Garrett Seminary joins United Theological Seminary in celebrating the Reverend Dr. Mark R. Teasdale, Garrett’s E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism, who has accepted the call to serve as United’s next President. “Mark has been a trusted and vital member of our faculty and a beloved teacher and advisor to our students. After 18 years of faithful teaching and serving in multiple administrative and leadership roles, we wish Mark all success in this new endeavor, and thank him for all he has given to Garrett,” says President Javier A. Viera. “United Theological Seminary will be well-served by the care and intention he brings to his work, by his scholarly and leadership prowess, and by his passion for growing Christian communities.”

For his part, Dr. Teasdale shares that he feels his time at Garrett has been the best possible training ground for learning how to shepherd United through its next chapter. “Garrett has taught me how to appreciate, understand, and engage across such a phenomenally broad spectrum of theological, cultural, and ethnic difference,” Dr. Teasdale says. “That’s a big part of what I’m bringing to my new role: United is home to students from 55 denominations, more than half of whom are African-American. I want to be the kind of leader who empowers the unique gifts everyone brings, not someone who layers over them with my vision for how we do things.”

Indeed, reflecting on nearly two decades serving Garrett, Dr. Teasdale expresses admiration for how the seminary uses shared Christian values to cultivate community without suppressing particularity. “There’s clarity about Jesus being at the center of our shared life. Who we see Jesus to be may be very different—we don’t have to agree even on all big-ticket issues in the social or political arena—but we can all agree that Jesus is good, that we all have value,” he explains. “That’s really important, because one of the things that happens in a polarized world is that it becomes easy to diminish or even disregard the value of another human being, just because we disagree with them. But the Garrett seminary classroom has always been a place to bring people together.”

Dr. Teasdale’s commitment to building connection, even across significant difference, is manifest in his relationships among Garrett’s faculty, as well. “Mark is deeply collegial in his work. He is deeply committed to building a culture of collaboration where diverse voices are reflected in the decisions we make together as faculty and administrators.” says Dr. Jennifer Harvey, Garrett’s Vice President for Academic Affairs. “At the same time, he brings this same intention and integrity to Garrett’s academic culture supporting students in their projects and in achieving the high expectations he sets. So many students share with me that he is huge reason they’ve felt at home in our midst.”

That collegiality doesn’t stop simply because Dr. Teasdale is no longer on the faculty. “I look forward to relating to President Viera as a colleague in the broader work of fostering and sustaining theological education,” he says. “I’m hoping Garrett is not somewhere I’m leaving behind but is instead a place that I now get to relate to in a new way.”

In reciprocating that collegiality, President Viera emphasizes their shared commitment to strengthening the church and academy. “Mark is wondrously thoughtful about how Christian communities can spiritually and ethically engage the world around them, inviting people into our spiritual life while also collaborating to mend a fractured culture,” he says. “We need more seminarians who are trained in that spirit. I look forward to continuing to have Mark as a strategic partner and collaborator in that work.”

Ultimately, as he prepares to move into a new seminary home, Dr. Teasdale is filled with gratitude. “I’ve had the opportunity to work for multiple presidents, multiple deans. They put trust in me, not just to teach but to also serve administratively—even the opportunity in last couple years to be part of the real estate task force and negotiate with Northwestern University as we prepare to move into new buildings,” he notes. “It’s been an honor to serve this community.” Ever the evangelist, he’s keen to offer reflection on the gospel values that guide faithful institutional stewardship. “As leaders, we’re not here to serve ourselves,” he concludes with a smile. “We bear fruit and the fruit is for the world to eat, not for us. It’s how the seeds go out and get planted elsewhere. Trees don’t bear fruit for themselves—they do it for the next generation and for others.”

Today, Garrett Seminary launches , an all-new ecosystem designed to make seminary-quality education accessible and affordable to communities throughout the United States and across the globe. “The 91PORN extends the academic excellence and spiritual formation of Garrett Seminary beyond the classroom, offering learners around the world access to theological resources in multiple languages and formats” says Garrett President Javier Viera. “The Collective gathers wisdom from across the church and academy, forging new relationships and missional partnerships.” This initiative is just the latest way that Garrett is connecting people to life-giving programs. “We’ve already expanded access and affordability to Garrett’s formal degrees,” says President Viera. “Now we’re offering a completely new, flexible, globally-accessible way for people to expand their ministries, deepen their faith, and meet the real needs of communities and leaders.”

