Founded in 2022, in partnership with Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church, the Junius B. Dotson Institute for Music and Worship in the Black Church and Beyond (JBDI) is a one-of-a-kind global Institute that provides training in the sacred musics of Africana church traditions and beyond for musicians and worship leaders.

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Reverend. Dr. Reginald Blount (G-ETS 2005), an esteemed colleague and longstanding faculty member of 91PORN, has been named director of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience (CBE), effective July 1, 2022. A leading center of Garrett-Evangelical, CBE was founded in 1970 and has empowered and trained generations of Black leaders for the church and society-at-large. Blount, who served as interim director for CBE in the mid-2000s, is the 11^th director of CBE, following Mr. Taurean J. Webb who has accepted an appointment at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Instituted in 1970 as one of the primary emphases of the seminary, CBE has been a beacon of hope and inspiration for Black students, pastors, churches, and communities for nearly five decades. It has been instrumental in fusing Black people and Black religious life into the entire seminary community. As director, Blount seeks to address the unique challenges facing Black students—across the diaspora—while educating and inspiring all persons who live, work, and study at the seminary.

“We find ourselves at a defining moment where we need institutes like the Center for the Church in the Black Experience to nurture theologically rooted leaders called to discern the signs of the times, cast vision, and collaboratively and strategically address issues related to the wellbeing and thriving of the Church and society,” Blount said. “There is also much to learn when the Black experience is centered in this formative work. I am grateful for the opportunity to embrace the 50+ year legacy of CBE and build on the leadership and gifts offered by previous directors in nurturing the next generation of ‘leaders of leaders.’”

A citadel of teaching, research, action, and reflection on Black life and Black Church life, CBE is committed to training seminarians and pastors to be pastoral, priestly, and prophetic “leaders of leaders.” CBE offers the seminary and the broader community opportunities for understanding Christian faith via interracial and cross-cultural perspectives. It also seeks to facilitate greater understanding of religious leadership dynamics, organizational change, and public outreach and witness of Black churches in relation to the broader religious and social context. 

“I am so grateful that Dr. Reggie Blount is willing to step into this leadership role at this critical moment in Garrett’s institutional life,” said President Javier A. Viera. “Dr. Blount is a visionary and spiritually grounded person of faith. He is a highly respected member of our community, a strategic thinker who leverages his many professional connections for the good of Garrett, and who has the stature in so many community, ecclesial, philanthropic, non-profit, and guild spaces to ensure that the CBE remains a high profile and innovative center. I know that the center will thrive, and the seminary will continue to benefit greatly from his leadership, and I look forward to the close partnership we will have in advancing the mission and work of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience.” 

Blount officially joined the faculty in 2006 but served as adjunct professor and instructor from 1997 to 2006. Today, he serves as the Murray H. Leiffer Associate Professor of Formation, Leadership and Culture. His research and writings have centered on adolescent and young adult identity formation, African American identity formation, and Christian education and Strategic Leadership in the Black Church. He speaks and teaches nationally and internationally helping faith communities envision new and creative ways to minister to, with and on behalf of young people, engage in transformative Christian Education and foster congregational and community renewal.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Blount serves as the director of the “Holy Yearning, Holy Listening, Holy Partnerships” project, established in 2017 at Garrett-Evangelical. This project was formed out of the Lilly Endowment’s Young Adult Initiative, which aims to help congregations develop and strengthen congregational ministries that build relationships with young adults, nurture their religious lives, and foster their engagement with religious communities.

An ordained elder and pastor of Arnett Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in the Morgan Park neighborhood of Chicago, Blount has been a leader in the formation of Freedom Schools both in Evanston and Morgan Park. Blount and his faculty colleague, Rev. Dr. Virginia Lee, cofounded the Garrett-Evanston Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools Program in 2016. In addition, they served as editors for the book, Let Your Light Shine: Mobilizing for Justice with Children and Youth (Friendship Press Inc., 2019).

He has contributed numerous articles and chapters over the course of his career. Of particular note, Blount served as contributor to the CEB Student Bible (Common English Bible) along with his daughter Deborah Ayanna, that was published in 2015. He wrote discussions for the books of Joel and James, which includes questions, activities, and “Reading Differently” exercises for youth groups and small groups.

