He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
About the Conference
This year’s Gospel Coalition Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference will focus on a necessary, strategic, and reassuring message: borrowing words from the prophet Micah, “what does the Lord require of you but to love mercy?”
It is “gospel truth” that God hates sin and will judge it. One of His purposes in doing so is to renew His people and return them to Himself so that they can, in turn, be agents of mercy and grace to others. This is a central calling for the Church, and especially in an age of anger, falsehood, apostasy, and disillusionment, it needs to be refreshed. The TGC Regional 2018 is designed to do just that: to restore the call of living God’s justice as well as displaying His mercy through Jesus Christ.
Our plenary speakers will focus on four texts from the Book of Micah. Our line-up of breakout session leaders – people who deal every day with connecting both justice and mercy to their work and relationships - will help us apply God’s justice and mercy in practical ways.
Join us for this special time of teaching, exhortation, fellowship, and renewal.
It is “gospel truth” that God hates sin and will judge it. One of His purposes in doing so is to renew His people and return them to Himself so that they can, in turn, be agents of mercy and grace to others. This is a central calling for the Church, and especially in an age of anger, falsehood, apostasy, and disillusionment, it needs to be refreshed. The TGC Regional 2018 is designed to do just that: to restore the call of living God’s justice as well as displaying His mercy through Jesus Christ.
Our plenary speakers will focus on four texts from the Book of Micah. Our line-up of breakout session leaders – people who deal every day with connecting both justice and mercy to their work and relationships - will help us apply God’s justice and mercy in practical ways.
Join us for this special time of teaching, exhortation, fellowship, and renewal.
An invitation from Pastor Matt Ristuccia, Stone Hill Church
Plenary
speakers
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Stephen Um Citylife Presbyterian Church in Boston, MA
Stephen Um (Ph.D., University of St. Andrews) is the senior minister of Citylife Presbyterian Church in Boston, MA. He serves as a Council member with The Gospel Coalition, and is Associate Training Director for Redeemer City to City. For the past 25 years, Stephen and his wife, have been involved in several Presbyterian Churches throughout the Northeastern part of the country. He is the author of The Kingdom of God, Why Cities Matter (Crossway, 2013), the commentary on 1 Corinthians from the Preaching the Word series (2015), and the forthcoming commentary Micah for You (Good Book Company). His sermons and resources are available online at The Center for Gospel Culture.
Dr. Um’s plenary sessions will focus on Micah 6 v.1-16 “What Does the Lord Require of You” and Micah 7 v. 8-20 “Who is Like God?” |
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Bishop Claude Alexander Jr. Senior Pastor, The Park Church, Charlotte, NC
For over 36 years, Claude Alexander has sought to serve God and community. Having accepted the call to ministry at the age of 17, he endeavored to prepare himself by obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Morehouse College (1985), a Master of Divinity Degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (1988), and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (2004). Bishop Alexander has served as the Senior Pastor of The Park Church in Charlotte, North Carolina for the past 27 years. Under his leadership, The Park Church has grown from one local congregation of 600 members to a global ministry of thousands with three locations and weekly international reach.
Bishop Alexander’s plenary sessions will focus on Micah 3 "Prophetic Defiance" and Micah 5:1-5 "Bethlehem’s Promise". |
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Breakout Session Speakers
Rick Barry
Executive Director
Center for Christian Civics
As Executive Director of Center for Christian Civics, Rick helps ministry leaders and faith communities develop missional approaches to their local public squares. He has worked on campaigns for local, state and federal office, is a former writer and editor for Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and oversaw communications for the Grace DC church network. He and his wife live in Washington, DC. Mr. Barry's topic will be "Radical Responsibility: Creating a culture of mercy in a representative democracy".
Executive Director
Center for Christian Civics
As Executive Director of Center for Christian Civics, Rick helps ministry leaders and faith communities develop missional approaches to their local public squares. He has worked on campaigns for local, state and federal office, is a former writer and editor for Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and oversaw communications for the Grace DC church network. He and his wife live in Washington, DC. Mr. Barry's topic will be "Radical Responsibility: Creating a culture of mercy in a representative democracy".