A browse across the platform, built by software developer and poet Dr. José Delpino, reveals a wide array of materials organized in an attractive and intuitive interface. Streaming service users will readily identify the neat rows of icons, nestled onto thematic shelves, each paired to a darling illustration that indicates what lies within. Prayers are a cheerful robin-egg blue, offering options like “A Blessing for the Body” or “A Prayer for Discerning the Spirit.” Liturgies are yellow, sharing ready-made materials for Advent, Dia de los Muertos, Pride, or everyday services. Deeper options are marked in purple; webinars and cohorts that will help users delve into a subject like “Financial Leadership for Congregations,” or “Tenderness and Refuge: Ministry with and for Young Adults.” Each is just a click away, and can be saved to your own personal library so whatever you use most is easily at hand.

This growing collection will bridge fundamental gaps in access. There are millions of Christians who live far away from traditional seminaries, and some will never be able to afford the cost of seminary education. Others aren’t interested in pursuing a masters degree. The 91PORN moves into that breach, so everyone from rural pastors in India to laity in Appalachia or Christian social workers in Chicago can delve deeper into theological education. Moreover, users can download resources to their device for off-line use—an invaluable benefit for regions where internet access is often intermittent and/or unreliable, or for users who are on the move. The resources and mini-courses are also a helpful gift to traditionally ordained pastors who seek continuing education. In most churches, ministers have copious demands on their time and need institutional support. Ready-to-use liturgies, Bible studies, and prayers can lighten that burden, and the ability to asynchronously participate in mini-courses lets pastors weave study where it fits their schedule.

But the Collective’s purpose is also tied to who creates theological resources. “Seminary professors or formally ordained ministers aren’t the only people who have crucial insights and skills to offer the world,” says the Reverend Dr. Jennifer Harvey, Garrett’s Vice President for Academic Affairs. “The Collective absolutely features content created by those formally-recognized teachers, but it’s also a home for lessons people across the church can provide, drawn from their faith and lived experiences.” Artists, activists, elders, subject-matter experts, and more also form its “faculty,” creating a vibrant, multi-disciplinary learning hub. Currently, there are resources available in both Spanish and English, but the Collective plans to quickly expand the number of languages.

This gap in the creation of theological resources meets a particularly stark need across international contexts. “When we visit our overseas partners and describe the Collective, leaders are thrilled by the potential its grassroots format creates to help them both collect and disseminate local knowledge,” Dr. Harvey explains. “Whether we’re talking about religion and public health initiatives in Zimbabwe or indigenous language reclamation projects in Chile, there’s so much we can learn from global colleagues. And we’re delighted that the Collective can make their work both easier and more far-reaching.”

Contextually-sourced course material is paired with education by Garrett faculty, who are transforming some of their traditional classroom offerings into Collective mini-courses, eventually letting participants stack them for seminary credit. “I’m excited about partnering with Garrett professors,” says rev. dr. abby mohaupt, who serves as the Collective’s director. “This spring, we’re releasing three mini-courses on ethical engagement with technology for ministry. These courses are taught by Dr. Rolf Nolasco and by Dr. Kate Ott. We’re also releasing a course on antiracism for white Christians by Dr. Harvey—which will meet the Episcopal Church’s standards for antiracism training—and one on Sexual Ethics and Boundaries with Dr. Ott, which exceeds most denominations’ requirements for boundary training.”

Understanding that different people will seek different resources from the 91PORN, the platform offers a variety of materials. Some content, like videos, short interviews, music playlists, and liturgy are totally free. More comprehensive offerings—like mini-courses and cohorts—cost money, but are priced on a needs-based sliding scale. “The cohorts are a longer-term way for people to gather and build community online, spending time together moving through content,” dr. mohaupt says. “One course that we piloted this spring is on trauma-informed ministry taught by Dr. Lallene Rector, Professor of Religion and Psychology and Garrett President Emerita. What we found, in light of the sold-out class, was that people are hungry to learn practical skills to be trauma-informed and keep showing up to learn together. ”

