Pastor Robert Morris, Pastor Miles McPherson and Bishop Jerry Macklin among guests in special online event
INGLEWOOD, Calif., May 7, 2021 - A special online event, “THE CONVERSATION,” prompted by the growing racial division in the Church, brings together top Christian leaders to provide insight on what needs to be done to create unity, have uncomfortable conversations and raise up the next generation of leaders to ultimately find healing. Hosted by Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer, senior pastor of Faithful Central Bible Church in Los Angeles, the series will air in a three-part special on Facebook Live and the church’s streaming platform.
“In the Evangelical divide, there is a lack of truth. And there is a lack of desire to know truth,” said Ulmer. “And it seems there is a lot of money being spent to make sure you don’t get the truth and to make sure we’re divided.”
Calling on others to notice the breach and divide in the body of Christ, Ulmer invited prominent Christian leaders, theologians and academics to join him for robust discussion to determine if healing is possible and what must be done to bring the body of Christ together. Featured program participants include:
Pastor Robert Morris, Senior Pastor of Gateway Church;
Pastor Miles McPherson, Pastor of Rock Church;
Dr. Yolanda Pierce, Dean of the School of Divinity at Howard University;
Dr. Billy Wilson, President of Oral Roberts University;
Bishop Timothy J. Clarke, Senior Pastor of the First Church of God;
Bishop Jerry Macklin, 2nd Assistant Presiding Bishop of the Church Of God In Christ;
Dr. Ed Stetzer, Dean of the School of Mission, Ministry and Leadership at Wheaton College;
Dr. Deborah Martin, Assistant Dean of the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University;
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference;
Bishop Van Moody, best-selling Author and Pastor of The Worship Center; and
Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, Vice President of Wesley Seminary in Marion, Indiana and former General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church.
“THE CONVERSATION” series will air in three episodes with the first two releasing May 11 and May 13, respectively, to discuss “Unity and Healing in the Body of Christ.”
“I keep hearing people say we need to be unified. I don’t think that’s biblical,” said Dr. Eric Mason, founding pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia, during his conversation with Ulmer. “The Bible already teaches us we’re unified - unity is the same thing, we are in the body of Christ. We are technically a body, but we’re acting like prosthetics.”
The final episode of “THE CONVERSATION” airs May 18 and addresses the training of the next generation of Christian leaders in our nation’s seminaries. Joined by seminary deans, professors and theologians, Ulmer leads a discussion of how young ministers are being prepared to bring healing to the Church.
“We are training our students not just for the pulpit, but we are training them to go into whatever context they feel led to,” said Dr. Deborah Martin, Assistant Dean at the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. “We have to be extremely intentional that we have both feet not only just solely in the academy, but we’re also very much engaged in various contexts of ministry.”
Ulmer and guests call on all churches, seminaries and Christian institutions to take an active role in these ongoing conversations and to develop an understanding in order to facilitate healing through connection and shared ministry.
“The next step is action, but it starts with a conversation like this. Let’s keep talking,” said Ulmer.
To view the full episodes of “THE CONVERSATION” on May 11, 13 and 18, visit https://www.faithfulcentral.com/conversations.
About Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer
Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer, Ph.D., is the senior pastor of Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood, California; current Presiding Bishop of the Macedonia Baptist Church Fellowship in Johannesburg, South Africa; and the renowned author of several acclaimed books, including “Knowing God’s Voice,” “Passionate God” and his most recent release, “Walls Can Fall.” To learn more about Ulmer and his unique ministry, visit https://www.faithfulcentral.com/about-us/bishop-kenneth-ulmer.
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