Tone Bellamy
Associate Pastor of Outreach and Community Connections
Transformation Church
Antonio/Tone was born and raised in the beautiful slums of Trenton NJ. He is a graduate of Trenton Central High School and currently enrolled at Cairn University where his ambition is to be the first in his family to earn a college degree. As a former gang member from the streets of Trenton turned minister he skillfully connects with people from the block to the board room. Tone has served in various community strengthening capacities throughout the greater Mercer County area for the past 10 years including speaking at events addressing the need for healthy relations between cops and community. From 2008-2010 he served as Policy Council board chairman for the NJ Children’s Home Society where he provided contextualized advice on how to best serve needy families. Currently, he serves as Associate Pastor of Outreach and Community Connections at Transformation Church in Trenton NJ. He is also a local music artist who uses Hip-Hop as a median to offer hope to hurting people. Tone is passionate about lovingly engaging the most misunderstood, misrepresented, and marginalized people in our society; the street, the strays, and the stressed. Whether it’s coaching local little league baseball teams, serving in the local church, inspiring people at Hip-hop concerts, or conveying a speech to an audience at a prestigious university he desires to leave a legacy of loving people. Of all the roles he serves in the most rewarding by far is being a husband to his beautiful wife Diane and their 3 children: Promise, age 8, Serenity 6, and Joshua 3. Mr. Bellamy and Mr. Richardson's topic will be "Mercy and Policing".
Associate Pastor of Outreach and Community Connections
Transformation Church
Antonio/Tone was born and raised in the beautiful slums of Trenton NJ. He is a graduate of Trenton Central High School and currently enrolled at Cairn University where his ambition is to be the first in his family to earn a college degree. As a former gang member from the streets of Trenton turned minister he skillfully connects with people from the block to the board room. Tone has served in various community strengthening capacities throughout the greater Mercer County area for the past 10 years including speaking at events addressing the need for healthy relations between cops and community. From 2008-2010 he served as Policy Council board chairman for the NJ Children’s Home Society where he provided contextualized advice on how to best serve needy families. Currently, he serves as Associate Pastor of Outreach and Community Connections at Transformation Church in Trenton NJ. He is also a local music artist who uses Hip-Hop as a median to offer hope to hurting people. Tone is passionate about lovingly engaging the most misunderstood, misrepresented, and marginalized people in our society; the street, the strays, and the stressed. Whether it’s coaching local little league baseball teams, serving in the local church, inspiring people at Hip-hop concerts, or conveying a speech to an audience at a prestigious university he desires to leave a legacy of loving people. Of all the roles he serves in the most rewarding by far is being a husband to his beautiful wife Diane and their 3 children: Promise, age 8, Serenity 6, and Joshua 3. Mr. Bellamy and Mr. Richardson's topic will be "Mercy and Policing".
Ryan Boys
Senior Pastor
Green Pond Bible Chapel
Ryan Boys serves as the senior pastor of Green Pond Bible Chapel in Newfoundland, New Jersey. He earned his doctorate of ministry in Preaching the Literary Forms of the Bible from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has a master’s degree in Biblical Exegesis and Linguistics from Dallas Theological Seminary. Ryan is married to Lindsay and the father of four amazing tireless children. He blogs on the church and ministry at www.makingandmaturing.com. Mr. Boys topic will be “Keeping the Gospel in Mercy Ministry".
Senior Pastor
Green Pond Bible Chapel
Ryan Boys serves as the senior pastor of Green Pond Bible Chapel in Newfoundland, New Jersey. He earned his doctorate of ministry in Preaching the Literary Forms of the Bible from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has a master’s degree in Biblical Exegesis and Linguistics from Dallas Theological Seminary. Ryan is married to Lindsay and the father of four amazing tireless children. He blogs on the church and ministry at www.makingandmaturing.com. Mr. Boys topic will be “Keeping the Gospel in Mercy Ministry".
Kellen R. Funk
Associate Professor
Columbia Law School
Funk is an Associate Professor at Columbia Law School, having earned his PhD in History from Princeton University. After graduating from Yale Law School in 2014, he worked as a clerk to U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas and Judge Stephen F. Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He has held legal history fellowships at Yale Law School, the University of Wisconsin Law School, and the American Society for Legal History.
Since the time of the Reformation, Protestant theology has often depicted Mercy as opposed to Law. Another view, with deeper roots in the history of Christianity, is that Mercy does not set aside the capital-L Law of God but rather moderates and humbles human law that falls short of God's judgment. Mr. Funk's topic will be "Mercy and the Rigors of the Law" an overview a few historical instances of the church engaging in such ministries of mercy.
Associate Professor
Columbia Law School
Funk is an Associate Professor at Columbia Law School, having earned his PhD in History from Princeton University. After graduating from Yale Law School in 2014, he worked as a clerk to U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas and Judge Stephen F. Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He has held legal history fellowships at Yale Law School, the University of Wisconsin Law School, and the American Society for Legal History.
Since the time of the Reformation, Protestant theology has often depicted Mercy as opposed to Law. Another view, with deeper roots in the history of Christianity, is that Mercy does not set aside the capital-L Law of God but rather moderates and humbles human law that falls short of God's judgment. Mr. Funk's topic will be "Mercy and the Rigors of the Law" an overview a few historical instances of the church engaging in such ministries of mercy.
