REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
Welcome to our October Presbytery Gathering!
Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis
We are thrilled to host Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis as our guest speaker. An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), theologian, and long-time anti-poverty organizer, Dr. Theoharis brings decades of dedicated leadership as the Executive Director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.
In preparation for the Assembly, Dr. Theoharis encourages our Presbytery to read her book, We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from the Freedom Church of the Poor (co-edited with Charon Hribar). Grounded in the conviction that "it does not have to be this way," We Pray Freedom provides a foundational context for our time together by offering prayers, liturgies, and spiritual practices born directly out of communities organizing on the front lines against poverty and injustice. Reading this work beforehand will equip us to ground our gathering in reflection, solidarity, and action.
Connecting Our Mission: Matthew 25 and Eradicating Systemic Poverty
Our Presbytery’s commitment to the Matthew 25 initiative—specifically the priority to eradicate systemic poverty—directly reflects the heart of Dr. Theoharis’ life’s work:
From Charity to Systemic Change: In Matthew 25:35–40, Jesus calls the church to see His face in those who are hungry, thirsty, unhoused, and oppressed. Dr. Theoharis’ scholarship and activism challenge us to move beyond temporary relief toward dismantling the root systemic causes that generate poverty in the first place.
Liturgies of Liberation: We Pray Freedom demonstrates that worship, prayer, and ritual are not separate from justice work—they are the spiritual sustenance that empowers communities to demand structural dignity, economic justice, and fair treatment for all God’s children.
A Shared Calling: By bringing Dr. Theoharis into our gathering, we align our presbytery’s Matthew 25 commitments with a broader movement of grassroots faith leaders, unhoused neighbors, workers, and organizers who are building a moral revival across our nation.
We look forward to diving into We Pray Freedom together as we prepare our hearts and minds for a transformative October gathering!