Yale Divinity School Leadership Initiative
Friday Evening Conversations
and Pastor’s Study Lunch Time events
Fall, 2015
Thursday, September 10, Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell; 12:30-1:20 in Latourette
Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell (YDS ’95 is the priest at Saint Monica’s Episcopal Church in Hartford, Connecticut. A multi-cultural congregation, with members from Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean, as well as Africa and the United States. The church hosts a food pantry and soup kitchen, Saint Monica’s Apartments housing, and vital weekly worship. Rev. Johnson Russell is a trailblazer in urban ministry within a congregational setting. Hear about the joys and challenges of this important work.
Pastor’s Study lunches begin at 12:30 p.m. in Latourette Hall. A lunch of homemade soups and bread is served. Please RSVP to indicate your attendance, to u
RSVP by what deadline?
Wednesday, September 23, Executive Director Chris George;
12:30-1:20 in Latourette
Chris George, Executive Director of the Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) of Connecticut helps refugees and other displaced people establish new lives, regain hope, and contribute to the vitality of Connecticut’s communities. What does it mean to lead an effort in one community that responds to the reality of 15 million refugees in the world? Be part of this conversation about seeking safety, freedom and hope in a troubled world.
Pastor’s Study lunches begin at 12:30 p.m. in Latourette Hall. A lunch of homemade soups and bread is served. Please RSVP to indicate your attendance, to
Friday, October 2, DeRay McKesson of BlackLivesMatter,
7:30 p.m., Marquand Chapel, followed by a reception in the Common Room
The BlackLivesMatter movement is reshaping the dialogue about race and justice in the United States. Informed by the strong faith tradition of the Black Church, the movement is being led by many young activists. DeRay McKesson has been at the center of the movement, a leading social media presence and a profound voice for change. This Friday evening event is part of McKesson’s intensive Transformational Leadership course, which begins on Friday afternoon and ends on Saturday (see course listing for details). The public event, in the Pastor’s Study model, will invite questions from those gathered, and a conversation about the issues facing the church and society.
Wednesday, October 7, Rev. Bonita Grubbs, Christian Community Action,
12:30-1:20 in Latourette
Bonita Grubbs (YDS ’84) isan ordained Baptist minister and the Executive Director of Christian Community Action of New Haven, an agency that has long been in the struggle against homelessness, hunger, poverty, illiteracy and social injustice. The agency provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, a food pantry, and sponsors Mothers for Justice, an advocacy and education project that works to empower women to raise their voices for sane public policies. A graduate of Smith College and Yale Divinity School, Rev. Grubbs has been widely honored as a visionary leader and agent of social change.
Pastor’s Study lunches begin at 12:30 p.m. in Latourette Hall. A lunch of homemade soups and bread is served. Please RSVP to indicate your attendance, to
Friday, October 16, Senator Chris Coons, Delaware, 7:30 p.m., Marquand Chapel, followed by a reception in the Common Room
United States Senator Chris Coons, of Delaware, (YDS MAR ’92) holds degrees from Amherst College and Yale Law School, as well as from the divinity school. Senator Coons was elected to the Senate in 2010, after a decade of government service in Delaware. He is considered a leading voice in issues of Foreign Relations. The Senator credits his time at Yale as central to his formation as an ethicist and political leader. Come and consider just how your current course of study might lead you to be involved in leadership in the public square.
This Friday evening event is part of Senator Coon’s intensive Transformational Leadership course, which begins on Friday afternoon and ends on Saturday (see course listing for details). The public event, in the Pastor’s Study model, will invite questions from those gathered, and a conversation about the issues facing the church and society.
Thursday, October 29, Rabbi Herbert Brockman, Congregation Mishkan Israel, 12:30-1:20 in Latourette
Rabbi Brockman leads the largest Reform Jewish congregation in the New Haven area. He has been a leading voice in interfaith work for more than two decades, and has a deep understanding of the complexities and possibilities of shared work by faithful people. Come and be part of this conversation about the interfaith reality in which we will all live out our ministry and work.
Pastor’s Study lunches begin at 12:30 p.m. in Latourette Hall. A lunch of homemade soups and bread is served. Please RSVP to indicate your attendance, to
Friday,November 13, Rev. Nancy Taylor, Pastor of Old South Church, Boston, 7:30 p.m., Marquand Chapel, followed by a reception in the Common Room
Nancy Taylor (YDS ’81) is the pastor of a historic church in downtown Boston that is vital and growing. Old South Church is also at the finish line of the Boston Marathon; the Marathon bombing in April, 2013, took place on their doorstep. What does it mean to minister and lead in the midst of an age of crisis? While we never expect times of disaster and trauma to come close by, how do we prepare for such moments? And what does that mean for a people who long to be hopeful?
This Friday evening event is part of Rev. Taylor’s intensive Transformational Leadership course, which begins on Friday afternoon and ends on Saturday (see course listing for details). The public event, in the Pastor’s Study model, will invite questions from those gathered, and a conversation about the issues facing the church and society.
Monday, November 30,Bishop James B. Walker, Presiding Bishop of the Seventh Episcopal District of the CME Church, , 12:30-1:20 in Latourette (tentative)
When Bishop Walker served as the Pastor of Phillips Metropolitan CME Church in Hartford, the congregation grew from 60 members to over 900. As President of the Greater Hartford Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, and former Interim Dean at Hartford Seminary, as the leader of a wide range of faith-based efforts in the city of Hartford and beyond, Bishop Walker modeled excellence and faithfulness in church leadership. Now, as a Bishop in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, he presides over the churches on the East Coast from Massachusetts to South Carolina. His pioneering and innovative ideas for relevant 21st century ministry are an inspiration to many. You don’t want to miss this conversation!
Pastor’s Study lunches begin at 12:30 p.m. in Latourette Hall. A lunch of homemade soups and bread is served. Please RSVP to indicate your attendance, to