveland, Canton and Berea. Palmer also served as superintendent of the Youngstown District of the East Ohio Conference.

Elected to the episcopacy by the North Central Jurisdictional Conference in 2000, Palmer served the Iowa Area until assuming responsibilities in the Illinois Area in 2008. Palmer served as president of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry from 2004-08 and president of the Council of Bishops from April 2008-May 2010. Palmer served on the Commission on a Way Forward. Currently, he is a member of the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters and chair of the Comprehensive Africa Plan. He also is a board member of several organizations, including The United Methodist Publishing House, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, United Theological Seminary and OhioHealth, a family of nonprofit hospitals and health care facilities.

Married for 45 years to his wife Cynthia, they are the parents of two adult children.

Rev. Mike McCormick | June 12-16

Rev. Mike McCormick is people-oriented leader, trainer and developer. He is an innovative team-builder who serves as a Pastor at Calvary Christian Church, a church with three locations throughout central and eastern Kentucky, as well as a private school. It is a founding partner of a community sports program that bridges across racial, class and denominational barriers to reach about 1,000 young people each year. Mike has a passion for developing leaders and teams who serve great purposes in their families, work and communities.

In addition to his work at the church, Mike is a Senior Consultant with Third River Partners, where he has implemented Serving Leader development and Shared Goal Achievement at Johns Hopkins University, Genesis Healthcare, Alcoa, SRG Global, WVU Medicine, Indiana University Health Plans, Sterling Health System, AtlantiCare, Alignment Healthcare, Sisters of Charity Health System and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

In 2020, Mike became the Founder and President of The High Purpose Practice LLC, which offers the world class Serving Leader Development and Shared Goal Achievement experience to high purpose people and organizations such as Refuge for Women and Young Life.

Mike earned his Bachelor of Arts in Applied Communications from Asbury University, as well as his Master of Theology and Doctorate of Ministry in Leadership Development from Dallas Theological Seminary. Mike has served as an adjunct faculty member in the Organizational Leadership Department of Robert Morris University, taught internationally at Lanka Bible College in Sri Lanka and has been a presenter at the Robert Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.

Supported by John & Mary Beth Porcari & Family

Dr. Jacqueline A. Bussie | June 19-24

Dr. Jacqueline Bussie is an award-winning author, professor, theologian and student of life in all its messy beauty, as well as a much sought after speaker and workshop facilitator. Her first book, “The Laughter of the Oppressed,” won the national Trinity Prize.  Her 2nd book, “Outlaw Christian: Finding Authentic Faith by Breaking the Rules,” won the 2017 Gold Medal Illumination Award for Christian Living.  Her third and latest book, “Love Without Limits: Jesus’ Radical Vision for a Love with No Exceptions,” won the Reader’s Favorite Bronze Medal International Book Award for Christian Living, the 2020 IAN Outstanding Religion Book of the Year Award and third Place IAN Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award. Also, Publisher’s Weekly named “Love Without Limits” “a must-read for all Christians interested in inclusivity for their communities.

An active servant-leader in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Dr. Bussie spent the last 20 years teaching religion to undergraduates at ELCA colleges and serving as the director of the Forum on Faith and Life at Concordia College. Today Dr. Bussie is the executive director of the Collegeville Institute in Collegeville, Minnesota.  Every day she is amazed and grateful that she gets to: 1) write and tell her story; 2) empower other people to write and tell theirs; and 3) accompany marvelous people like you on your journey of faith, hope and healing.

Rev. Dr. Robert A. Hill | June 26–30

Rev. Dr. Robert A. Hill is the Dean of Marsh Chapel and a Professor of New Testament and Pastoral Theology at Boston University. He is the author of 12 books and his weekly sermon can be heard live around the globe at wbur.org, Sundays at 11 a.m.

Hill’s religious leadership at Boston University across all of the 17 schools and colleges and involving the larger Boston community, is rooted and grounded in the historic pulpit of Marsh Chapel. As Dean of the Chapel, he preaches most Sundays, leads the Marsh staff, gives oversight to all university religious life, provides prayers for various all university events, meets with the Deans’ Council and University Leadership Group and guides pastoral care for the community.

Since 1981 he has taught at several schools, including McGill University, Syracuse University, Lemoyne College, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Northeastern Seminary, United Seminary, Boston University and various church settings. His passionate interest lies at the intersection of Scripture and life, especially in the work of preaching.  Hence his research has combined publication related to the Gospel of John and Gnosticism, on the one hand, and preaching in ministry, on the other.

