Gathering The Goose: FIERCE JOY

Peggy Campolo

Peggy Campolo has been an advocate for justice for her GLBTQ sisters and brothers since 1994. She makes it clear that she stands with these children of God, not in spite of the fact that she is a follower of Jesus Christ, but because of it. She is committed to traditional family values, including the rights and responsibilities of marriage for all God’s children, not just those who happen to be straight, and believes that too often the Bible has been misused to condemn and oppress God’s GLBTQ children.

Peggy wants her GLBTQ sisters and brothers to know that God loves them just as they are. She has used her many opportunities to speak at conferences, churches, and colleges, to tell their stories to those who do not understand them, be those people their parents, their neighbors, their classmates, their teachers, their churches, their pastors or their representatives in government.

Among her writings is a chapter in a book edited by Walter Wink, “Homosexuality and the Christian Faith – Questions of Conscience for the Churches.”

Sessions:
278 Gathering the Goose

Brian McLaren

Board Vice-Chair
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. Notable among the many books he has authored are: “A New Kind of Christian”, which won Christianity Today’s “Award of Merit” in 2002; “Everything Must Change” tracing critical ways in which Jesus’ message confronts contemporary global crises; and We Make the Road by Walking, marking a turn toward constructive and practical theology. His 2016 release, The Great Spiritual Migration, has been hailed as his most important work to date. Brian is married to Grace, and they have four adult children and five grandchildren. His personal interests include wildlife and ecology, fly fishing and kayaking, music and songwriting, art, history, and literature. www.brianmclaren.net

Sessions:
209 How did we get here and where are we going
226 Brian McLaren, Topic TBD
278 Gathering The Goose
128 Taking to the Social Streets
87 A Dialogue With Brian McLaren and Reverend Trier
335 Creating Congregational Change

Julian DeShazier

Board Member
As a national speaker, advocate and emcee, Julian “J.Kwest” DeShazier has appeared on ABC, CBS, FOX, and Dr. Maya Angelou’s “Oprah & Friends” radio program. J.Kwest is also an Emmy Award-winning musician, featured in the video “Strange Fruit,” a commemoration of the Billie Holiday song and a meditation on racial violence. In 2012 he and his group, Verbal Kwest, appeared in the OXFAM and Bread for the World-produced documentary The Line, providing a critical voice against poverty and violence in the US. The Chicago native and graduate of Morehouse College and the University of Chicago is also pastor of University Church, which most recently worked on a campaign for a trauma center on Chicago’s South Side. J is an adjunct professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School and McCormick Theological Seminary, and is a regular contributor to Sojourners and Huffington Post publications.

www.jkwest.com/

Sessions:
278 Gathering The Goose
381 Musical Performance: J.Kwest

Rebecca Anderson

Storytelling
Rev Rebecca Anderson (church planter, Gilead Chicago; co-pastor, Bethany UCC) is ordained in The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She has a MDiv from the University of Chicago and a BA in Playwrighting from Hampshire College. A believer in the power of the spoken word, Rebecca’s been on Snap Judgment (radio) and The Broad Experience (podcast). In Chicago, Rebecca has worked with story-telling companies like 2nd Story, The Moth, This Much is True, and Do Not Submit. As Earshot Stories, Rebecca has developed and teaches workshops designed to introduce the craft of storytelling, foster interpersonal connection, and develop the ability of individuals to interpret stories and other texts, including Scripture. (EarshotStories.com) After a trip to Vancouver, technically speaking, she does this internationally. Outside of work, she’s about potlucks, gardening, weaving, knitting, bicycling (in season), or doing *nothing* on Chicago’s beaches.
www.GileadChicago.org

Sessions:
278 Gathering The Goose
329 StorySlam
330 Build a Story
331 Midnight Story Open Mic

The Many

The Many is an indie folk/Gospel, liturgically-grounded, new kind of worship band — an intentionally diverse collective creating music for people who want to do justice, love mercy, walk humbly, and follow the Jesus who so loves the world. This independent band’s first release, “Advent & Christmas 2015”, spent six weeks in the top five, new and notable Christian/Gospel downloads on Noisetrade, and was chosen as one of the six best Christmas albums of the year by the nationally syndicated radio program, “Under the Radar.”

The Many are from Chicago, Illinois, and include singers Darren Calhoun, Leslie Michelle, Hannah Rand, and Gary Rand. Most of their songs are written by Hannah Rand, Gary Rand, and Lenora Rand.

Sessions:
Music Revolution Pre-Festival Event
278 Gathering the Goose
411 This is My Body: A Wild & Holy Late-Night Communion