Speakers Series 2021–2022

We are delighted to welcome a number of renowned authors and speakers to our church in the coming months and year! Each brings a wealth of wisdom and knowledge to bear on their areas of expertise, and we are eager to learn from them and grow together.

Collectively, this series represents where we feel like God is calling us as a community of faith: to work toward racial justice, to acknowledge the importance of both science and faith, and to be advocate for all of God's people.

Each of these lectures are free and open to the public. Speakers with two dates listed will deliver a lecture and Q&A on a Saturday, and then preach for us in our Sunday worship the following morning.

COVID PROTOCOL: Please see our up-to-date Covid protocol by clicking here. We will continue to update this as the pandemic continues to evolve.

We will share more specific details about each speaker as the dates approach. Click here to download the flyer.

UPCOMING DATES (2022–2023)

Brian Mclaren - Author, speaker, activist
November 5–6, 2022
NOTE: This event has been cancelled, unfortunately!
  • Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. His newest book is Faith After Doubt (January 2021), and his next release, Do I Stay Christian? will be available Spring 2022.
  • Find out more https://brianmclaren.net.

PREVIOUS SPEAKERS (2021–2022)

Cyrus Cormier - "Facing Our Fears About Racism"
Friday, October 1, 2021, 3:00–4:30pm
  • Cyrus Cormier is a father, husband, writer, speaker, mentor, and both a student and teacher in the principles of leadership.  Cyrus has worked as an executive in corporate America for the past 41 years and now retired where his focus is authoring the areas of legacy, social justice, religion, and poetry.  He is the author of the forthcoming book, Wandering Through the Fire.
  • Listen here for a podcast we recorded with Cyrus. In it, Cyrus talks with our pastor about Cyrus's background, combating racism, and other topics.
Dr. Paul Wallace - Physicist, pastor, author of "Love and Quasars: An Astrophysicist Reconciles Faith and Science"
November 6–7th, 2021

Lecture: Saturday, 4:30–6:00pm - "An Ash Heap With a View: Science, Religion, and the Strangest Book in the Bible"
Star Party: Saturday evening, 7:00pm, in our church parking lot
Science Sunday: Sunday morning, 11:00am - Preaching on 1 Kings 19:1–18 (the prophet Elijah at Horeb; God speaks in the silence)
  • Dr. Wallace is a teacher, pastor, scientist, writer, and speaker. He teaches physics and astronomy at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, and serves as Pastor for Adult Education at First Baptist Church of Decatur.
  • Find out more at https://www.pwallace.net.
  • Would love for you to watch this Youtube video by Dr. Wallace, "There's Something Holy Out There," too! It is excellent!
  • Our pastor Art recorded a wonderful conversation with Dr. Wallace about his background and interest in science and religion. Would love for you to listen to their podcast at this link.
  • Click HERE to watch the video of Dr. Wallace's lecture that we recorded!
Dr. Lisa Wolfe - Professor of Religious Studies, author, speaker - "Uppity Women of the Bible"
April 23–24, 2022.

Lecture: Saturday, April 23rd, 3pm. You can watch a recording of the lecture on Youtube here!
Sermon: Sunday morning, April 24th, 11:00am. You can listen to her sermon on our podcast here.
  • Dr. Wolfe has been teaching at Oklahoma City University since 2007. She is the author of a commentary on Ruth, Esther, Song of Songs, and Judith (2011), and more recently a commentary on Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) in the Wisdom Commentary Series (2020). She is also the author of a DVD series called "Uppity Women of the Bible."
  • Find out more at https://www.okcu.edu/directory/lisa-wolfe.
  • PODCAST: Our pastor Art recorded a wonderful conversation with Dr. Wolfe about her background and scholarship. It is a wonderful conversation! Would love for you to listen to the podcast at this link.
Dr. John Dominic Crossan - “The Challenge of Easter: The Execution and Resurrection of Jesus”
March 5, 2022 (Note: At this time, Dr. Crossan is planning to attend via Zoom out of an abundance of caution due to the pandemic. Participants will likely be able to attend either in-person or via Zoom as well. Stay tuned!)

Lecture: Saturday, March 5, 2022, 3:00–4:30pm
  • John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus at DePaul University, is widely regarded as the foremost historical Jesus scholar of our time. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Historical Jesus, How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian, God and Empire, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Greatest Prayer, The Last Week, and The Power of Parable. He lives in Minneola, Florida.
  • Find out more at https://www.harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/john-dominic-crossan.
  • PODCAST: Our pastor Art recorded a wonderful conversation with Dr. Crossan about his background, faith, and scholarship. It is a wonderful conversation! Would love for you to listen to the podcast at this link.
  • NOTE: We did record Dr. Crossan's lecture, and are happy to share it if you let us know. Just reach out to us in the office and we'll share the link.
David Cariens - "Mass Shootings: No Excuse for Silence"
Lecture: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 2:00–3:30pm
  • David a leading expert on gun violence and will join us for a presentation and discussion to explore the ways in which churches have a crucial role to play in ending the epidemic of gun violence in our country.
  • David served for thirty-one years as a CIA officer and political analyst. In that capacity, he wrote for all levels of the U.S. government, from the president to policymakers and working-level analysts. Currently, he is a member of the Governor’s Commission to Investigate the May 31, 2019 Mass Shooting at Virginia Beach.
  • David is the author of a number of books. Most relevant to this topic include A Question of Accountability: The Murder of Angela Dales, which examines the shooting at the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia in 2002. Angela Dales, mother of Cariens’ oldest grandchild, was killed in that shooting. David also wrote about the Virginia Tech rampage, Virginia Tech: Make Sure It Doesn’t Get Out. All profits from these two books go to charities; he takes no money for his work on behalf of shooting victims and their families.
  • Find out more at www.davecariens.com.
  • If you missed it, you can watch the video recording of the lecture on our Youtube channel here, or listen to it on our church podcast here!
Rev. Jacqui Lewis - Pastor of Middle Collegiate Church, author "Fierce Love"
September 10–11, 2022

Lecture: Saturday, Sept. 10th, 2:00–3:30pm
Sermon: Sunday morning, 11:00am
  • Jacqui is Senior Minister of Middle Collegiate Church, a multi-everything congregation in the East Village, NYC. She is the author of Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness that Can Heal the World (2021).
  • Find out more at www.jacquijlewis.com.
  • IF YOU MISSED IT: You can find Jacqui's sermon on our WBC podcast here! And you can find her lecture and presentation from Saturday here on our Youtube channel!