Keynote Speaker
Elom Tettey-Tamaklo, M.Div
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Elom Tettey-Tamaklo is a scholar, educator, and international peacebuilding practitioner whose work sits at the intersection of religion, politics, ethics, and global justice. Formed by African diasporic traditions and ecumenical Christian thought, he examines how spiritual imagination, moral courage, and collective action can shape movements for freedom and human dignity. He holds a Master of Theological Studies degree from Harvard Divinity School, where he studied Religion, Ethics, and Politics with a certificate in Humanitarian Action, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Haverford College. Elom has worked across academic, policy, and international development settings, including roles with the United Nations, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and the Office of the UN Special Rapporteur. His work has involved training peacekeeping personnel, conducting legal and policy research, facilitating cross-cultural dialogue, and supporting programs addressing conflict, displacement, and human rights. Elom’s intellectual interests center on the role of faith in public life, Black internationalism(s), decolonial thought, and the moral imagination required to confront contemporary global crises. Elom’s intellectual interests center on the role of faith in public life, Black internationalism(s), decolonial thought, and the moral imagination required to confront contemporary global crises. He draws on both African diasporic traditions and ecumenical perspectives, and speaks frequently on religion and global affairs, moral courage and our ethical responsibilities of resisting injustice. You can read Elom's writing here and hear him speak here. |
Opening Preacher
Rev. Keyanna Jones Moore
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Rev. Keyanna Jones is a Political and Social Justice Activist and Community Organizer, who is a staunch advocate for quality, affordable childcare and equity in education. She continually works to educate, engage and empower the Black Community in Atlanta, Georgia. She has been serving and engaged with Park Avenue Baptist Church since the Faith Coalition to Stop Cop City was organized. Rev. Keyanna is an abolitionist in the tradition of Jesus. She has advocated to the highest levels of power, speaking recently at the United Nations in Geneva about the violence of policing in the United States. |
Bible Study
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Dr. Raj Nadella, Samuel A. Cartledge Associate Professor of New Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary
Dr. Raj Nadella's research interests include postcolonial biblical interpretation, migration and New Testament perspectives on economic justice and their implications for the Church and society. Nadella is the author of Dialogue Not Dogma: Many Voices in the Gospel of Luke (Bloomsbury, 2011), co-editor of Christianity and the Law of Migration (Routledge, 2021) and co-author of Postcolonialism and the Bible (forthcoming). He is currently co-editing The Oxford Handbook of the Bible, Race and Diaspora. Nadella serves on the editorial boards of Currents in Biblical Research, The Society of Biblical Literature’s Review of Biblical Literature, Semeia Studies and Oxford Bibliographies Online: Biblical Studies. He has written for publications such as Working Preacher, The Christian Century, On Scripture @ The Huffington Post and Sojourners. Bishop Kevin Strickland, Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America The Rev. Dr. Kevin L. Strickland was elected Bishop of the Southeastern Synod on June 2, 2019 and re-elected on May 29, 2025 to serve another six-year term. With a heart for justice and advocacy ministry, Bishop Strickland has served on various local and national non-profit boards. He currently serves a member of the ELCA Conference of Bishops and on the boards of Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Council, Inspiritus, Middle East Ready Bench of the ELCA, Ecumenical and Interreligious Committee of the ELCA, Quality of Call Initiative, First Call Process, Immigration Ready Bench of the ELCA, ELCA Church Council,1517 Media, Newberry College, NovusWay, Region Nine Council, James R. Crumley Region Nine Archives, Day 1 Advisory Council, and many others. Bishop Strickland has been published in several worship and preaching journals and books. In April of 2021, he was inducted into Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. College of Ministers. |
Workshop Leaders and Panelists
Spiritual Formation for Advocacy
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Marqus Cole, Organizing Director, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light
Marqus originates the role of Organizing Director with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL). In this capacity, he leads GIPL’s advocacy initiatives including federal work with the Climate Action Campaign, intervention at the Public Service Commission, and water policy work with the Georgia Water Coalition. An attorney by training, his thought leadership sits at the intersection of racial, environmental & biblical justice with a passion for helping organize people and communities toward reconciliation and restoration. Marqus uses his unique voice to share stories and teach others to share their stories, engaging communities from his experience and context as a Black, millennial, professional, and person of faith working in the civic arena in the Bible Belt. Marqus holds a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from DePaul College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Georgia State University in Political Science. |
Young Organizers in the Lead
Angel Nalubega, M.Div, Princeton Theological Seminary, WSCF-US SLT (she/they)
Angel is an experienced community organizer, popular educator and aspiring historian/liberation theologian currently serving St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Albuquerque, NM. She has a passion for education and the transformative work of critical pedagogy as modeled by Paulo Freire and bell hooks. Angel has her dual Master's degree in Divinity and Christian Education and Formation from Princeton Theological Seminary. At PTS, she was a moderator of Seminarians for Peace and Justice and GSAS. She is concerned about the role of the church the task of repentance and reconciliation, especially when it comes to white supremacy and capitalism.