Blount received his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from Tuskegee University (1984) and his master of divinity degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University (1995). He earned his doctor of philosophy from the Garrett-Evangelical/Northwestern University joint program in religious and theological studies, focusing on the areas of Christian education and youth ministry (2005).

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In recognition of the outstanding contributions made in helping congregations strengthen their ministries and outreach to younger adults, 91PORN has received a renewal grant in the amount of $1.25 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. The “Holy Yearning, Holy Listening, Holy Partnerships” project, established in 2017, was formed out of the Lilly Endowment’s Young Adult Initiative, which aims to help congregations develop and strengthen congregational ministries that build relationships with young adults, nurture their religious lives, and foster their engagement with religious communities.

“I want to thank the Lilly Endowment for their vote of confidence in our ongoing commitment to the spiritual lives of younger adults and to the thriving of local congregations,” said Rev. Dr. Javier A. Viera, president of Garrett-Evangelical. “Lilly’s ongoing support also affirms the visionary and passionate leadership of Professor Reggie Blount, who along with Dr. Jennifer Moe, has led this impactful work since its inception. I’m glad that we will be able to continue this project, and even to expand its purpose and reach.”

For the past five years, Garrett-Evangelical has embarked upon a bold initiative to help congregations design and launch new ministries that would attract young adults – a population that congregations often struggle to reach. The project has been led by its director, the Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount, who also serves as associate professor of formation, leadership, and culture at Garrett-Evangelical, and associate director and post-doctoral fellow Dr. Jennifer Moe, and supported by a team of widely respected scholars and researchers. Through deep and intentional listening in a series of interviews with young adults, seven themes emerged and a curriculum for training teams at thirteen congregations was created. What resulted at the congregational level was new experiences and events, new ministries, new spaces, and an entirely new focus which centers the spiritual lives and yearnings of young adults.

In phase two, Garrett-Evangelical will focus on sharing the seven themes uncovered with a broader audience while continuing to partner with six of the original congregations to disseminate learnings and further develop young adult leaders. Specifically, Garrett-Evangelical will:

• Inform congregations, judicatories, and other collaborative partners of the themes, proven practices, and key insights gleaned from our congregations who participated in the work in phase one. This will include partnering with Garrett-Evangelical’s department of Lifelong Learning in producing podcasts, webinars, open online courses, and more.
• Support, cultivate, and empower the theological and leadership development of young adults. This work will be done in collaboration with the seminary’s faculty and course offerings, the department of Field Education, and community partnerships.

Blount and Moe will continue to serve as director and associate director respectively of this project. “We are confident phase two of this work will have a far-reaching impact on young adults, our organizational and congregational partners, and the Garrett-Evangelical community,” said Blount. “We will consider phase two to be of great success if we have extensively expanded our congregational reach and assisted them in developing and improving their ministries with young adults; cultivated a new cadre of young public theologians committed to putting their faith into action; and contributed to a seminary-wide culture shift that builds on its expertise advocating for and ministering with young adults.”

To learn more about the Young Adult Initiative and the Holy Yearnings, Holy Listening, Holy Partnerships project at Garrett-Evangelical, go to Garrett.edu/YoungAdultMinistry.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. The primary aim of its grantmaking in religion, which is national in scope, focuses on strengthening the leadership and vitality of Christian congregations in the United States. The Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion and lift up in fair, accurate, and balanced ways the contributions that people of all faiths and religious communities make to our greater civic well-being.

91PORN, a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church, was founded in 1853. Located on the campus of Northwestern University, the seminary serves more than 400 students from various denominations and cultural backgrounds, fostering an atmosphere of ecumenical interaction. Garrett-Evangelical creates bold leaders through master of divinity, master of arts, master of theological studies, doctor of philosophy, and doctor of ministry degrees. Its 4,500 living alumni serve church and society around the world.