Building a platform of this scale and magnitude is a formidable task, so Garrett is blessed to co-create the necessary infrastructure with a host of institutional partners. Leaders from Garrett’s Centers (like Center for the Church and the Black Experience, Centro Raices Latinas, the Job Institute for Spiritual Formation, and the Center for Asian and Asian-American Ministries) have contributed material, as have groups across and beyond the Church like the Association for Hispanic Theological Education, Hindus for Human Rights, and many conferences around the United Methodist Church. “The 91PORN reflects a deliberate commitment to collaboration rather than competition,” says President Viera, “allowing institutions and scholars to share expertise, expand reach, and strengthen the overall quality of theological education being offered to a broader public.” The goal, over time, is for more and more partners to join the effort, building an even greater wealth of shared resources. To ensure sound academic and theological integrity, all additions will be approved by a committee of Garrett faculty and staff, who will also suggest new instructors with whom we can partner, drawn from Garrett’s wide-reaching network.

The Collective’s true impact will be measured by the ways it ripples outward and shapes community life. Leaders are already employing the resources to strengthen their ministries: This fall, Rev. Jeff Lehn used a Collective community organizing class to help both his own congregation and wider community discern how they could respond in this political moment in the United States. After a day-long training, five congregations partnered on a joint effort that led their town to expand civic safeguards that protect migrant neighbors. An expanded version of that community organizing class will be available on the Collective as a cohort starting March 15, so more congregations can find ways to transform God’s love into concrete, transformative action.

“The Collective will live in every person whose prayer life is refreshed, breathing through churches who worship with its liturgies,” President Viera reflects. “It will bear new life in every learner who joins the digital community and discovers they do not have to do this work alone.” How will you use the Collective for the flourishing of the church? That’s an answer only you can determine, but the table is set. Go to and feast.

For centuries, Christian institutions in the United States initiated and sustained paternalistic relationships with Latin American communities that perpetuated colonial harm. In church contexts, these relationships might take the form of missionary trips where a group from the United States visits a community in Latin America to do something for them. This often involves a construction or renovation, a large investment that could have paid local workers instead. In the academy, these paternalistic relationships hinge on the notion that ideas coming from a U.S. context are universal and applicable to Latin America, while the ideas emerging from Latin America are only relevant in their context. As Garrett Seminary begins a new partnership with the Methodist Church in Chile, our collaboration is shaped by deep awareness of these dynamics’ history and repercussions, and a commitment to their dismantling.

In the Spring of 2025, Garrett inaugurated this partnership with a visit from Rev. Miguel Ulloa, director of the Methodist Seminary of Chile, who taught at Garrett’s Escuela de Ministerio, training pastors and lay leaders across the United Methodist North Central Jurisdiction. A few weeks later, a delegation from Garrett traveled to Chile to learn about the Methodist Church and its seminary’s work throughout the country. Dr. Emma Escobar, Director of Centro Raices Latinas at Garrett, describes this partnership as a project built on reciprocity and a model for the relationships the Centro Raices seeks to cultivate across the region. Both Rev. Miguel’s visit to Garrett and Garrett’s delegation to Chile disrupted the dominant dynamic that would frame Garrett as teacher and the Chilean church as student, denying the possibility of reciprocal learning and mutual enrichment. “As Methodists, we have a common language of theology and tradition that unites us and gives us an opportunity to expand what the dialogue between North and South America can look like,” reflects Rev. Miguel Ulloa. “Despite the differences of our contexts, we have shared concerns, and this dialogue allows us to learn from one another’s responses to those issues.”

The Methodist Church in Chile was founded by North American missionaries almost 150 years ago. Following the Wesleyan teachings of personal piety and social holiness, the church developed vibrant education, social care, and healthcare ministries. During their time in Chile, the Garrett delegation witnessed these ministries at work through visits to schools and clinics across the country. Reflecting on what she learned while visiting English immersion schools in the north of Chile, Dr. Escobar highlighted the way these schools contextualize their curriculum including, for example, an effort to begin teaching indigenous languages as part of the Chilean government’s project to reclaim Chilean indigeneity.

This conversation about indigeneity and Indigenous rights is one of the concerns that the Methodist Church in Chile and Garrett share. In the last few years, Chile has made important progress in advancing Indigenous rights, yet Rev. Ulloa believes that the church in Chile still has significant work to do in this area. He hopes that partnership with Garrett’s Center for Ecological Regeneration can help Methodist leaders in Chile access resources that will help them raise consciousness in congregations about Indigenous Chileans’ lived realities and Christianity’s historical complicity in their oppression.