Hill has been preaching since 1976 with appointments in New Hope, Scott, Forest Home Ithaca, Burke, Constable, Erwin Syracuse, Oran, Central Lakes District, Asbury First Rochester and Marsh Chapel Boston.  As an elder (Upper New York Conference) in the United Methodist Church, he has had experience in 10 local churches, five different annual conferences, multiple annual conference board assignments, General and Jurisdictional Conference participation, General Board membership (GBHEM), various speaking engagements and denominational leadership discussions. His views of the present condition of the church, particularly in the Northeast, and prospects for ministry into the future, have provided a complementary perspective to that of some recent Northeastern UMC denominational leadership. His main denominational interests have been in Large Church ministry and Theological Education. Hill was given the Harry Denman award for Evangelism in 2003 and currently serves on the Board of the New England Annual Conference United Methodist Foundation, the New England Annual Conference Stewardship Committee, the Board of Visitors of the Learning Project Elementary School (Back Bay, Boston), the Board of Visitors of Harvard Memorial Church and the Board of Harvard Epworth Wesley Foundation. He is an active member of the Boston Ministers’ Club and the New Haven Theological Discussion Group and an inactive Rotarian. He attends annual and regional meetings of SBL and AAR. He loves sports, and played basketball and soccer at the high school and college levels.

Supported by Rev. Dr. Ned & Shirley DeWire Endowment

Father Michael Renninger | July 3-7

Rev. Michael A. Renninger is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, he studied piano, voice and guitar while in high school. He attended Ursinus College (PA), and later attended The Catholic University of America, where he received graduate degrees in Theology and Liturgy. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Richmond in 1993 and has served as Vicar for Vocations and Rector of the Cathedral. He currently serves as pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Richmond. In addition to his parish duties, Fr. Mike travels extensively to serve as a guest preacher and retreat leader. He was a featured preacher at the Festival of Homiletics, and is a regular contributor to A Sermon for Every Sunday, an on-line sermon resource produced at First Baptist Church in Richmond. Fr. Renninger has also been privileged to serve as the guest preacher at a variety of Chautauqua communities, including Bay View (Michigan) and Lakeside (Ohio).

Supported by Steve & Jane Anderson

Rev. Dr. Gary Simpson | July 10–14

The Rev. Dr. Gary V. Simpson is leading pastor of the Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, New York. Simpson responded to God’s call at an early age. He preached his first sermon at age 15 at Southfield Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, and was ordained at age 20 by the Eastern Union Missionary Baptist Church Association. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Denison University with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Black studies. He also earned two degrees from Union Theological Seminary in New York City — Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry.

Simpson has a great passion for the nurturing of the next generation of pastors for the Church of Jesus Christ. In 2002, he was sought out by the Lilly Endowment to create a formal Pastoral Residence Program at Concord Church. In doing so, he and his congregation have aided a generation of seminary graduates to transition congregational ministry. Under Simpson’s leadership, Concord was one of a handful of churches across the country serving as a teaching congregation for pastors. In 2011, he won support from the Lilly Endowment to expand Concord’s program to include a collaboration with three additional African American Baptist congregations, shaping and supporting even more pastors for the church.

Simpson has achieved tenure as associate professor of Homiletics at Drew Theological Seminary in Madison, New Jersey. He has taught and lectured at six other schools. His favorite assignments are serving as teacher at his Sunday morning Men’s Bible Class and in Concord’s Wednesday Night Community Bible Study. He is one of eight featured preachers on the Future of Great Preaching website, a resource for the Andover Newton Theological School, and his video is being used in theological schools to teach the art of preaching.

Supported by the Knobel Family Endowment

Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis | July 17-21

Dr. Lewis is the senior pastor of Middle Collegiate Church in New York City. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church, Jacqui is the first African American and first woman to serve as a senior minister in the Collegiate Church, which was founded in New York City in 1628 and is the oldest continuous Protestant Church in North America.

She created two national television programs: Just Faith, an on-demand television program on MSNBC.com, and Chapter and Verse at PBS. In 2016, Dr. Lewis completed the six-city Together Tour with best-selling author Glennon Doyle, Seane Corn, Valarie Kaur, Jennifer Randolph, and special guest Alicia Keys. She has blogged for The Huffington Post, GLAAD, Patheos, and Believe Out Loud.

