Word, Worship, Tools, & Fellowship
This inaugural festival is an invitation for preachers to step away from the weekly grind and into a week shaped by worship, conversation, and shared reflection on the strange and life-giving work of proclaiming the gospel.
At the heart of the week is daily worship and preaching in the seminary chapel, grounding us again in the paradox we preach: law and gospel, death and resurrection, despair and promise. Alongside worship, the festival will offer practical workshops meant to add tools to the preacher’s toolbelt, exploring topics like faithfully preaching on demons, preaching creation, and centering the sermon within the whole of worship.
Whether you are new to ministry or decades into preaching, this festival is designed to renew imagination, deepen trust in the gospel, and remind us that God is still at work through preached words.
Preachers
The Rev. Dr. Kevin Vandiver
Senior Pastor, Lutheran Church of the Reformation, Capitol Hill, DC
The Rev. Carrie Ballenger
Pastor at University Lutheran Church, Cambridge, MA and Lutheran chaplain at Harvard University
The Rev. Sarah Garrett Krey
Pastor of Gloria Dei! Lutheran Church, Arnold, MD
The Rev. Heidi Neumark
Pastor, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Kingston. NY
The Rev. Dr. Hank Langknecht
Retired ELCA pastor and former Associate Professor of Homiletics and Christian Communications at Trinity Lutheran Seminary.
Deacon Julie Stecker
Director of Youth and Family Ministry at First Lutheran Church in Ellicott City, MD
The Rev. Leila Ortiz
Former Bishop of Metro DC. Serves as Pastor and Theologian in residence at St. Peter's, Manhattan, NY
Dean Teresa Smallwood
Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Public Theology at ULS
Workshop Leaders
Professor of Theology and Ethics at ULS
The Rev. Dr. Nelson Rivera
Topic: Preaching Creation
ELCA Director for Theological Diversity and Ecumenical & Inter-Religious Engagement
The Rev. Dr. Carmelo Santos
Topic: Welcome the Stranger
Pastor at The Table: Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry in Baltimore
The Rev. Kelsey Green
Topic: How to reach the next generation
Pastor at St. Martin's Lutheran Church, Annapolis
The Rev. Micah Krey
Topic: Preaching the Narrative Context
Digital Pastor/ Curator of Anam Cara Digital Community, North Carolina
The Rev. Tuhina Verma Rasche
Preaching Paradox: Conflict, Resolution, and Reconciliation
Manager for Academics for the Sankofa Theological Center for African Studies of the ELCA
The Rev. Dr. Beverly Wallace
Topic: Womanist Theology and Connections to preaching
Stuempfle-Folkemer Professor of Homiletics at ULS
The Rev. Dr. Karyn Wiseman
Topic: Pivoting your sermon
Gladfelter Professor of Biblical Studies at United Lutheran Seminary
The Rev. Dr. Mark Vitalis Hoffman
Words Matter Translation, Theology, Preaching
ELCA Pastor and currently studying for a Doctor of Theology at Duke Divinity School
The Rev. Victoria Larson
Topic: Preaching the Whole Liturgy: Proclamation of the Word through the whole service
Assistant Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible at Sewanee
The Rev. Dr. Reed Carlson
Topic: Preaching Demons