Finlator Lecture Series

Spiritual Grounding for the Work of Justice

October 2-4

The Finlator Lecture Series lifts up the prophetic witness of former Pullen pastor, the late W.W. Finlator. We remember Rev. Finlator as an activist who looked to change the things that he could not accept. As we seek to do the same at a time where it can feel like we're losing ground in our efforts at social justice, we hear a lot of people asking the practical question, "What can I do?" This year, we've structured our lectures to offer practical solutions.  Rooted in faith and grounded in practice, we will gather for worship, storytelling, and keynote reflections; break into age-specific sessions for children, youth, and adults; share meals together; and connect with local organizations doing justice work across a range of issues and approaches.

This year's speaker, Rev. Racquell Gill, has been active in leading change whether from her involvement with the Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools, or with East Brooklyn Congregations delivering thousands of units of affordable housing in the heart of New York City. Rev. Gill is also a pastor who understands that spiritual grounding is essential for social change. 

She will deliver a keynote on Friday to ground us in a theological framework for our efforts at social justice. On Saturday she will get us started with an intergenerational spiritual practice exercise, which will be followed by workshops for adults, children, and youth to explore what it means to embrace our individual identity, and discover what kind of activist we are. We will break for lunch where local social change leaders, tackling injustice in different ways, will talk about how they found their own "lane" as activists. Rev. Gill will join us again on Sunday morning as the preacher for our worship service. 

We've been very intentional about making this year's lecture a time of practical formation and connection to organizations who are doing amazing work right here in our community. We hope you will join us, and bring someone with you. We do need you to register on Realm by September 30 so we can get a count for meals. 

Friday, October 2, 6:30-8:30 - Keynote Lecture and Dinner ($25, scholarships available)

Saturday, October 3, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm - Intergeneral Retreat 

Sunday, October 4, 11:00 am - Morning Worship