Brite Divinity School Centers Prophetic Witness for Ministry Week 2027, February 1-3
In a time of social rupture and an unpredictable future, Ministry Week 2027 is an ecumenical gathering that will explore how prophetic preaching, creative worship, and courageous storytelling can transform the world: one story at a time.
With the theme, “And Yet, This is Our Story: Prophetic Witness in this Present Age,” Ministry Week will address pressing challenges in the church, the academy, and public life including resisting white Christian nationalism, responsible AI in ministry, queering preaching, how to transform conflict into connection, and more.
Ministry Week 2027 was created in partnership with the inaugural fellows of the Gongloff Creative Worship and Prophetic Preaching Fellowship.
Learn more at brite.edu/MW2027
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – Brite Divinity School invites its community to take action together February 1-3 at Ministry Week 2027, an annual three-day conference that educates and inspires faith communities and more to meet the pressing needs of the 21st century church. This year's convening will prominently feature distinguished speakers from the church and the academy to explore timely topics like resisting white Christian nationalism, responsible AI in ministry, queering preaching, how to transform conflict into connection, and more.
Today, suffering has become an all-too familiar reality. Many communities are witnessing displacement, abuse of power, and political division that sows seeds of loneliness, distrust, and disconnection amongst our neighbors. Yet, even as we face systems and forces that try to distract and deter us, we persist and work toward a more hopeful future. This year's theme, "And Yet, This Is Our Story: Prophetic Witness in This Present Age," embodies a bold call-to-action to embrace storytelling as a means of faithful witness that the Christian church can see, and communities can feel.
Through dynamic lectures, interactive workshops, and inspiring worship experiences, Ministry Week 2027 will equip people of the church and the community to become more faithful storytellers, more creative worship leaders, and more courageous witnesses of God’s transformative power. Drawing on the church’s tradition of storytelling, this year’s conference will inspire attendees to view their stories and the stories of the church as an act of prophetic witness, calling all to explore how our narratives help shape identities, challenge injustice, sustain hope, and mobilize communities for change.
“Today, cultivating worship and preaching practices that are purposeful, truthful, and creatively grounded is essential and urgent. Through this year’s annual convening, we hope to reimagine and rethink what impactful worship and prophetic preaching can look like,” said Dr. Oluwatomisin Olayinka Oredein, Assistant Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Theological Imagination.
Ministry Week 2027 was created in partnership with the inaugural Gongloff Creative Worship and Prophetic Preaching Fellows, a fellowship of preacher-practitioners and scholars called to imagine innovative ways to advance creative worship and prophetic preaching in the Christian church. Funded by a charitable donation from Nancy Gongloff, in memory of her spouse the Rev. Paul Gongloff, the fellowship honors Rev. Gongloff’s innovative approach to ministry that addressed social justice concerns through community activism, prophetic preaching, and creative worship.
“The Gongloff fellows, named after a dear friend and colleague in ministry, come together to equip contemporary faith leaders for the creative and prophetic work of worship, leadership, and preaching,” Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady, President of Brite Divinity School. “Together, they’ve pushed us to innovate, dream bigger, and stretch the bounds of our imagination of what worship and church can look like.”
Further details on Ministry Week 2027, including the program, featured speakers, and guest preachers will be announced in the coming months. Stay tuned for more details at brite.edu/MW2027.
About Brite Divinity School
Founded in 1914, Brite Divinity School is one of the premier progressive theological institutions in the Southwest. Located on the Texas Christian University Campus in Fort Worth, Texas; Brite Divinity School prepares leaders by focusing on excellent scholarship, pastoral training, and spiritual development through ministerial and academic programs. Led by a transformative calling, Brite Divinity School seeks to educate and inspire people to serve God’s diverse world as leaders in churches, the academy, and public life.