This three-day virtual event is designed for church leaders and congregational members to reconsider what effective evangelism might look like in their particular communities and neighborhoods.
Through an interactive platform, participants will learn from 1001 New Worshiping Communities and congregations working in the Vital Congregations Initiative — and from key leaders about lifestyles and practices, both individual and corporate, that allow people to share the good news, during this time of the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racism.
Registration Rethinking Evangelism Panelists
Key Leaders
The Rev. Dr. Ray Jones is the PC(USA)’s director of Theology, Formation & Evangelism. Under his leadership, the Presbyterian Mission Agency is producing resources that help people live into their stories of faith and grow as followers of Christ — and see themselves as part of God’s mission. Jones believes that renewal in the church begins with God’s radical, unconditional love revealed in Jesus. Prior to his service at the Mission Agency, Jones served as a pastor to congregations in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, living out the call of his heart: to help people come to know and grow in their love of God in Jesus Christ.
The Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon has served as senior pastor of C.N. Jenkins Memorial Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, for 28 years. Specializing in Bible, he earned his Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center at Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary in Atlanta — and his Doctor of Ministry from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. Especially committed to evangelism and community service, Cannon is the former president of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus and past chair of the Presbyterian Cross Caucus Committee.
Biblical and Theological Grounding
Dr. Ralph Watkins is professor of Evangelism and Church Growth at Columbia Theological Seminary. His work and research centers around building 21st-century churches. Watkins is currently working on ways the church can use multimedia approaches and web 2.0 strategies to be effective at evangelism and discipleship.
1001 New Worshiping Communities Live Podcast
The Rev. Sara Hayden is director of Apprenticeships, Residencies and Leadership Cohorts for the PC(USA)’s 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement — and host of the movement’s podcast “New Way.” As part of her work, Hayden teaches “1001” apprentices about church planting via weekly video seminars.
Panel Facilitator
The Rev. Mark Ramsey is the executive director of Macedonian Ministry in Decatur, Georgia. Prior to that, he served as pastor to congregations in Austin, Chicago, Denver, Michigan, North Carolina and the Washington, D.C., area. Ramsey has also served as an adjunct instructor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and has also been a leader and a speaker at the NEXT Church Conference.