Angel is an experienced community organizer, popular educator and aspiring historian/liberation theologian currently serving St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Albuquerque, NM. She has a passion for education and the transformative work of critical pedagogy as modeled by Paulo Freire and bell hooks. Angel has her dual Master's degree in Divinity and Christian Education and Formation from Princeton Theological Seminary. At PTS, she was a moderator of Seminarians for Peace and Justice and GSAS. She is concerned about the role of the church the task of repentance and reconciliation, especially when it comes to white supremacy and capitalism.
Moses Hernandez McGavin, The Young Organizers Survival Corps Organizer, Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice (he/they)
Moses is a teacher, cultural worker, organizer, writer and The Young Organizers Survival Corps Coordinator at the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice. Moses has organized with the Freedom Church of the Poor, the Nonviolent Medicaid Army, the National Union for the Homeless, and with transgender and nonbinary communities across the country. As an educator, Moses has co-developed and co-taught classes on theater, storytelling, culture, and social movements for Emory University and the Sam & Devorah Foundation for Transgender Youth. He served as a Ministry Coordinator with the Church of the Common Ground, helping to facilitate their weekly foot clinic, Bible Study, and community care practices with unhoused folks in Downtown Atlanta. Previously he worked as the Community Program Coordinator and Support Group Leader for Transmission Ministry Collective, an online community for transgender and nonbinary Christians. He is a commissioned minister with the Freedom Church of the Poor and is based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Moses is a teacher, cultural worker, organizer, writer and The Young Organizers Survival Corps Coordinator at the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice. Moses has organized with the Freedom Church of the Poor, the Nonviolent Medicaid Army, the National Union for the Homeless, and with transgender and nonbinary communities across the country. As an educator, Moses has co-developed and co-taught classes on theater, storytelling, culture, and social movements for Emory University and the Sam & Devorah Foundation for Transgender Youth. He served as a Ministry Coordinator with the Church of the Common Ground, helping to facilitate their weekly foot clinic, Bible Study, and community care practices with unhoused folks in Downtown Atlanta. Previously he worked as the Community Program Coordinator and Support Group Leader for Transmission Ministry Collective, an online community for transgender and nonbinary Christians. He is a commissioned minister with the Freedom Church of the Poor and is based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Cate Tedford, M.Div. candidate, Candler Theological Seminary (she/her)
Originally hailing from South Carolina, Cate is a Master of Divinity student at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, where she focuses on Human Rights and Justice, Peacebuilding, and Conflict Transformation. Before Candler, Cate worked in the nonprofit food access sector in Greenville, SC and has her undergraduate degree from Clemson University in philosophy and Spanish.
Cate is a current Program Fellow with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, working on issues of environmental justice alongside diverse faith communities and is involved in grassroots in peacebuilding organizing in Atlanta.