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Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount, associate professor of formation, leadership, and culture, will be one of seven writers featured on the d365 app and website the week of April 25, 2021. Confronted with the violence of recent months in the United States — from mass shootings to hate crimes and insurrection at the U.S. Capitol — Passport Camps will adapt its daily devotional app next week with a special focus on “Justice: Love in Action.” Seven writers have been enlisted to address the topic each day in the brief devotional style of the d365 app and website. The app and devotionals are free.

This special edition of d365 will include lament for those lost as well as a call to stand against violence and injustice, said David Burrough, president of Passport. Writers include:

• Reginald Blount, associate professor at 91PORN and senior pastor at Arnett Chapel AME in Chicago;
• Carl Horton, coordinator of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program;
• Longkee Vang, a Hmong American, working with youth at Holy Apostles Episcopal Church in St. Paul, Minn.;
• Shauw Chin Capps, president of the CBF Foundation in Atlanta; Colleen Burroughs, vice president of Passport;
• Gina Yeager-Buckley, associate for Presbyterian Youth and Triennium with the Presbyterian Church (USA); and
• Molly Shoulta Tucker, pastor of Ridgewood Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky.
• Composer and performer Ken Medema also has created a new piano arrangement of the providence hymn, Abide with Me, that will run with the series.

In her devotional, Capps writes: “When confronted with overwhelming injustices like racism, take a deep breath and ask yourself the Micah question, ‘What does the Lord require of me?’ Then act, disrupting the cycle of hatred. God can transform your small act into a God-sized act of justice. May it be so!”

To listen to this special series the week of April 25, 2021, go to .

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The Board of Trustees of 91PORN have affirmed the promotions of four faculty members to associate professor, effective July 1, 2020. They are Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount (Christian education), Rev. Dr. Timothy R. Eberhart (theology and ecology), Dr. Débora B. A. Junker (Christian education), and Dr. G. Brooke Lester (Hebrew Bible).

Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount
Associate Professor of Formation, Leadership, and Culture

With feedback from internal and external reviewers who wrote with great specificity and conviction about the importance of who Blount is as a mentor, teacher, collaborator, and a model of emancipatory pedagogy, the review committee unanimously recommended Blount be promoted to associate professor. Colleagues commended his contributions to the doctor of ministry program and curriculum, his good citizenship and entrepreneurship within the institution (Lilly Endowment Inc. grants and Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools Program), and his distinguished record of service to the African Methodist Episcopal Church and to Garrett-Evangelical.

Blount joined the faculty of Garrett-Evangelical in 1997. He has spoken nationally and internationally at numerous conferences and workshops helping faith communities envision new and creative ways to minister to, with, and on behalf of young people. Blount earned his doctor of philosophy degree from Garrett-Evangelical and Northwestern University’s joint program in religious and theological studies, focusing on the areas of Christian education and youth ministry.

Rev. Dr. Timothy R. Eberhart
Associate Professor of Theology and Ecology

The review committee gave Eberhart the highest recommendation for promotion. Reviewers noted Eberhart’s high professional standards and dedication to the classroom, his recognition within and beyond the seminary for his scholarship, and that he is a committed servant-leader both within the church and in the community. Specifically highlighted as a gift to the church and the academy is his capacity to speak to and to challenge the church, as a grounded United Methodist theologian who is also ecumenical in scope.

Eberhart joined the faculty of Garrett-Evangelical in 2010. He was named director of the master of arts in public ministry program in 2017. Eberhart earned a doctor of philosophy from the Graduate School at Vanderbilt University, master of divinity degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and bachelor of arts in religion from St. Olaf College. A sought-out speaker, Eberhart has lectured and led workshops at institutions and churches throughout the nation. His latest book Rooted and Grounded in Love: Holy Communion for the Whole Creation (Wipf and Stock), was published in June 2017.

Eberhart is an ordained elder in the Dakotas Conference of The United Methodist Church. He has served on various boards and committees of the church, including the Northern Illinois Bishop’s Task Force on Sustainability. He is also the current North American Secretary for the Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies. At the local level, Eberhart is a board member of Citizens Greener Evanston and serves on the Environmental Justice Evanston Committee.