As this partnership continues to develop and grow, both Garrett and the seminary in Chile will have opportunities to welcome students and faculty from each institution. In the near future, Garrett students will be able to complete their field education in Chile, and Chilean faculty will continue to support the Spanish-language programming at Garrett. “The ministry and programming of the Methodist Church in Chile will be a great resource for U.S. students and ministry leaders. We have much to learn from our Chilean siblings’ impactful and creative work,” comments Dr. Escobar. Likewise, Rev. Miguel says that “Chile has theological and ministerial riches that have not received the attention they deserve from the academy and the global church.” By welcoming students from Chile into our masters and doctoral programs, Garrett will be a resource for Chilean theologians and practitioners to disseminate their scholarship. These educational exchanges will strengthen the work each seminary is already doing and will nurture collaboration between scholars and practitioners from both institutions.

Dr. Escobar notes that as a U.S.-based institution, Garrett enters this partnership aware of the colonial impulse that has often guided relationships between institutions in the U.S. and the Global South. She reminds us that, “Chile has developed ministries with very few resources, and unlike what typically happens in the U.S., their conversations don’t start with questions about money or profit, but with a commitment to the mission. As we learn from their work, we must remember our responsibility for how we live in a capitalist world, and how our actions here in the U.S. affect people’s lives globally.” Dr. Escobar adds, “Ultimately, when we learn from the work the Methodist Church in Chile has done, we are not glorifying their struggles, but we are learning what it looks like to live out the mission in a way that uplifts the people and their needs above all else.”

Dr. Dong Hyeon Jeong, who grew up the child of missionaries in the Philippines, remembers the moment when Mount Pinatubo erupted and the world went dark. He remembers shoveling ashes with his parents off their rooftop so that the house would not cave in. The scene was “apocalyptic,” he says. That moment represented either “divine encounter or trauma, or both,” and raised enduring questions. “I’ve been thinking about what it means for us as Christians to believe in God alongside nature,” he said. “Where does the Earth, where does the more-than-human fit in all of this ecotheology, as we would say?”

Dr. Jeong’s recent book, Embracing the Nonhuman in the Gospel of Mark,— the topic of October’s Let’s Talk Globally event — explores this question about creation as it relates to a different sense of being “non-human”: the dehumanizing rhetoric often used by governments to deny aid, rights, or responsibility for certain groups of people. Dr. Jeong spoke of the “animalizing conditions of [his] fellow Filipinos” exacerbated by corruption in the government that misdirects funds meant to aid recovery from natural disasters. He also pointed to the increasing “dehumanization and animalization of migrants” here in the United States. All of this, he said, depends on an animal-human divide that designates some people as “less-than-human.”

“If they want me to sustain this hateful rhetoric by hating the animalized, whether as humans or more-than-humans, I will say no.” Dr. Jeong said. “We will not hate, but we will embrace. We will find our divinity, our humanity, our understanding, our faithfulness and our goodness by being closer, by listening and being guided by our older siblings, the first of the creations.”

In speaking of the more-than-human as the “older siblings” of humankind, Dr. Jeong drew on Jacques Derrida’s critique of anthropocentrism, his reading of the creation story, and his insistence that the rest of creation knew God long before humans — last to come into existence — ever did. Dr. Jeong then offered two examples of passages in the Gospel of Mark that offer fresh meaning when viewed through this lens. First, he noted that the Markan story of Jesus’ days in the wilderness offers no description of his conversation with Satan but describes him as being “with the wild beasts.”

“That was his so-called ‘preparation’ ministry,” Dr. Jeong said. “I don’t know about you, but I grew up with animal companions. There is something about being exposed, living with animal companions day in and day out. It changes who you are, let alone if you are both in the wilderness.”

Dr. Jeong also pointed to a passage in which Jesus compares the Kin-(g)dom of God to a mustard seed, a comparison that speaks to the right relationship of humankind with both the creation and the divine. “It’s planted one day and it grows,” he said. “It’s there. Humans don’t meddle. Humans can join later and enjoy the shade, enjoy the fruits. But the growth of that mustard seed, that smallest of seeds, is because of God and because of nature. Humans, don’t worry. You don’t have to meddle every single time. The Kin-(g)dom of God will manifest — is manifesting — with or without.”

