THE REV. DR. LEAH D. SCHADE

Speaker, Author, Preacher, Professor

Preaching * Political Divides * Dialogue * Research 

The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky.  An ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) for more than twenty years, Leah earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary).  She has pastored three Pennsylvania congregations in suburban, urban, and rural contexts. Her book, Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019), explores how clergy and congregations can address controversial social issues using nonpartisan, biblically-centered approaches and deliberative dialogue. She is also the author of Creation-Crisis Preaching:  Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit (Chalice Press, 2015), and co-editor with Margaret Bullitt-Jonas of Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).  

Dr. Schade received a $30,000 grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion to study deliberative dialogue in classrooms and congregations.  She has conducted longitudinal research on ministry, preaching, and social issues that has surveyed nearly 3,000 clergy and 1,000 laity since 2017.  Dr. Schade received the Kentucky Council of Churches award in 2019 and is the EcoPreacher blogger for Patheos.

Below is a brief description of Dr. Schade’s planned Bible Study lecture.

Can We Talk? What the Bible Can Teach Us about Dialogue in a Divisive Time

Ministry in the red-blue divide is fraught with risks, but also offers opportunities for proclaiming the gospel and building community in profound and contextual ways.  Informed by insights from her longitudinal research of nearly 3000 clergy and 1000 laity from 2017-2021, the Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade will help clergy and laity focus on insights from Scripture that can offer us wisdom in the midst of our fractured society.  Based on her book Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019), Dr. Schade will introduce a “dialogical lens” for reading the Bible.

Navigating the Red-Blue Divide: Clergy and Congregations in Collaboration

How can clergy and laity work together to navigate the political divides that plague our society and our congregations?  What are ways that congregations can support their pastors when they preach and teach about the social issues that affect the people of God?  In this conversation, we’ll practice using the “dialogical lens” for exploring passages of the Bible and how it can help build relationships of trust and dialogue so that both pastors and parishioners can feel heard, respected, and held in God’s grace.

We eagerly look forward to hearing what she, led by the Holy Spirit, has to share with us at our Annual Conference in July.

Ministerium Lecture at 2022 Annual Conference

 

Ministry in a House Divided: Discovering Our “Theologies of Conflict”

Tensions and conflict are normal within churches and among people of faith, but they are also sources of anxiety and dread for many. However, if we look at conflict from a theological perspective, we may discover God’s presence in unexpected ways. This session will explore the unspoken assumptions that people of faith can have about the relationship between God and our human disagreements and skirmishes.  Is it possible to be in conflict and yet remain connected? How do we assess our “theologies of conflict” to understand ourselves and our faith more fully?  Participants will work with a tool that they can use in their congregations to unearth our beliefs about how God relates to us in the midst of conflict so that we can find common vocabulary and handle tensions in a healthier and growth-producing way.

2022 Annual Conference Workshops

 

Ken will draw some parallels from his combat experience (not too graphic) and current stress of today in our restricted or constrained environment. How unsuccessful soldiers struggled with stress. How successful believers in combat handled it and how successful believers in the civilian populace handle it. 

Ken entered the US Army in 1986. After basic training, Airborne School and RIP (Ranger Indoctrination Program), he was assigned as anInfantry Rifleman in 3d BN, 75^th Ranger Regiment where he served until 1988.  He was then assigned as an instructor at the 29^th Infantry Regiment, Fort Benning, GA until his ETS in 1990.

Chaplain Lewis then entered the full-time ministry service in 1990 where he worked as the Associate Pastor at Harvest Baptist Temple in Clyde, Ohio. He served in this position until his re-entry into the active duty Chaplain Corp until 2005. While serving as the Associate Pastor, he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Theology in 1994 and his Master of Divinity in 2001 both from Baptist Bible College and Seminary, Clarks Summit, PA.

Chaplain Lewis entered the US Army Chaplaincy in 2005 at Fort Jackson, SC. After graduating from the Chaplain Officer Basic Course in SEP 2005 he was assigned to Fort Knox, KY as the 2-81 Armor Battalion Chaplain. In 2007 he was assigned as the 19^th Engineer Battalion Chaplain, Fort Knox, KY. He deployed to Iraq with the 19^th EN BN in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2008 he was assigned to USASOC as the 96^th Civil Affairs Battalion Chaplain, Fort Bragg, NC. His next assignment was with 1^st BN, 3d Special Forces group, Fort Bragg, NC as the Battalion Chaplain and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Next he was assigned to the 1/507^th Parachute Infantry Regiment (Airborne), Fort Benning, GA as the Battalion Chaplain. In May of 2013 he was assigned to the 199^th Infantry Brigade, Fort Benning, GA serving as the Brigade Chaplain. After graduating from Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, KS, he was assigned as the Deputy Command Chaplain for 1^st Special Forces Command, Fort Bragg, NC. In December, 2017 assumed duties as the Brigade Chaplain for 3^rd Recruiting Brigade, Fort Knox, KY. In 2019 he was assigned to 1BCT, 10^th MTN DIV serving as the Brigade Chaplain and deployed to Afghanistan. In December 2020 he was assigned as the Chief of Concepts for Futures Command, Chaplain-CDID section, Fort Jackson, SC.

**In June 2022 he was assigned as the Division Chaplain for First Army Division East, Fort Knox, KY where he currently serves.

Chaplain Lewis’s awards include: Bronze Star Medal (2 OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (3 OLC), ARCOM (4 OLC), AAM (2 OLC), NCO Development Ribbon, NATO Ribbon, OIF Ribbon, OEF Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Combat Action Badge.

His military education includes: Ranger Indoctrination Program, Chaplain Officer Basic Course, Air Assault School, Airborne School, US Army Jumpmaster School, SF Operations Course, Resident

This simulation workshop is an interactive tool that helps people understand the connections among racial equity, hunger, poverty and wealth. 

The Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation was a joint effort from Bread for the World and NETWORK.  Since the simulation emphasizes the importance of racial equity, it can be a helpful companion tool for churches, organizations, agencies, schools, and communities that have begun working on race and want to learn more about the role that public policy has had, over time, in creating structural divides based on race.

“Workshop on Healing Prayer” led by Rev. John Hardman-Zimmerman

“How Can We Promote Racial Equity in 2022?”  Facilitated by Linda Abington, Ph.D.

The question of how we can promote racial equity in 2022 will be examined and approached from a solution oriented perspective. Racial equity is the process of eliminating racial disparities and policies as individuals, communities, and as a society.  In his book, “How to be an Antiracist”, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi suggests in order to promote a racially equitable society, we as individuals must be intentional when interacting with others and must be aware of our actions and behaviors through self-evaluation.  This may mean being present in the moment and being in the “now” as much as we can, seeing ourselves and others through the loving eyes of God as much as we can, and not beating ourselves up when we don’t; just striving to do better.  The following are goals and objectives of the upcoming workshop:

Goal 1: Examine how we as an International Council of Community of Churches can continue to strive for racial equity.

Objective 1: Look at ways to develop personal practices that individually combat racism and promote racial equity

Objective 2: Look at ways in which our communities and congregations can combat racism and promote racial equity.

Objective 3:  Examine how we can empower ourselves and others to be antiracist.

Goal 2:  Strategically work to eliminate racial equity gaps in our communities and congregations.

Objective 1: Examine the culture and climate of our respective churches and communities.

Objective 2: Look at ways to interact regularly with people of color and communicate shared desires, experiences, etc.  This might allow us to see our equality and communal humanness, realizing that we share more commonalities than differences.

Come SOAR with us!  

Rev. Rock Fremont
Committee Moderator