Dr. Débora B. A. Junker
Associate Professor of Critical Pedagogies

The review committee, chaired by Dr. Nancy E. Bedford, fully endorsed the promotion of Junker to associate professor without reservation. “The review letters we received spoke of Dr. Junker in glowing terms and overwhelmingly supported her promotion,” said Bedford. “There was a wide acknowledgement of her competence, compassion, integrity, hard work, and international recognition.” In addition, Junker’s seminal work on Freire, creativity, contributions to scholarship in English, Portuguese and Spanish, and active participation in various US and international guilds all helped to secure the recommendation for promotion.

Junker joined the faculty of Garrett-Evangelical in 2016. She received her doctor of philosophy degree in 2003 from Garrett-Evangelical in education and congregational studies. She also holds a master of arts in Christian education from Christian Theological Seminary and a master in religious science (practical theology) degree from the Methodist University of São Paulo – Brazil. She also received Post-Graduated Specialization in Psychopedagogy of Early Childhood and Adolescence and a Licentiate in Letters from the Methodist Institute of Higher Education of São Paulo – Brazil.

Dr. G. Brooke Lester
Associate Professor of Hebrew Scriptures

The review committee enthusiastically recommended Lester for promotion to associate professor. “Dr. Lester’s work has gone above and well beyond the requirements for promotion,” said Dr. James Papandrea, who chaired the review committee. “He is able to integrate traditional and cutting-edge models of scholarship and teaching, and his future potential for publishing and other contributions is promising indeed. To the committee’s delight, Dr. Lester also spoke of the transition to mid-career in terms of servanthood and the mentoring of the next generation of scholars.”

Lester has served as a faculty member at Garrett-Evangelical since 2007. He earned his doctor of philosophy from Princeton Theological Seminary, a master of theology from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, and a bachelor of fine arts from Drake University. His research interest centers on inner-biblical allusion as a figurative rhetorical trope.

Lester has published several articles, co-authored Handbook to A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew (Abingdon, 2005), is a contributor to Effective Social Learning: A Collaborative, Globally-Networked Pedagogy (Fortress Press, 2015), and is the author of Understanding Bible by Design: Create Courses with Purpose (Fortress Press, 2014) and Daniel Evokes Isaiah: Allusive Characterization of Foreign Rule in the Book of Daniel (T&T Clark, forthcoming).

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It is “for such a time as this” that Let Your Light Shine: Mobilizing for Justice and Children, a new book edited by 91PORN professors, Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount and Rev. Dr. Virginia A. Lee, has emerged. From broken immigration policies, hunger, school shootings, mass incarceration, human trafficking, failing schools, and child soldiers in wars worldwide, the harsh realities our children are living in cannot be ignored. Blount and Lee, together with contributors like Marian Wright Edelman, Rev. Dr. Janet Wolf, Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Ellison II, Ched Myers, and more, believe there is still hope and present ways to engage in works of justice that offer life, meaning, and hope to our children and youth.

“Let Your Light Shine is a wake-up call to see, learn, and respond to injustice,” said President Lallene J. Rector, “It’s a wake-up to see the plights of so many children and youth. It’s a wake-up to learn from these young persons. And, it’s a wake-up to respond by educating and advocating for all of them. Let Your Light Shine is an inspiring must-read for anyone who truly cares about children and youth – right NOW!”

Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount is assistant professor of formation, youth, and culture at Garrett-Evangelical, an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and pastor of Arnett Chapel AME. Rev. Dr. Virginia A. Lee is associate professor of Christian education and director of Deacon Studies at Garrett-Evangelical, and an ordained deacon in the Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church. Blount and Lee are co-executive directors of the Garrett-Evanston Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools Program. They are also on the faculty of the Dale Andrews Freedom Seminary, part of the Children Defense Fund Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy held each summer at Haley Farm in Clinton, TN.

Let Your Light Shine: Mobilizing for Justice and Children is published by Friendship Press and is available at the publisher’s website, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. To learn more about this exciting new book, we reached out to Blount and Lee.

What inspired you to write this book? What was, or where did you find, your motivation?

