Lindsey Appiah currently serves as the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice for the District of Columbia, providing direction, guidance, support, and coordination to the District’s public safety agencies and helping to develop and lead interagency public safety initiatives to improve the quality of life in the District’s neighborhoods. Following time in private practice, she began her career in public service as an Assistant Attorney General representing the Department of Children’s Services and the Department of Labor in the Tennessee Office of the Attorney General where she managed a team of attorneys that represented the departments in various matters, including state tort actions and federal civil rights actions. In 2012, Lindsey began her career in District government at the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services and served in several leadership roles, including Assistant General Counsel, General Counsel, and Interim Director before joining the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice as Chief of Staff in 2021.

Lindsey has a Bachelor of Arts in Community Health from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. Additionally, she is a published author with works in diverse publications including The Crisis in Youth Mental Health textbook, The Harm Reduction Journal, and The Bulwark. She attends Union City Church in Washington, DC.

Habib Bako serves as the Field Building Director at Ploughshares Fund, an organization dedicated to supporting the most effective advocates and organizations worldwide in the effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate the threat posed by nuclear weapons. In his role, Habib plays a crucial part in advancing the mission of creating a safer world. Additionally, Habib holds the position of Network Development Lead for Street Psalms, a community in mission that empowers leaders from diverse backgrounds to collaboratively build cities of peace for all. As the Founder and Principal of Aligned Minds, LLC, Habib leads a consultancy focusing on strategic partnerships, network development, and community engagement.

Previously, Habib served as the Senior Director of Community Engagement at Independent Sector, a national membership organization that brings together leaders from impactful nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs. During his tenure, he spearheaded efforts to integrate results, racial equity, community building, and bridging practices into the organization's leadership and events programs. Habib played a key role in the launch of Upswell, a series of events centered around racial justice featuring prominent speakers and thought leaders.

He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and international business from the University of Maryland, College Park and has been trained as a practitioner in Results Count, Facilitative Leadership, Lean Startup, and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. He also spends time on his passion of bridging divides and building unity within the African diaspora.

I grew up in suburban New Jersey, attended Wheaton College and have lived in Manhattan for over 35 years, arriving in the late 80’s to attend Columbia University’s Business School and School of Public Health where I received both an MBA and MPH. I worked for approximately 10 years in administration and finance at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (7.5 years) and Columbia Medical School before joining the staff of Redeemer Presbyterian Church as their first CFO/COO. I was fortunate enough to be part of the founding membership of Redeemer where I served in a number of volunteer positions. Approximately 20 years ago I was ordained in the PCA having secured an MDiv at Westiminster Theological Seminary and have since served in various positions over that time span, including overseeing the Counseling Center, Evangelism, Worship and Family Ministries. For the last 14 years I have served as Lead/Senior Pastor of Redeemer West Side. This past October I announced my retirement from that role after 26 years on staff and am looking forward to the Fellows Program as the first leg of my next vocational journey. I have been married for 25 years and have two daughters, Mary Claire (19) and Charlotte (15) and live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I love NYC and (fun facts) sang in Carnegie Hall and on Broadway (many years ago).

Jay served for twenty years as an active-duty naval officer, including leadership roles on ships, with special operations forces, in the Pentagon and at intelligence agencies. He authored a number of intelligence assessments for national leadership focused on Russia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and led interagency teams to exploit intelligence for US and Allied decisionmakers. He is currently transitioning from active duty to civilian life and is enjoying engaging in new avenues of service, including as an Adjunct Professor of Government at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Jay received his undergraduate degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University, and graduate degrees in national security studies from the U.S. Naval War College and Marine Corps University.

Jay and his wife Liz are the proud parents of baby Margaret, and look forward to meeting their daughter Alexandra in heaven. They are members of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Norfolk, Virginia, where they serve in a variety of internal and community-facing ministries.

"Tom is the Senior Pastoral Advisor at the One America Movement, where he supports congregations across the country to address the spiritual crisis behind our society’s current levels of toxic polarization.

He is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and previously served as the Associate Pastor at Grace Community Church in Charlottesville, VA. In 2022, the White House recognized how his work there fostered healing and unity in the aftermath of the 2017 Unite the Right rally.

In his free time, Tom enjoys board games, superhero movies, and hanging out with his dog. He holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Virginia and an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary – Washington, D.C."