Originally hailing from South Carolina, Cate is a Master of Divinity student at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, where she focuses on Human Rights and Justice, Peacebuilding, and Conflict Transformation. Before Candler, Cate worked in the nonprofit food access sector in Greenville, SC and has her undergraduate degree from Clemson University in philosophy and Spanish.
Cate is a current Program Fellow with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, working on issues of environmental justice alongside diverse faith communities and is involved in grassroots in peacebuilding organizing in Atlanta.
Noriadnys Gomez de Bybee, Community Organizer and student at Emory University (she/her)
Noriadnys (Nori) Gomez de Bybee is a Master of Divinity student at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology studying faith-based ethics, theology, and human rights advocacy. While studying full-time, she supports the mission of Mormon Women of Ethical Government as an Immigration Advocacy Project Specialist. She is driven by a deeply personal connection to the immigrant experience fueled by her own journey to the United States and firsthand knowledge of the challenges within the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. While an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University, she helped to develop the Undocu-Student Support Services overseen by the International Student and Scholar Services and built bridges between marginalized students and the university faculty and staff.
Noriadnys (Nori) Gomez de Bybee is a Master of Divinity student at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology studying faith-based ethics, theology, and human rights advocacy. While studying full-time, she supports the mission of Mormon Women of Ethical Government as an Immigration Advocacy Project Specialist. She is driven by a deeply personal connection to the immigrant experience fueled by her own journey to the United States and firsthand knowledge of the challenges within the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. While an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University, she helped to develop the Undocu-Student Support Services overseen by the International Student and Scholar Services and built bridges between marginalized students and the university faculty and staff.
Theologies of Peace and War
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Noël Heatherland (they/them), Statewide Organizing Manager for Georgia Equality
Noël Heatherland approaches their activism and advocacy work through a collective liberation lens. They are involved in coalition work that centers cross-racial solidarity, immigrants’ rights, working class unity, and protecting the environment. For Noël, activism and advocacy are a spiritual activity. Noël is the Statewide Organizing Manager for Georgia Equality, the state’s oldest & largest advocacy organization for LGBTQ+ human rights and HIV/AIDS healthcare. They sit on the Boards of both This Doesn’t Define Me and The Dreaming Justice Project. Noël was raised in rural South Georgia in a religious cult rooted in white Christian nationalism. They were in a highly controlled environment where they were sheltered from any knowledge of LGBTQIA+ history and community. Now, Noël is an active member of The Collective, a fully affirming Lutheran congregation in Atlanta, an advocate for domestic violence survivors and a volunteer for Ahimsa House helping to get HB 177 passed in Georgia in 2025, and serving as the state leader for The Venture Out Project, a national organization coordinating outdoor events by and for transgender and queer community. Dr. Luther Smith, Professor Emeritus of Church and Community, Candler School of Theology Dr. Luther E. Smith Jr.’s is an ordained elder in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. His current research focuses on the writings and correspondence of Howard Thurman, advocacy on behalf of children, and a spirituality of hope. He wrote his recent book, Hope is Here! Spiritual Practices for Pursuing Justice and Beloved Community, as a theological call to live into God’s vision for us: a beloved community. He retired from Candler in 2014. Dee Roberts (she/they), Palestine Justice Network of the PC(USA) and the Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism Dee Roberts works as the Reference and Outreach Librarian at Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta. Her focus for Palestinian liberation is to introduce more people to the narrative of Palestinians by bringing those voices into the collections within theological libraries in the United States. Dee is committed to combating disinformation and misinformation as it relates to Palestine. They are the author of "Neutrality, Social Justice, and Palestine: A Theological Librarian's Perspective" in the recently published anthology, Resisting Erasure: Libraries in Palestine and Palestine in Libraries. Dee serves on the Steering Committee for the Palestine Justice Network of the PC(USA) and has been actively involved in the organization since 2014. She is also a member of Friends of Sabeel North America’s new initiative, the Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism, and is the Communications Manager for Joining Hands for Justice. Avery Arden (they/them), Morelight Presbyterians Avery Arden (MDiv) has a scholar's spirit, a poet's heart, and a neuroqueer bodymind that's never still! They live in Decatur, Georgia, and serve on the board of More Light Presbyterians. Visit https://linktr.ee/queerlychristian to connect with their ministry, which uplifts transgender and disabled people of faith as both recipients and crucial agents of divine blessing. |
Skill Building Workshops
Protest Chaplaincy: Ministry on the Front Lines
Protest chaplains serve at the intersection of faith and the fight for social justice. This workshop explores the theological foundations of this vital ministry and defines the unique role of a chaplain in the streets. Beyond theory, participants will engage in hands-on training, learning and practicing de-escalation techniques designed to maintain peace and ensure safety during protests.
