For a New Creation

Adam Clausen serves as the Senior Leader of Life Center Madison, a non-denominational, multicultural faith community. He regularly partners with a broad spectrum of community agencies and faith leaders for the greater good. He serves on a number of boards, committees, and councils that advocate for justice, youth engagement and empowerment, and collaboration.

Joe Davis is a nationally-touring artist, educator, and speaker based in Minneapolis, MN. He employs poetry, music, theater, and dance to shape culture. His work has been featured on BET, CNN, and VH1. He is the Founder and Director of multimedia production company, The New Renaissance, the frontman of emerging soul funk band, The Poetic Diaspora, and co-creator of JUSTmove, racial justice education through art. He has keynoted, facilitated conversation, and served as teaching artist at hundreds of high schools and universities including programs in New York, Boston, and most recently as the Artist-in-Residence at Luther Seminary where he earned a Masters in Theology of the Arts. Visit JoeDavisPoetry.com to connect, book, or learn more.

Roberta Ervine is Professor of Armenian Christian Studies at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle, NY. In addition to holding a PhD from Columbia University, she sat for many years at the feet of the late, great Armenian monastic and scholar, Abp. Norayr Bogharian, curator of manuscripts at the St. James Armenian Monastery in Jerusalem. It is the combination of western academic and traditional monastic learning that she now shares with seminarians and others at every opportunity.

Rev. David Hart is a practicing attorney, womanist ally author, and lead pastor of Sherman Church, a growing church in Madison, Wisconsin. His mom says he’s special on the inside. His twitter handle is @trinitymin360

Pastor Libby Howe has served as the Director for Evangelical Mission and the Assistant to the Bishop in the La Crosse Area synod of the ELCA for the past 12 years. Prior to synod work she served as the pastor of De Soto and Freeman Lutheran Churches in De Soto and Ferryville, Wisconsin from 2002-2009. Her work focuses on transitions with congregations and leaders, congregation vitality, conflict management and pastoral care for rostered leaders. She enjoys following politics, advocacy, reading, writing, walking with her old dog, Marley, food and fun with friends and family, and exploring quiet natural spaces. She loves Ohio State Football almost as much as she loves Jesus.

The Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund is passionate about loving her family, God, and being part of faith communities. She is an ordained minister and has served as pastor to churches in Brooklyn, NY, Minneapolis, MN, and New Smyrna Beach, FL. Rev. Dr. Lund served as Regional Minister in the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ and as a Vice President for Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, IN. She holds degrees from Trinity University (BA), Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv), Rutgers University (MSW), and McCormick Theological Seminary (DMin). Rev. Dr. Lund received the Dell Award for Mental Health Education at the 30th General Synod of the UCC. She currently serves as Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice on the national staff of the UCC and as senior pastor of First Congregational UCC of Indianapolis, IN. Sarah is the author of Blessed are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness, Family, and Church (Chalice Press, 2014) and Blessed Union: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness and Marriage (Chalice Press, 2021). Sarah blogs at www.sarahgriffithlund.com.

Rev. Tyler Sit has had the immense pleasure of being the church planter of New City Church, a church that focuses on environmental justice. He is a lover of Minnesota, a United Methodist pastor, and the son of a Chinese immigrant. Tyler earned a BS in Communication Studies from Boston University and a Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology, and he has lived on four continents. He has formal training as a prison chaplain, community organizer, and social entrepreneur. When he is not at New City, you’ll find Tyler wandering around the Mississippi River. New City has been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Minnesota Public Radio, and more.

The Many (themanyarehere.com) is a liturgically-grounded, new kind of worship band, an intentionally diverse collective creating music for people who want to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with a God who so loves the world. With a sound that resonates with gospel, pop, and folk, The Many’s feet-on-the-ground, heart-in-hands, scars-revealed, wild and holy music of resistance and hope have made them, over the last five years, a significant creative voice in the movement for inclusion, anti-racism and justice-building within the church and beyond. With lyrics born from Scriptures, from headlines, and from their own experience, the songs of The Many draw from the diversity of the three lead singers – the soulful sincerity of Darren Calhoun, the gospel-soaked roots of Leslie Michele, and the pure, emotional indie pop of Hannah Rand. Their song “All Belong Here” has become a favorite communion anthem for a wide range of faith communities around the world. And their two main songwriters, Hannah Rand and Lenora Rand, were recently named by The Center For Congregational Song as “two of the top 25 women songwriters you should know.” The Many grew out of the worship renewal group, The Plural Guild, a cooperative of musicians, writers, artists, poets, pastors and theologians developing creative resources for the church. As author Brian McLaren has said of them: “The Plural Guild and their band, The Many, write beautiful songs, they compose rich litanies and liturgies, they sing, they lead … and most important, they embody the kind of spirituality and commitments that we all need. Every time I am with them, my soul is filled up and I am reminded why what we all do matters.”