Kristen Harnly
Engaging Disability Associate Director
Congregational Ministry
Presbyterian Church in America
Harnly received a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Medical College of Georgia (now Georgia Regents University). After moving to Philadelphia, she worked as an occupational therapist at Children’s Hospital and in early intervention. Kristen’s interest in disability ministry began as she served families with young children in the nursery of Tenth Presbyterian. In 2007, she began Tenth’s special needs ministry and served there for nine years. In 2012, Kristen joined Engaging Disability’s team of volunteer Ministry Facilitators. Drawing on her experience there and at the congregational level, Kristen joined the staff of Engaging Disability in 2016 as Associate Director for Congregational Ministry.
Ms. Harnly’s topic will be “Reaching Families Touched by Disability with the Gospel”.
Engaging Disability Associate Director
Congregational Ministry
Presbyterian Church in America
Harnly received a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Medical College of Georgia (now Georgia Regents University). After moving to Philadelphia, she worked as an occupational therapist at Children’s Hospital and in early intervention. Kristen’s interest in disability ministry began as she served families with young children in the nursery of Tenth Presbyterian. In 2007, she began Tenth’s special needs ministry and served there for nine years. In 2012, Kristen joined Engaging Disability’s team of volunteer Ministry Facilitators. Drawing on her experience there and at the congregational level, Kristen joined the staff of Engaging Disability in 2016 as Associate Director for Congregational Ministry.
Ms. Harnly’s topic will be “Reaching Families Touched by Disability with the Gospel”.
Will Kendall
Senior Technical Advisor
Hope International
Before coming to Hope International, Kendall was a program director at the Chalmers Center for Economic Development from 2009-2013 where he led a program in church-based savings programs in West Africa. His training and expertise is in designing programs to alleviate poverty that avoid the many pitfalls of the past.
Mr. Kendall’s topic will be “Holistic poverty alleviation in the Majority World: What can we learn from the global church?”
Senior Technical Advisor
Hope International
Before coming to Hope International, Kendall was a program director at the Chalmers Center for Economic Development from 2009-2013 where he led a program in church-based savings programs in West Africa. His training and expertise is in designing programs to alleviate poverty that avoid the many pitfalls of the past.
Mr. Kendall’s topic will be “Holistic poverty alleviation in the Majority World: What can we learn from the global church?”
Charles Richardson
Transformation Church
Charles Richardson was born and raised in Trenton, NJ and was a student of Trenton Public Schools until graduation from Trenton Central High School in 2004. He went on to attend Mercer County Community College studying Criminal Justice. From there he attended New Jersey Department of Corrections Police Training Academy. He started work at East Jersey State Prison in Rahway, NJ, where he met his lovely wife of over 4 years Victoria. In 2013 he transferred to New Jersey State Prison where he is currently working. He is a member of the Special Operations Group (SWAT Team), holds a Physical Training certification and Methods Of Instruction certification. He serves as an Instructor at the Police Academy and works with the Central Recruitment Unit, seeking new recruits for the department.
He is part of a leadership team that helped plant Transformation Church in the city of Trenton. He is currently serving on the praise and worship team, and helps lead the equipment setup team on Sunday mornings. He and his wife live in Burlington, NJ with their son Jaden, born in May of this year.
Mr. Bellamy and Mr. Richardson's topic will be "Mercy and Policing".
Transformation Church
Charles Richardson was born and raised in Trenton, NJ and was a student of Trenton Public Schools until graduation from Trenton Central High School in 2004. He went on to attend Mercer County Community College studying Criminal Justice. From there he attended New Jersey Department of Corrections Police Training Academy. He started work at East Jersey State Prison in Rahway, NJ, where he met his lovely wife of over 4 years Victoria. In 2013 he transferred to New Jersey State Prison where he is currently working. He is a member of the Special Operations Group (SWAT Team), holds a Physical Training certification and Methods Of Instruction certification. He serves as an Instructor at the Police Academy and works with the Central Recruitment Unit, seeking new recruits for the department.
He is part of a leadership team that helped plant Transformation Church in the city of Trenton. He is currently serving on the praise and worship team, and helps lead the equipment setup team on Sunday mornings. He and his wife live in Burlington, NJ with their son Jaden, born in May of this year.
Mr. Bellamy and Mr. Richardson's topic will be "Mercy and Policing".
About the Gospel CoalitionAs a broadly Reformed network of churches, The Gospel Coalition encourages and educates current and next-generation Christian leaders by advocating gospel-centered principles and practices that glorify the Savior and do good to those for whom he shed his life's blood. A biblically grounded and united mission is the only enduring future for the church. TGC desires to champion the gospel of Jesus Christ with clarity, compassion, courage, and joy -- gladly linking hearts with fellow believers across denominational, ethnic, and class lines. TGC invites all Christians to join them in an effort to renew the contemporary church in the ancient gospel of Christ so that we truly speak and live for him in a way that clearly communicates to our age.
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