It was so good to see you in Charlotte!
Recordings Now Available!
Below are recordings from worship, lectures, and panels from the 2024 Annual Gathering at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Special thanks to Wes Cobb at Myers Park for making the recordings so easy to access!
Questions??? Email us anytime at info@allianceofbaptists.org.
Preachers and Presenters
Reverend Dr. Mitri Raheb, Founder and President of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, will be our keynote speaker. The most widely published Palestinian theologian to date, he is the author and editor of 50 books including: Decolonizing Palestine: The Land, The People, The Bible; In the Eye of the Storm: Middle Eastern Christians in an Age of Empire; Politics of Persecution: Middle Eastern Christians in an Age of Empire; The Cross in Contexts: Suffering and Redemption in Palestine; and Faith in the Face of Empire: The Bible through Palestinian Eyes. His books and numerous articles have been translated so far into thirteen languages. Rev. Dr. Raheb served as the senior pastor of the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem from June 1987 to May 2017 and as the President of the Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land from 2011-2016. A social entrepreneur, Rev. Raheb has founded several NGO‟s including the Christian Academic Forum for Citizenship in the Arab World (CAFCAW). He is a founding and board member of the National Library of Palestine, and a founding member of Bright Stars of Bethlehem, a US 501c3 non-for-profit organization. He is an elected member to the Palestinian National Council as well as the Palestinian Central Council.
Bishop Rusudan Gotsiridze, a bishop of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia and a women’s rights activist, will preach during Saturday’s worship service. She was the first female Baptist bishop in Georgia. She has advocated against gender violence and for women’s equality, and created interfaith dialogues to support religious minorities. She was also one of the first members of the religious community in Georgia to publicly support the rights of the LGBT community. She also spoke at the 6th United Nations Forum on Minority Issues about religious minorities in Georgia. She received a 2014 International Women of Courage award.
Reverend Mia McClain, a licensed Baptist minister and ordained in the United Church of Christ, will preach during the Friday worship service. Mia currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. where she is the first African American and first woman to serve in the role in the church’s 165-year history. Prior to Riverside DC, Mia served as the Associate Minister of Faith Formation and Outreach at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Interim Director of Children’s Ministries at Fort Washington Collegiate Church in New York City.
She is the recipient of the Innovation Grant (2021), awarded by the Foundations of Christian Leadership program at Duke Divinity School, which enabled research and production around decolonizing liturgical practice and space, and she launched a 4-week course entitled Decolonizing Liturgy. Most recently, she has served as liturgist and songwriter for the United Church of Christ at General Synod 34, and for the United Church of Canada + United Church of Christ Advent Unwrapped 2022 and 2023 projects.
Reverend Racquel C.N. Gill, a native of Winnsboro, SC, will be preaching during the Sunday worship service. She is the daughter of Camilla Gill and the late Stephen Gill. Having begun her preaching ministry as a teenager, Racquel was ordained in 2008 at the St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Winnsboro under the leadership of the late Rev. Roy C. Jeffcoat. Racquel is a 2012 graduate of Columbia College in Columbia, SC where she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Education. Racquel received her Masters of Divinity in May of 2015 from Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC. Upon completion of her theological studies, Racquel served on the pastoral staff at the St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York under the leadership of Pastor David K. Brawley. After her time in Brooklyn, Racquel served as the Associate Chaplain at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC. Rev. Gill currently serves as the Minister for Intercultural Engagement at Duke University Chapel in Durham, North Carolina.
Reverend Amy Lewis, is interested in how our bodies store and metabolize trauma from generation to generation, which has led her to embodiment practices. She participates in antiracism embodiment groups alongside white-bodied people who are committed to ending racism. She is proud to have been ordained as an Alliance Clergy in 2002. As a student of spiritual health, Amy has learned as a chaplain, congregational minister, and facilitator of embodiment practices. Amy will be leading the Morning Embodiment Practice.
Partners
With such a diverse and international gathering, commitments from speakers will be rolling in as travel requirements are secured. We are thrilled to already have confirmed the following ministry partners (pictures coming soon!) who will share insights during two different panel conversations and facilitate workshops:
Aliança de Batistas do Brasil
Representative, Rev. Dr. Raimundo Barreto
Fraternidad de Iglesias Bautistas de Cuba
Representatives, Rev. Waldemar Murguido, Santiago Conrado Delgado, Rev. Ernesto Bázan, Marisol Rojas, Revd. Eduardo González Hernández, Queen Mary Escobar, Rev. Noel Osvaldo, and Ormara Nolla
Peace Cathedral, Republic of Georgia
Representative, Bishop Rusudan Gotsiridze
QC Family Tree
Representatives, Helms and Greg Jarrell
Seeds of Hope Publishers
Representative, Katie Cook
Seminario Bautista de México
Representative, Suriana González Juárez
Seminario Intercultural Mayense, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas
Representiative, Mtra. Rvda. Dalia Eunice Juárez Fernández
Zimbabwe Theological Seminary & African Baptist Churches in Zimbabwe
Representatives, Rev. Dr. Muno Chirovamavi, Rev. Henerieta Mgovo and Rev. Hermina Mugabe
Crossing Lines Africa (Joining Virtually)
Workshops
On Friday and Saturday there will be two workshop periods. Participants are invited to attend any workshops they choose. Click the image below to read more about each workshop!
About the Theme
“Decolonizing the Great Commission”
In 2023, we took a look how our foundational principle of seeking God’s justice manifests today in our pursuit of abolition. In 2024, we’ll take a close look at another foundational principle of the Alliance: partnership in ministry. True partnership cannot be built when we hear Jesus’ call in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples with colonizing ears. Together, let’s discern how we can hear Jesus’ sending words with new ears for a new day as we continue to pursue partnership in ministry.
Sponsors
Advocates
Connectors
Theological Schools
Builders
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can attend the gathering?
Anyone who is interested in the material being presented or interested in the work of the Alliance is invited to attend the gathering! You do not have to be member of the Alliance or an Alliance congregation to participate in the gathering.
When is the early bird deadline?
The early bird pricing will expire on Feb 1, 2024.
When is the registration deadline?
All registrations need to be made by March 29, 2024.
Can I cancel my registration?
Yes. There is a $25 processing fee to cancel your registration. Please contact info@allianceofbaptists.org
Can I register for the gathering when I arrive?
Unfortunately, no, we cannot accommodate same-day registrations. You will need to register before March 29 to attend the event.
What is included in the cost of registration?
The registration fee will cover the cost of entry to all of the events of the program including keynote speakers, workshops and plenary sessions.
I’m having trouble filling out the registration form. Who should I contact?
Please email info@allianceofbaptists.org for assistance with the registration process.
My organization would like to exhibit at the gathering. How do I sign up for that?
If you or your organization is interested in hosting a table in the exhibition hall, click HERE. If you have questions, contact Stephanie Cooper at stephanie@allianceofbaptists.org.
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