Dr. Christina Edmondson is an NAACP Image Award-nominated author, co-host of the award-winning Truth’s Table podcast, sought-after emotional health and faith speaker, and organizational consultant. She currently provides co-leadership of Truth's Table Foundation, a non-profit committed to the spiritual and vocational development of Black Christian women for the good of society.

She is known for her love of Jesus and His Church, along with humor, wisdom, and empathy in communication. However, it is often Dr. Edmondson’s strategic work behind the scenes that has earned her the reputation of an emotionally intelligent truth-teller and change-maker within higher education, corporate, faith-based, and entertainment spaces.

Dr. Edmondson holds degrees in the Social Sciences from Hampton University (Sociology), the University of Rochester (Family Systems), and Tennessee State University (Counseling Psychology). She has taught and administrated at universities and seminaries within the United States including formerly serving as an Administrative Dean of Intercultural Student Development at Calvin University in Michigan.

Dr. Edmondson’s work has been featured in multiple news outlets. Her most recent written works include two co-authored works, Truth’s Table: Black Women's Musings on Life, Love and Liberation, and InterVarsity Press’s 2023 Justice Award Book of the Year, Faithful Anti-Racism.

Along with her husband, Dr. Mika Edmondson, she helped to develop the mission of Koinonia Church and continues to support the local church and various church networks bringing to bear her work in religion, psychology, culture, and organizational health.

"Rev. Art J. Gordon is a fourth generation pastor from Warner Robins, Georgia. After graduating from Savannah State University with a B.A in History, he moved to Boston to attend the Boston University School of Theology where he received his Master of Divinity Degree in 2016. While a student at the School of Theology, he was the Vice President of the Student Association, a Worship Intern in Marsh Chapel, and received the Donald A. Well Prize for Preaching. In 2017, he was called to lead St. John Missionary Baptist Church in the Roxbury neighborhood, as the youngest elected pastor in the church's history. Under his leadership he has overseen a community scholarship fund and the church was both a COVID testing site as well as vaccine site during the pandemic. Rev. Gordon has been a guest preacher at the Marsh Chapel of Boston University and the Memorial Church of Harvard University.

Passionate about religion and politics, Rev. Gordon was engaged in local politics and several civic engagement opportunities across Boston. He served on Senator Ed Markey's 2020 re-election campaign and also worked for two years as the Senior Advisor to Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7). He is a 2021 New Leaders Council Fellow, a Seminarian Fellow for Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics, and is currently a Doctor of Ministry student focusing on Transformational Leadership at Boston University. He has served on several local boards, received several community based awards, and is a member of the Boston Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He is married to Portsha Franklin-Gordon and father to Jaxyn P. Gordon.

Rev. Gordon believes deeply in the power of faith and politics to create avenues of systemic change in urban communities across Greater Boston."

David Henreckson is an assistant professor of philosophy and directs the Weyerhaeuser Center for Christian Faith and Learning at Whitworth University. He holds a PhD in religion, ethics, and politics from Princeton University, and earned a master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, specializing in moral theology.

Henreckson’s first book, The Immortal Commonwealth (Cambridge University Press, 2019), was a recipient of the Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise. His current book is tentatively titled Ventured Love: Christian Friendship under Modern Critique (under contract at Baker Academic), and examines the hazards and semblances of friendship, while opening the reader to the fragile fellowship that makes life worth living.

In addition to serving on the editorial board at Comment, he also recently co-edited and co-authored The Liberating Arts: Why We Need Liberal Arts Education (Plough Publishing, 2023), with Jessica Hooten Wilson and Jeffrey Bilbro. And while deeply partisan about all things Chicago—especially sports and food—he now enjoys living in Spokane, Washington, with his wife and three children.

Bonnie Kristian is the editorial director of ideas and books at Christianity Today. She is a fellow at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think tank, and author of “Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community” (2022) and “A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today” (2018). She has been widely published at outlets including The New York Times, The Week, Politico, CNN, Reason, and The Daily Beast. A graduate of Bethel Seminary, she lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and three children.

Blair Milo is the founding Director of the Center for Talent and Opportunity, a strategic partnership at the Sagamore Institute, with her work focused on increasing entrepreneurialism, community development, and impact investing. She previously served as Indiana’s first Secretary of Career Connections and Talent, a newly created cabinet position by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. Before joining state government, Blair was elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2015 as Mayor of her hometown, the City of La Porte, Indiana, also known as the “Hub of Awesome.” Prior to and during her public service, Blair served 13 years as a Surface Warfare Officer with the U.S. Navy serving aboard the USS Mason, Destroyer Squadron 50, and the Surface Warfare Directorate at the Pentagon.