The conversation with Dr. Jeong included reflections and questions from Dr. Rolf Nolasco and PhD student Jene Lee, as well as participants in-person and online. Lee further explored the violence of animalization toward Asian descent communities, highlighting language used to describe children sent to the United States for adoption — some under false pretenses — after the Korean War. Lee also shared a Korean proverb that highlights the role of the more-than-human: “A bent tree protects the ancestor’s mountain.”

“This proverb perfectly captures the book’s central but paradoxical insight,” he said. “The bent tree symbolizes those deemed worthless or flawed by imperial standards: the animalized, the colonized, the non-human. Yet it is these very beings, not the straight beautiful trees prized by the empire, that ultimately protect the community’s sacred ground. The transformation that Dr. Jeong envisions is not about straightening ourselves to fit an oppressed mind. Instead, it is an everyday revolution of recognizing the protective power inherent in what has been banned.”

You might think Dr. AHyun Lee’s new book Protestant Clergy Sexual Abuse and Intercultural Pastoral Care: Invisible Mask has nothing to do with you or your church. “You might think, ‘My church didn’t have that kind of traumatic experience,” she says. “But here I want to invite a different question: ‘If I’m wrong, how would I know and are we ready to respond?”

The conversation about clergy sexual abuse is, after all, an uncomfortable one many of us would prefer to avoid. That discomfort is mirrored in the academy. Dr. Lee found that research spikes after highly publicized cases and then dissipates as attention fades. In the cases she studied, she also saw how quickly churches moved to cover up abuse. She hopes her new book will invite a fuller, sustained conversation, that together we might have “the courage to tell the truth about clergy sexual abuse and the courage to imagine the church as a safe place again.”

I was grateful to have an opportunity to talk with Dr. Lee about her new book and what she hopes pastoral caregivers and church leaders will learn. An abridged version of our conversation is below.

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Allie Lundblad (AL): Dr. AHyun, thank you so much for speaking with me! Could you begin by briefly describing your book?

Dr. AHyun Lee: My case study is focused on Korean protestant churches, not only those in Korea but also in the United States and in diaspora congregations across the world. The reason I’m saying case study is that it’s one case that shows us how culture and theology impact any form of harm or violence, and how we can explore healing and care together. All the complexity can be explored, because it is not only in the Korean church. You can also apply these ideas to your own context, because patriarchy, heteronormativity, militarized leadership style, purity cultures, or colonial missionary legacies, impact any faith community.

AL: Why was it important to you to examine clergy sex abuse specifically in Korean Protestant churches? And how did the particularities of that context affect your conclusions?

Dr. AHyun Lee: In psychological thinking, culture is not just something out there, right? We internalize it, live in it, with it, and for it. It’s related to your belongingness, your sense of self, or your self-worth, so it’s not a simple layer when you talk about culture. Think about whiteness in U.S. churches, patriarchy, or even how productivity becomes a virtue in our current capitalistic system.

For example, in my ordination process, I had been told to introduce myself in military style. While other colleagues were preparing for their interview based on the content, I had to stand in the corner, practicing military-style introduction, because I didn’t go to army. In Korean culture, army is mandatory for men, so for a male-dominant culture, that’s a very normative thing. That’s a simple example, but it shows how the church and culture are connected. This book starts with the Korean context, my own experience as pastor or leader, but at the same time shows how culture is involved with analysis of abuse and how church culture can victimize people. That’s why I called it an invisible mask.

AL: Let’s follow that concept of invisible masks. You talk about these invisible masks that obscure the realities of the situation. What are those masks and how do we recognize them?

Dr. AHyun Lee: This book comes from listening to stories of abuse in our faith community for many, many years. During the pandemic, when we were all talking about masks, I started reflecting on the masks we cannot see. Invisible masks are the ones we wear sometimes without even realizing. The perpetrator hides behind spiritual authority, and institutions hide behind their reputation. Congregations hide behind harmony or the idea of a family. Survivors often hide behind silence for the sake of safety. As with actual masks, these masks cover but do not erase what’s underneath. Eventually, what is hidden comes out whether we are ready for it or not. The question is, will we unmask together as a community or will survivors and victims be left to carry that burden alone?