Her books include “The Power of Stories; Ten Essential Strategies” (with John Janka); “Becoming Like Creoles” (with Curtiss de Young, et al); the children’s book, “You Are So Wonderful!”; and “The Fiercest Love: How to find it in yourself, grow it in your posse, and build it in the world.”

In 2005, she married her best friend, John Janka, a United Methodist minister and consultant to congregations. Together, they have a son, daughter-in-law, and grandbaby. With the staff of Middle Church, they produce an annual conference to train leaders how to grow multiracial communities of faith that disrupt racism.

Supported by the Hottenroth Family

Rev. Andrew Forrest | July 24–28

Andrew Forrest is a husband, father, and pastor living in Dallas, Texas. Raised in West Africa and Virginia, he has an undergraduate degree from Columbia University in New York and a graduate degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. As a third generation Methodist minister, Andrew has been the pastor of Munger Place Church since it was planted in 2010 by nearby Highland Park United Methodist Church. Munger is an eclectic congregation with an engaging “Come and See” spirit and a deep appreciation for its neighborhood. For decades the historic Munger Place building housed a struggling congregation, but the new congregation, as a second campus of Highland Park UMC, has experienced remarkable growth and blessing. Interested in the intersection of faith and culture, Andrew blogs at andrewforrest.org.

Supported by Dr. James & Betty Jane Young

Rev. Steve Engram | July 31-Aug. 4

Rev. Steve Engram is the senior pastor of Desert Springs Community Church in Arizona. He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Covington Theological Seminary and Liberty Seminary.

Steve was ordained in 1985 and has served in ministry at two prior churches before joining Desert Springs Community Church as senior pastor in 1995. During his tenure, the church has grown from 55 people to over 1400 and has planted churches in the United States and Nicaragua. He has preached throughout the U.S. and in seven countries abroad.

For the past six years Steve has also served as the Executive Director of the Southwest Church Connection (formerly known as the Southwest CBAmerica). The SWCC consists of 80 churches and is focused on promoting church health, congregational multiplication and leadership development throughout the region. In his role as executive director, Steve provides pastor coaching/mentoring and church assessments and consultations.

He and his wife, Tami, have been married over 30 years and have three adult children.

Supported by the Donithan & Hoopes Families

Rev. Dr. Karoline Lewis | Aug. 7-11

Karoline M. Lewis is the Marbury E. Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN, where she has taught since 2007.

Lewis is the author of “A Lay Preacher’s Guide: How to Craft a Faithful Sermon” (2020), “Embody: Five Steps to Leading With Integrity”, “SHE: Five Keys to Unlock the Power of Women in Ministry” (including an accompanying facilitator guide, participant guide, and DVD) and “John: Fortress Biblical Preaching Commentaries,” as well as numerous articles and book chapters. She was one of the 100 religious scholars in the United States to contribute to the Values and Voices Campaign.

Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Lewis holds degrees from Northwestern University (B.A.), Luther Seminary (M.Div.), and Emory University (Ph.D., New Testament Studies and Homiletics). She has served as Treasurer of Academy of Homiletics and Regional Coordinator for the Upper Midwest Region of the Society of Biblical Literature. Lewis is the Program Director of the Festival of Homiletics and Chair of the Homiletics and Biblical Studies Section of the Society of Biblical Literature.

Lewis leads conferences, workshops, and retreats internationally on the Gospel of John, the New Testament, interpreting the Bible, preaching, leadership, and women in ministry. She is a contributing writer for Working Preacher, co-host of the site’s weekly podcast, Sermon Brainwave, and regularly authors the Dear Working Preacher column.

Supported by the Ruth C. Shannon Endowment

Rev. Dr. Shively Smith | August 14–18

Rev. Dr. Shively T. J. Smith serves as Assistant Professor of New Testament at Boston University School of Theology. She completed her Ph.D. in New Testament Studies at Emory University. She is completing a commentary on Second Peter for SBL Press and several articles on Diaspora in the New Testament. As a scholar of New Testament, Smith writes and teaches on all 27 books of the New Testament, but her particular focus is on the traditions of Peter and the General Letters of the New Testament, diaspora studies, approaches to biblical interpretation (hermeneutics), Womanist and African American biblical interpretation and Howard Thurman.