Tim Franzen, Director of Atlanta Economic Justice Program, American Friends Service Committee
Tammy Pallot, M.S., Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
Art and Culture as Resistance
Moses Hernandez McGavin, The Young Organizers Survival Corps Organizer, Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice
Storytelling and Public Narrative
The Jewish sage Hillel once asked: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?” This workshop explores the first question by reflecting on the values and experiences that call us to lead. You will begin crafting your own Story of Self—a way to articulate why this work matters to us and how stories help build the relationships that sustain collective action.
Maria Dueñas Lopez, Public Narrative and Community Organizing Coach
Protest chaplains serve at the intersection of faith and the fight for social justice. This workshop explores the theological foundations of this vital ministry and defines the unique role of a chaplain in the streets. Beyond theory, participants will engage in hands-on training, learning and practicing de-escalation techniques designed to maintain peace and ensure safety during protests.
Tim Franzen, Director of Atlanta Economic Justice Program, American Friends Service Committee
Tammy Pallot, M.S., Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
Art and Culture as Resistance
Moses Hernandez McGavin, The Young Organizers Survival Corps Organizer, Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice
Storytelling and Public Narrative
The Jewish sage Hillel once asked: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?” This workshop explores the first question by reflecting on the values and experiences that call us to lead. You will begin crafting your own Story of Self—a way to articulate why this work matters to us and how stories help build the relationships that sustain collective action.
Maria Dueñas Lopez, Public Narrative and Community Organizing Coach
Imagining a Transformed Future Together
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Dr. Brad Braxton, President and Professor of Public Theology at Chicago Theological Seminary
Dr. Brad R. Braxton is a seasoned biblical scholar and homiletician (i.e., an expert in the arts of sermon creation, delivery, and evaluation). In addition to his work in biblical studies and homiletics, his scholarship and teaching are conversant with other disciplines, including African American studies, interreligious studies, womanist, feminist, and LGBTQ+ studies, and postcolonial studies. As a testament to Dr. Braxton’s expertise in interreligious engagement, the Smithsonian Institution selected him in 2020 as the Senior Program Advisor for the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The Smithsonian Institution hosted in the summer of 2023 a multifaceted program on the National Mall in Washington, DC, which examined the diverse tapestry of religious communities and experiences in the United States. Dr. Braxton is an ordained Baptist minister and a highly sought-after lecturer and preacher. In 2007, he preached at Westminster Abbey in London, England. His Westminster Abbey sermon on justice and non-violence was part of the bicentennial commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire. He is the Founding Senior Pastor of The Open Church, an inclusive congregation in Baltimore, Maryland committed to social activism, LGBTQ+ equality, and interfaith collaboration. |
Music Leadership
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Danton Bankay
Danton Bankay, originally from Trinidad, is an experienced church musician, singer and instrumentalist, who loves inspiring community singing with piano, guitar, and drums. Danton’s career has included music leadership at Kyle United Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church in San Marcos, Texas and St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church in New York City, where he serves currently. Danton is a veteran of Christian student conferences, having led music at a number of events with the United Methodist Student Movement, the UMC’s National Youth Ministry Organization, and the WSCF. Danton and his husband, Jonathan, currently reside in New York after recently returning from Texas where he was professor of music and conducting at Texas State University. |