AL: What do you hope that church leaders and pastoral caregivers will take away from reading your book?

Dr. AHyun Lee: When we talk about pastoral care, we talk a lot about centering care-seekers. The implication is that you are going to hear their story, right? The assumption is right there. But what if the person is not even able to say anything? Then what does it mean to center victim-survivors?

I hope leaders and caregivers will think about what it means to center victim-survivors and reframe that idea. It’s not the responsibility of individuals who need to speak up about their pain and ask for change. It’s more a need for communal accountability. It’s important for church leaders and caregivers to have some training about a trauma-informed approach. Because you are not just talking about one person’s trauma, but how all those traumas impact the community. That’s one thing. Also, those things easily become institutionalized to protect the church’s reputation, so you need to be aware of policy changes, accountability processes, good rituals, the use of language in the sermon or in the bulletin. It’s all needed.

AL: Do you have specific advice about how churches can center the experiences of victim-survivors in ways that are healing and not re-traumatizing?

Dr. AHyun Lee: Most of the victim-survivors of clergy sexual abuse take decades to begin to speak about it. You need to understand, it’s a long journey. Because it’s a long journey for the victim-survivor, their identity is not stuck with the one identity. Their identity is victim, but at the same time, survivor, but at the same time, coper, but even thriver, too. Understanding that plurality and thinking about their current moment and need — honoring their need, their pace, their choice — is crucial when you are providing care for victim-survivors.

This issue also comes with a lot of different complexity and intersectionality. For example, one of the studies I did was a case where the family was undocumented. Usually, in immigrant contexts, church is the first place they get support and resources when they move to the United States. When that church becomes the place of abuse, then there’s no place they can go because of their status and, worse, they lacked resources and language access. Church is the cultural support place, financial support place, legal support place, language support place, too. So, the other part we need to think about is what kind of resources or support systems we can provide.

It’s usually not about helping individual victim-survivors. It is about asking how the whole community of faith can heal. Rather than focusing on those who are victims, understand that this is a big, long journey and focus on how churches as a whole community can seek healing together along with the victim survivors.

AL: How do churches do that? Seek healing for the whole community?

Dr. AHyun Lee: People often misread clergy sexual abuse as romance. It is not. It’s about power, so analyzing power dynamics in the church context is crucial to providing care. That’s not just power dynamic analysis. It’s also about who the leader is, what kind of voice is heard, how they make decisions, what kind of transparency policy there is. Analyzing those things is crucial as a pastoral caregiver.

In the church context, always be intentional about creating rituals of lament and truth-telling processes, making space for people to express their emotions, saying things out loud, even joyful things out loud. Make intentional space when you are sharing joy and concern, rather than just sharing who is sick and praying. Make a place where those things can really be shared and accepted. Intentionally inclusive language is crucial. And of course, creating policies and external partnerships of support and accountability is important too. Those are so important, because as I mentioned, it’s a long journey for victim-survivors and it’s the same way for the church. It’s not a one-time thing, but every day’s intentional changes make a difference for the future, too.

AL: You got at this a little bit already, but how did your own understanding of clergy sexual abuse change as you work on this or was anything surprising or unexpected in your conclusions?

Dr. AHyun Lee: Institutions can betray, not just individuals. Over and over, I saw how systems, policy, leadership, cultures, and reputation can silence victim-survivors and protect abusive power. That’s why my book centers both victim-survivors’ agency and institutional accountability, both victim-survivors’ healing and communal care. Both need to come along together. That’s why my title emphasized intercultural pastoral care, because healing is communal. It cannot happen only in therapy alone or only through individual resiliency. We need community and institutions that tell the truth and share power and stay for the long haul. In other words, we all have a role.

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Dr. Lee concluded our conversation by suggesting that pastoral caregivers and church leaders start small, with “one policy, one practice, one ritual moment that centers victim-survivors.” For victim-survivors themselves, she offered these words of encouragement from Soo Jee Chae, quoted in the book’s conclusion: “No matter how much time has passed, it’s never too late for healing…You who are now willing to face your wounds in order to recover are truly courageous. The healing journey that begins now will not be easy, but you don’t need to worry because you are not alone.”

Dr. AHyun Lee’s new book Protestant Clergy Sexual Misconduct and Intercultural Pastoral Care: Invisible Mask is out now.