Smith has studied at a variety of institutions, including Fisk University (Nashville, Tennesee), Emory University Candler School of Theology (Atlanta), Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, Georgia) and Oxford University (Oxford, UK) as an English-Speaking Union Luard Fellow. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Society of Biblical Literature, the American Academy of Religion, Association for Jewish Studies and the Society for the Study of Black Religion. She serves on the editorial boards for SBL’s Emory Studies in Early Christianity and Semeia Studies as well as the board of trustees for the Forum for Theological Exploration. She is a contributor to the revision review of the NRSV and the new History Channel Documentary, “Jesus, His Life.” Smith’s work has been supported by organizations such as the Forum for Theological Exploration, Louisville Institute, Ford Foundation, Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, Black Women in Church and Society Program, Social Science Research Council, and the Mellon Mays Fellowship Program.

Smith has emerged as a sought-after scholar, teacher, preacher and writer who is dedicated to the service of academic theological studies and ecumenical conversations across multiple arenas. She has contributed to multiple writing projects and series, including Feasting on the Gospels, Reading & Writing Theologically and the forthcoming series, Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship. She is a regular contributor to the online Working Preacher Lectionary series and the Odyssey Network’s “On Scripture” online series and “Odyssey Impact” campaigns.

Supported by the Gretchen A. Curtis Endowment

Rev. Dr. Janet Forbes | Aug. 21-25

Dr. Forbes is a clergy member of the Mountain Sky Conference of The United Methodist Church.  She consults with congregations in transition and coaches clergy who serve in conflicted settings. She retired in 2016 after 12 years as the senior minister of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. She has served congregations in Cheyenne and Casper, Wyoming; Grand Junction and Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Nashville, Tennessee, and as program director for the regional judicatory.  She enjoys innovating fresh expressions for ministry, such as the Performing Arts Academy, the Center for Spiritual Engagement, Feeding of the Five Thousand, and partnerships to educate children and grow leadership among indigenous peoples. Her writing advocates for sacred pilgrimage as a spiritual discipline.

Her education for ministry includes a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Scarritt Graduate School and a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt University, both in Nashville, Tennessee, and a Doctor of Ministry in Church Leadership in the 21st Century from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey.

She is married to Bob Davis, a structural engineer.  She enjoys hiking, snow-shoeing, gardening, and fishing. Janet and Bob enjoy pulling their trailer through the state and national parks.

Supported by the Rev. Dr. Bud Cox Endowment

Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan | Aug. 28–Sept. 1

Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan has served as executive director of the Columbus-based Ohio Council of Churches since January 2019. A native of Cleveland, Dr. Sullivan is an internationally-renowned ecumenist, preacher, justice advocate, journalist and death penalty abolitionist. In recognition of his work to stop executions, Dr. Sullivan was given the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Social Justice by the State of Ohio’s Dr. MLK, Jr. Holiday Commission.

Dr. Sullivan is co-president of the Disciples Justice Action Network and a member of the governing bodies of Journey of Hope, From Violence to Healing, Death Penalty Action, Restorative Justice International and the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University, a Master of Divinity degree from Lexington Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary (Dayton) and an honorary doctorate from Bethany College, Bethany, West Virginia. Dr. Sullivan also holds a certificate in non-profit leadership from Jackson State University and a certificate in conflict resolution from Cornell University. He is married to the Rev. Sèkinah Hamlin, minister for economic justice for the United Church of Christ.

Supported by Arden & Pamela Douce

Rev. Dr. Lovett Weems | Sept. 4

Rev. Dr. Lovett Weems, Jr. is the Wesley Seminary Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership and Founding Director/Senior Consultant of Wesley’s G. Douglass Lewis Center for Church Leadership in Washington, D.C.

Professor Weems was born and grew up in Mississippi where he was a United Methodist pastor for many years. He has degrees from Millsaps College, Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology, and Wesley Theological Seminary. He has honorary degrees from Baker University, Central Methodist University and Millsaps College.

After eighteen years as a seminary president at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, he became distinguished professor of church leadership and the founding director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. He co-edits an online newsletter for congregational leaders available free at the Lewis Center’s website at churchleadership.com.

His publications include: “High Yield: Seven Disciplines of the Fruitful Leader” (with Tom Berlin), “Overflow: Increase Worship Attendance & Bear More Fruit” (with Tom Berlin), “Focus: The Real Challenges Facing The United Methodist Church,” “Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results” (with Tom Berlin), “Church Leadership”, Revised Edition, “The Crisis of Younger Clergy” (with Ann A. Michel), “Take the Next Step: Leading Lasting Change in the Church,” “Leadership in the Wesleyan Spirit,” and “John Wesley’s Message Today.”

Supported by Rev. Dr. Charles & Barbara Yoost