Trailblazers 2019 Preaching Series Shades of Black: Empowering Voices of Liberation will celebrate and reflect on the prophetic life and ministry of The Rev. Dr. James H. Cone, and the liberative theologies his scholarship and teaching helped birth. Rev. Dr. Gary Simpson ’87 will preach on musicality, and the importance of spiritual and blues traditions for liberation.

Pastor Simpson was heavily influenced by his studies with Dr. James Cone, who provided him with the framework to pursue his vocation with an understanding of his call to pastor as a call to the work of liberation for God’s people and creation.

A beloved educator and author, Pastor Simpson’s vocation has been wonderfully expressed as a Teaching Pastor. In addition to leading Concord’s Community Bible Study where people of all walks of life can find common ground to discover the scriptures together, he has achieved tenure as Associate Professor of Homiletics at Drew Theological Seminary (Madison, NJ). He was particularly honored that in addition to that responsibility, during the 2015-2016 academic year, he returned to Union Theological Seminary for one year as Visiting Professor of Preaching, Worship and the Arts.

Below is a list of dates and featured preachers. 

Friday, February 1:  Rev. Dr. Gary Simpson ’87
Friday, February 8:  Rev. Dr. Mikael Elam ’07
Friday, February 15: Rev. Dr. Gay L. Byron ’99
Friday, February 22: Rev. Kymberley Clemons-Jones ’05

Worship services will begin at 7:00 p.m. No RSVP is required.