“When you pass around the loving cup, and you’re sharing spice cake and testimony, you get a profound sense that you’re no longer alone.” To those unfamiliar with the Methodist love feast tradition, Dr. Barry Bryant might sound like he’s describing a modern, experimental communion liturgy. Instead, Garrett’s associate professor of United Methodist and Wesleyan studies is inviting the community to participate in a centuries-old ritual, adapted from Moravian Church traditions. In chapel this week, the practice will find new life as Dr. Bryant leads worship, trusting the Holy Spirit will likewise move through our midst. Particularly amid the widespread fear and anxiety, as ICE helicopters swirl above Evanston, it’s a chance to root ourselves in love that connects us and faith that sustains us. “The love feast is about being able to relate to what is, quite often, the suffering of another, to come out of that by providing mutual support,” Dr. Bryant explains.

The feast itself harkens back to the meals Jesus shared with his disciples, reclining at table, cultivating intimacy and belonging. It was widely promoted by John Wesley, Dr. Bryant explains, in part because—unlike communion—it did not require an ordained minister to preside. “The ironic thing about the United Methodist Church including it as a liturgy in the book of worship is that there was no written liturgy,” he laughs. “It was a more spontaneous thing, where the tea and spice cake would go around, people would stand and answer the question, ‘How is it with your soul?’” Participants would offer testimony, recite scripture from memory, and sing a capella hymns that they thought would support the other members gathered. As United Methodist Church worship drifted from its charismatic roots, churches began to favor more formal liturgies, and the prevalence of love feasts declined. “Many folks are not as comfortable with sharing their testimony, being able to articulate the simple question, ‘How is it with your soul?’” Dr. Bryant reflects. It’s a part of our Wesleyan heritage he believes we should reclaim. “Coming out of the pandemic, we’ve lived through an extended and intense period of isolation. We must recapture that intimacy,” he notes. “I’ve always said that six people caught on an elevator between floors is not community, it’s proximity. To create community entails a level of trust that the vulnerability of sharing can cultivate.”

There’s also a tacit promise and reassurance that comes from passing cake and tea in a moment where so much is fraught and dangerous. “One of the common reflections after the love feast was that it was, in a sense, liberating,” Dr. Bryant observes. “We learn to trust not just the other participants in the room, but also the Holy Spirit.” It’s no coincidence that this ritual emerged from the Moravian Church, who repeatedly endured violent persecution. In the same way that the Jesus feeding the five thousand has always been a foundational part of how Christians understand God’s abundant love, feeding one another proclaims a vibrant future that will not yield to threat and scarcity.

In gathering for the love feast, Dr. Bryant hopes that Garrett can rehearse power that repudiates the abusive cultural narratives that surround us. “When the body of Christ comes together, it’s more than just sharing in the community of goods,” Dr. Bryant says. “It’s one thing to have a food pantry at a church, that’s an act of compassion. The more difficult question is why are people hungry and thirsty to begin with? That’s a question of justice.” When participants spend the time to honor each other’s testimony, to affirm our interdependence as we nourish our neighbor, the ritual invites us to affirm God’s intention for the world. “Justice is not when we get what we deserve. Justice is when we get what God wants us to have,” he explains. “When you operate from that understanding, it causes us to think beyond punitive or retributive justice, to view life from God’s perspective. It’s charismatic in the deepest sense—charisma, or gifts, offering the reminder that in God’s economy there’s always multiplied fishes and loaves.”

This deeper mutuality can ignite a hope that ripples outward from our campus. “For me, it goes back to that Sunday school hymn, ‘This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine,” he says tenderly. “If nothing else, it helps those who experience the love feast to know that love is the light that shines in the darkness.” When we capture that spark, and bear witness to God’s love, it doesn’t banish the trauma that surrounds us. But it reminds us that this has always been the Church’s story: We gather close when what we cherish most is threatened. We trust God to enter our midst and herald life abundant. “If even just a little light leaves that room and goes out into the world, we will have accomplished the whole purpose,” Dr. Bryant adds softly. “In the love shared between those who gather, we reflect the love of God.”

You are invited to join the love feast at Garrett’s chapel on Wednesday, November 12, 4:00 p.m. CT, in-person or online. Click here to learn more!