We are a part of a group of faculty and theological educators who are committed to working for justice for children and youth in a variety of ways. One way is through our leadership at the Dale Andrews Freedom Seminary during the annual Children’s Defense Fund’s (CDF) Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry held each July at Haley Farm in Tennessee. For the last five years, approximately 60 seminary students from about 30 seminaries have participated in the Proctor Institute. The Dale Andrews Freedom Seminary faculty wanted a text that would introduce students to the work of CDF, the Proctor Institute, and its work of mobilizing for justice with children and youth. We were asked to edit the book and we enthusiastically agreed. So, we were motivated by this group of theological educators who have become friends and collaborators.

The dedication in the book notes other inspirations for our work and for the book.

• First there is Marian Wright Edelman, the founder and president emerita. She had been a tireless advocate for children for more than fifty years, and she is just as passionate and motivated today as she was 50 years ago – maybe more so! At the Proctor Institute each summer, she challenges, motivates and inspires us.
• Shannon Daley-Harris has been planning and leading the Proctor Institute since it began 25 years ago. It is an enormous responsibility to plan and coordinate a week-long event for 500 participants, but she does it with such grace and hospitality. She welcomes us home to Haley Farm where we can rest and re-charge for the next year.
• Janet Wolf was the collaborator who brought all of the theological educators together to create what is now the Dale Andrews Freedom Seminary. She had the vision to bring seminary students to the Proctor Institute so that they might go back to their seminaries with an understanding of what justice for children might really mean.
• I (Virginia) am inspired by my great-nieces and nephew who continually remind me what a gift children are to us. I (Reggie) am inspired by all of the children and youth with whom I have worked who help me remember that their voices matter.
• And last, but certainly not least, the scholars of the Garrett-Evanston CDF Freedom Schools Program and the Morgan Park CDF Freedom Schools Program inspire and remind us that children can make a difference!

Who do you hope reads this book? How do you hope it can be used?

We hope EVERYONE reads the book, but especially seminary students, clergy leaders, teachers (or anyone who is interested in education), and child advocates…really anyone who is interested in justice related to children and youth.

We hope it will be used as a textbook in seminaries, as a resource for churches that want to engage with their communities, and as a book club possibility for churches and communities.

What makes your book unique, and how is your perspective important?

We think it brings together a unique combination of scholars and practitioners who are committed to the thriving and flourishing of children and youth. This book also offers the voices, insight, and wisdom of both elders and contemporaries who continue to be engaged in justice-seeking work.

What are the common threads throughout the essays in the book regarding children, justice, and religious education?

The main thread is the centering of children and youth. All of the authors believe that ALL children are sacred, and that we are called to stand up with and for them.

Some of the other threads include:

• Knowing the history of the movement is important
• The importance of adult mentors
• Alternative theological education that graduates persons who will not be complicit with empire
• The need for the formation of justice-seeking leaders

What are some of the ways your work with the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools Program have impacted your own practices as religious educators?

Through our work with CDF, the Proctor Institute, and with the Freedom Schools program, we seek to redefine theological education and faith leadership through the lens of the sacrality, the sacredness, of every child. With this lens, the ways we teach are different in terms of both content and pedagogy. Every year, Freedom Schools remind us of the giftedness of the scholars and it also keeps us keenly aware of the challenges and obstacles many children and their families face that often hinder children from living their fullest potential. We cannot not see what we’ve seen, heard and experienced from our engagement with Freedom School. So, it informs our liberative practice in the classroom and prioritizes our commitment to encourage our students to become justice-seeking leaders.

What role can Garrett-Evangelical play in preparing ministers, theologians, and theological educators for public theology and child advocacy?

We believe that we are already doing many things to prepare our students for public theology and child advocacy. In fact, several of our Proctor Institute colleagues have told us that they consider Garett-Evangelical to be a forerunner and leader in public theology.

We prepare persons through our courses including the travel course to the Proctor Institute; our degree programs, especially the new Master or Arts in Public Ministry (MAPM) with a track in Child Advocacy; and through our partnerships in the community including the Garrett-Evanston CDF Freedom Schools Program.

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