Blair is a volunteer member of the Dean’s Advisory Councils for the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University and the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University; and serves on the board of the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation and the Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series. She earned degrees in political science and legislative affairs, respectively, from Purdue University and George Washington University and continues her commitment to lifelong learning with The Aspen Institute and Anti-Defamation League, American Enterprise Institute, and Said School of Business at Oxford University. Blair is an avid reader and C.S. Lewis fangirl; endurance athlete, and long-time champion of physical activity and exploring the great outdoors.

For more than 20 years, Ben O'Dell has worked at the intersection of faith and politics through his work at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ben is a recognized expert on facilitating partnerships between faith-based, philanthropic, and community organizations and government at all levels. In recent years, Ben’s work has focused on how faith and community partners can address mental health including youth mental health and wellbeing. Ben’s interest in strengthening local faith-based and community leaders and community engagement principles to religious, community, and government interest has led him to develop deep relationships, knowledge, and expertise on a broad range of issues from strengthening fathers and families to strategies for bringing groups together in collaborative networks. As a result of this expertise, Ben has been asked to serve at the White House across multiple occasions in both formal and informal capacities. Ben received his Master’s Degree in Organizational Development and Knowledge Management in 2007 from the School of Public Policy at George Mason University. Ben resides outside of Washington, D.C., with his wife, Kristin, and implements his own personal fatherhood initiatives with their two kids.

Steve founded Little Lights Urban Ministries in 1995 after meeting underserved children, youth, and families near his parents’ business in NW, DC after his conversion from atheism as an adult. Starting with no funds and no experience, he has grown the organization to 14- full-time, 55 part-time staff including many from the community ministry serves. Little Lights recruits over 600 volunteers per year giving more than 9000 volunteer hours annually while maintaining a Christ-centered focus. He also created and teaches the Race Literacy 101 class, now available virtually, that helps Christians understand the history of racial ideology and systemic racism and how it connects to our faith and God’s heart for justice.

He has two children, Dylan and Kayla, ages 18 and 20, and has been married 22 years to Mary Park, who serves alongside Steve as the Deputy Director of Little Lights. Steve won the John Thompson Legacy of a Dream Award from Georgetown University in 2018. He is also one of the founders of DC Unity and Justice Fellowship, an all-volunteer organization dedicated to racial unity and justice in the Body of Christ. Steve also served on the board of Christian Community Development Association from 2013-2022. He also enjoys playing tennis and watching the NBA in his free time. He is a graduate of Boston University with degrees in Broadcasting/Film and English Literature.

Erica Ramirez (Drew, 2019) is a sociologist of religion with specialization in the study of global Pentecostalism. A fifth generation Texan, Erica’s deep roots in South Texas’ faith communities inform her research and analysis. In 2022, Erica was named one of Religion News Services’ top 15 faith influencers for her deft reporting on the religious right, with keen insights into the ways in which aesthetics of Latinx evangelicalism “lend little credence to the idea that Christian nationalism is, necessarily, white.” More recently, Erica has offered public analysis on Covid-19 vaccine politics, the Asbury Revival, and megachurch discourse on conflict in Gaza for outlets like Dallas Morning News, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Currently working on her first book, Erica frames American Pentecostalism as “carnivalesque”-- that is, as a festival culture that turns the world upside down. The book traces the impact of this sacred carnival on democratic politics. As one legitimate historical root of democracy, Erica proposes the carnival must not be rendered profane in the context of our current culture war. Instead, carnival remains one mode of popular sovereignty; popular will must find its footing and voice amid global pressures and fractious elite polarization.

Haley Byrd Wilt is a reporter at the nonprofit Allbritton Journalism Institute, where she covers Congress, human rights, and foreign policy. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, CNN, Foreign Policy, The Weekly Standard, The Dispatch, and AJI’s new publication, NOTUS. (She’s also published a fiction story in Analog Science Fiction & Fact, which is way more fun than any of the above.) When Haley isn’t pestering lawmakers, she’s probably making crafts and goofing off with her toddler and baby. She grew up going to a nondenominational church in Indianapolis, where she accepted Christ. She later attended a Southern Baptist church with her family after moving to Florida at 11 years old. Haley and her husband are now members at Redemption Hill Church in Washington, D.C.