Expert speaks to need for convergence of Black Church and Black Seminary

WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gift of Black Theological Education & Black Church Collaborative announced that Rev. Dr. John W. Kinney will present on the "Convergence of the Black Church and the Black Seminary" in three free Zoom presentations.

A powerful preacher and speaker, Dr. Kinney's first presentation is at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday, March 2. Kinney, a pastor and longtime leader in theological education, will also speak March 16 and April 6. He will examine how the Black Seminaries have helped provide the Black Church – a focal point of the Black community – with vital leadership for generations. An expert on race and religion, Dr. Kinney has traveled extensively and lectured throughout North America and Africa.

The Gift Collaborative has been highlighted by a series of dynamic presentations exploring the role of the Black Church and Historically Black Theological Institutions (HBTIs).

It opened with a presentation by Princeton scholar Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, an expert on race and a regular news commentator, who issued a stirring call in his presentation "Awakening the Church: A Call to Respond to Systemic Racism."

It was followed by Dr. Alton B. Pollard III, president of the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, who provided powerful insight in "The Cries of Our People: A Social Justice History of the Black Church in America."

In the coming months, the Gift Collaborative will focus on health disparities for Blacks in America and finding solutions.

These sessions are hosted by The Gift Collaborative, which has brought together leaders of HBTIs, denominational leaders, scholars, and congregants to not only address racism and social issues but also build leadership capacity in congregations. The Gift Collaborative intends to inform a new generation of leaders engaged in building pathways forward in America.

The Gift Collaborative is a result of relationship development and collegiality among the six HBTIs: Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, North Carolina, the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia, Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio, Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia, Shaw University Divinity School in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, D.C.

The denominations participating in the collaborative include: The African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AMEZ), Baptist General Convention of Virginia, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME), Church of God in Christ (COGIC), General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina Baptist, and the United Methodist Church.

To register for upcoming events, watch past presentations, and learn more visit: http://www.thegiftcollaborative.org/

Contact: John Thomas III, Paynefellow@thegiftcollaborative.org (615) 601-0450

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SOURCE The Gift of Black Theological Education & Black Church Collaborative