We are excited to see you in DC!
We are excited to announce that the 2025 Annual Gathering will be held at Riverside DC Church at the Wharf, March 28-30!
Early-Bird Registration opens November 1, 2024. We encourage all who plan to attend this year’s gathering to register and book hotel rooms early. We will be sending out a list of recommended hotels and more information in the coming weeks.
And we are beyond excited to announce our keynote speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney!
Questions??? Email us anytime at info@allianceofbaptists.org.
Keynote Speaker
The Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney, Ph.D. is a biblical scholar whose work focuses on translation of the scriptures for congregations and lay readers, womanist and feminist biblical interpretation and, women who prophesied in ancient Israel and the ancient Afro-Asiatic world. She is the Right Rev. Sam B. Hulsey Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church and translator of its biblical selections; the first two volumes, Year A and W (a stand-alone volume) were published in 2021. Volume B was published in July 2023 and C in July 2024. She is the author of Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to Women of the Torah and of the Throne, a commentary on Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah in the Wisdom series; Daughters of Miriam: Women Prophets in Ancient Israel; and co-editor of The Peoples’ Bible and The Peoples’ Companion to the Bible. The second volume of Womanist Midrash focusing on women in the Former Prophets: Joshua Judges, Samuel and Kings is expected in October 2024.
Dr. Gafney is an Episcopal priest canonically resident in the Diocese of Pennsylvania and licensed in the Diocese of Texas and a former Army chaplain and congregational pastor in the AME Zion Church. A former member of the Dorshei Derekh Reconstructionist Minyan of the Germantown Jewish Center in Philadelphia, she has co-taught courses with and for the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Seminary in Wyncote, PA. Her lectures and sermons are widely sought after in academic and Jewish and Christian congregational spaces in the US and in the UK. She is a public-facing religious scholar, preacher, teacher, activist and, an amateur watercolorist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What?! I thought the Annual Gatherings were held in April! Why are we holding this gathering so early!?
While the Alliance traditionally has held our Annual Gatherings the week or two after Easter, we recognize what a significant burden this places on our host congregations and their staff. In an attempt to ease the burden, we moved the gathering this year into Lent and further away from Easter and Holy Week. We are using this year to experiment, and we hope you will join us.
When will registration open?
November 1.
Will there be any events hosted on Thursday, March 27, 2025?
Typically the Alliance has hosted a welcome happy hour the day prior to the gathering. While nothing has been scheduled yet, it is fair to assume the Alliance will host a Happy Hour Baptist Beer Garden, Thursday, March 27, 2025, and we encourage you to take this into consideration when making your hotel and flight arrangements.
When will a full schedule be made available?
The planning team is working on the schedule and hopes to have something available by November 1, 2024. We can tell you that Dr. Gafney is scheduled for two full sessions on both Friday and Saturday, March 28 and 29, 2025.
Is there a hotel block?
No. We hope to provide a list of recommended hotels in the coming weeks so you can begin to make your plans accordingly.
Will there be a hybrid option?
Yes, a hybrid option will be available. More information about our online capacities will be made available in the coming months.
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