Faithful Leadership: Race, Politics, and Evangelicalism in America

Dr. Nathan Luis Cartagena is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College (IL), where he teaches courses on race, justice, and political philosophy. He is currently writing a book on Critical Race Theory with IVP Academic.

Dr. Korie Little Edwards is Associate Professor of Sociology at The Ohio State University. She is a leading scholar of race and religion in the United States and Past President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, an international, interdisciplinary association. She has written several books and articles on multiracial religious organizations. These include The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches (author, Oxford University Press); Against All Odds: The Struggle for Racial Integration in Religious Organizations (co-author, New York University Press). Dr. Little Edwards’ current scholarship focuses on matters related to race and religious leadership. She has a forthcoming book called Smart Suits, Tattered Boots: Black Ministers and Mobilization in the 21st Century which draws upon black religious leaders’ engagement in the 2012 election to understand their engagement in civic and political activity. Little Edwards is also principal investigator of a national study of multiracial church pastors called The Religious Leadership and Diversity Project. The RLDP is the most in-depth, comprehensive project ever conducted on leaders of multiracial congregations. A special journal issue featuring research from this project was published last year. Her and her team continue to develop articles and books out of this study.

Justin Giboney is an attorney and political strategist in Atlanta, GA. He is also the president of the AND Campaign, a Christian civic organization focused on raising civic literacy and dismantling the false dichotomy between social justice and moral order. In 2012 and 2016, he was a Georgia delegate at the DNC. Giboney has written extensively about the intersection between faith and politics, including the book Compassion (&) Conviction.

Shirley V. Hoogstra became the seventh president of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities in September 2014. In this role, Hoogstra combines her zeal for the rule of law and her passion for Christian higher education as she promotes the value and purpose of high quality, Christ-centered liberal arts education that shapes students who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind. Prior to the CCCU, Hoogstra served for 15 years as vice president for student life at her alma mater, Calvin University. She also spent more than a decade practicing law as a partner at a firm specializing in litigation in New Haven, Connecticut. She earned a Juris Doctor, with honors, from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Mark Labberton was named the fifth president of Fuller Seminary in 2013, after four years as Fuller’s Lloyd John Ogilvie Associate Professor of Preaching and director of the Ogilvie Institute of Preaching. He is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and has served in pastoral roles for 30 years prior to coming to Fuller. Labberton is committed to strengthening the intersection of the academy, church, and culture, and brings to his presidency a deep desire to enact justice, love, and grace on both a global and local level. He is a sought after speaker, and has authored books such as Called: The Crisis and Promise of Following Jesus Today, The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor: Seeing Others Through the Eyes of Jesus, Serving as president during a time of significant upheaval in theological education, Labberton has worked to help Fuller shape new, fruitful ways of carrying out its mission of “forming global leaders for kingdom vocations.”

Rev. Dr. Jeff Liou serves on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as Director of Theological Formation. Jeff has also worked as a pastor, university chaplain, and adjunct professor. He earned his PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary, where he studied the intersection of race and theology. Jeff has contributed chapters to books on Asian American Christianity and ethics in pastoral ministry.  Jeff lives in Southern California with his wife, Lisa, and their two children.

Author and Speaker Beth Moore is a dynamic teacher whose conferences take her across the globe. She is a dedicated wife, and mother of two adult daughters and three delightful grandchildren.  Beth lives in Houston, Texas, where she leads Living Proof Ministries. She has written numerous bestselling books and Bible studies, and recently celebrated over 20 years of Living Proof Live conferences. She can be seen teaching Bible studies on the television program Living Proof with Beth Moore, aired on the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Russell Moore is president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. The ERLC is the moral and public policy entity of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. The Wall Street Journal has called Moore “vigorous, cheerful, and fiercely articulate.” He was named in 2017 to Politico Magazine’s list of top fifty influence-makers in Washington, and has been profiled by such publications as the Washington Post and the New Yorker. His latest book is The Courage to Stand: Facing Your Fear Without Losing Your Soul. His book, , Onward: Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel, was named Christianity Today’s 2016 Book of the Year.

Robert Chao Romero is an associate professor in the UCLA departments of Chicana/o Studies and Central America Studies, and Asian American Studies. He also directs the Brown Church Institute. He received his Ph.D. from UCLA in Latin American History and his Juris Doctor from U.C. Berkeley, and is also an attorney.  Romero is the author of Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity; The Chinese in Mexico, 1882-1940; Jesus for Revolutionaries: An Introduction to Race, Social Justice, and Christianity; and Mixed Race Student Politics.  The Chinese in Mexico received the Latina/o Studies book award from the Latin American Studies Association and Brown Church was written with the support of a Louisville Institute Sabbatical Grant for Researchers.  Romero is also an ordained minister and faith rooted community organizer.

Nikki Toyama-Szeto is the Executive Director of Christians for Social Action, a community of scholar/activists. Through innovative programs, CSA educates and empowers people to engage with justice issues on both personal and systemic levels. Founded by Ron Sider, author of “Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger”, CSA models deep scriptural engagement and tangible social action.  She previously served in leadership roles at the International Justice Mission (IJM) and InterVarsity.  She has a BS from Stanford University and an MA in Organizational Leadership from Eastern University. Nikki writes and teaches about the intersection of faith and justice and has been seen on NPR, Newsweek, Religious News Service, and Christianity Today.  She has served on the board of Interserve USA, Mission Year, Missio Alliance, INFEMIT, and Casa Chiralagua.   She serves as a “Leading Voice” for the Missio Alliance. Her work was profiled in Outreach Magazine’s Leadership Issue (Sept 2017 Cover), Christianity Today’s, “Who’s Next?” and Rejuvenate Magazine’s “40 under 40”.