Reformed Institute of Metropolitan Washington

2026 Convocation: A "Reformed Critique of Nationalist Theologies" with Dr. Vince Bacote
2026-01-24 08:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20016, United States
WATCH RECORDING
Join Dr. Vincent Bacote of Wheaton College and friends from the Reformed Institute to explore the militant nationalist theologies seeking to run the country. What is an authentic Reformed response to these movements?
We live in an age when theology has become weaponized for political gain. Christian Nationalism is a movement fed by several streams of “Dominion Theology” which argue for a religious, social, and political take-over of various sectors of society. These theologies include the so called “Calvinist” reconstructionism and the 7 Mountains Mandate of far right evangelical and charismatic groups.
Hear Dr. Bacote’s invitation to the event.
Join the Reformed Institute to hear from Dr. Vincent Bacote of Wheaton College who will offer a “Reformed Critique of Nationalist Theologies” at our 2026 Convocation. He will analyze various forms of Dominion Theology and bring a strong Biblical and Reformed critique of these theologies and movements. The event takes place on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. Check in and a light breakfast begin at 8:30, the program begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m.
View Event Flyer
Our Speaker:
Dr. ​​Vincent Bacote is professor of theology and the director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He teaches and lectures widely on the intersections of theology, politics and public life. He earned a B.S. from the Citadel, an MDiv. From Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a PhD from Drew University. His publications include the books Reckoning with Race and Performing the Good News: In Search of a Better Evangelical Theology (2020) and The Political Disciple: A Theology of Public Life. His articles have appeared in magazines such as Comment, Books and Culture, and Christianity Today and journals such as the Journal of Markets and Morality, Christian Scholar’s Review, and the Journal for Christian Theological Research. Dr. Bacote is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Christian Ethics. An avid tennis player and occasional bass guitarist, he lives in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, with his family.

Reflecting on Christian Patriotism: A Reformed Perspective
2025-10-04 09:00 - 11:00 | National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20016, United States
WATCH RECORDING
We live in a time when waving the flag and raising the cross go hand in hand for some Americans. But which one takes priority? Should Christians offer patriotic support or prophetic critique of the state in a time such as this? What are faithful alternatives to the religious nationalism we see all around us? The Reformed tradition has engaged nations and the state in different ways over time, always asking, “What does God call this country to be?”
Join the Reformed Institute to hear Dr. Mark Valeri’s address: “Reflecting on Christian Patriotism: A Reformed Perspective.” The event takes place on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at the National Presbyterian Church (4101 Nebraska Ave. NW) in Washington, D.C. Registration and coffee begin at 8:45, program begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 11 a.m. Please RSVP below. There is a virtual option for those who live outside of the Washington, D.C. area.
About the Speaker
Dr. ​Mark Valeri is the Reverend Priscilla Wood Neaves Distinguished Professor of Religion and Politics at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Valeri’s areas of specialization include religion and social thought, especially economics, in America; Reformation theology and the political history of Calvinism; Puritanism; and enlightenment moral philosophy.
His latest book describes how Anglo-American Protestant descriptions of other religions, and conversion from one religion to another, changed from 1650 to 1765: The Opening of the Protestant Mind: How Anglo-American Protestants Embraced Religious Liberty (Oxford University Press, 2023). Heavenly Merchandize: How Religion Shaped Commerce in Puritan America, (Princeton University Press, 2010), received the 2011 Philip Schaff Prize from the American Society of Church History.
Dr. Valeri earned the Ph.D. from Princeton University, his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School, and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Whitworth College. He is currently working on religious persuasion, evangelicalism, and secularism in the eighteenth century.

2025 Convocation with Rev. Dr. Serene Jones
2025-01-25 08:30 - 11:15 | National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20016, United States
Trauma, Grace, and Redemption
WATCH RECORDING
Join us for the annual Convocation of the Reformed Institute, featuring a leading theologian and educator on a timely subject. Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY, will speak on “Trauma, Grace, and Redemption.” The event takes place Saturday, January 25, 2025 at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.
Rev. Dr. Jones brings years of research and theological reflection about individual and collective trauma and its effect upon our capacity to remember, to act, and to love. Trauma from violence challenges our theological understanding of grace and how we remember the traumatic experience of Jesus’ life and death which are at the heart of the Christian faith. Jones focuses on the long-term effects of collective violence on abuse survivors, war veterans, and marginalized populations and the ways that grace and redemption are exhibited in these different contexts. This is a timely address given the level of violence in the neighborhoods, homes, social media, and halls of power in our nation, and the escalation of violent wars and genocides in our world.
Enjoy the a la carte breakfast at 8:30 a.m.. The program begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 11:15 a.m.
Download the Event Flyer | Press Release
About the Speaker
A highly respected scholar and public intellectual, the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones is the 16th President of the historic Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. The first woman to head the 186-year-old institution, Jones occupies the Johnston Family Chair for Religion and Democracy. She is a Past President of the American Academy of Religion, which annually hosts the world’s largest gathering of scholars of religion. Jones came to Union after seventeen years at Yale University, where she was the Titus Street Professor of Theology at the Divinity School, and Chair of the University’s Program in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She is the author of several books including Trauma and Grace and, most recently, her memoir Call It Grace: Finding Meaning in a Fractured World. Jones, a popular public speaker, is sought by media to comment on major issues impacting society because of her deep grounding in theology, politics, women’s studies, economics, race studies, history, and ethics.

Reformed Contributions to the Ecological Movement
2024-11-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtual Event, Link will be sent a few days before
Professor Mark Stoll, Professor of Environmentalism and Religion at Texas Tech, will speak on the topic, “Reformed Contributions to the Ecological Movement,” on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 7 p.m. Eastern. This is an online address to the nation with follow-up discussion. Register below to receive the link. Also check for a watch party near you.
Professor Stoll will speak in depth on his 2015 book, Inherit the Holy Mountain: Religion and the Rise of American Environmentalism. Religion has been an overlooked motivation for environmental thinking from its earliest days. Individuals with a Presbyterian and Reformed background were at one point the undisputed leaders in environmental thought, art, and action. They achieved many successes and set the stage for those who followed. How did faith energize these stalwarts in their public mission to protect the environment? Are Presbyterians still essential to the movement, yet unnoticed? Could Presbyterians ever regain the energy, clarity and leadership they once had, now that we need them the most? Will members of the Reformed faith be moved again to restore our earthly home, so that all may flourish?
This Reformed Institute event is co-sponsored by the Earth Care Network of the National Capital Presbytery and by the Old Presbyterian Meeting House, Alexandria.
WATCH RECORDING

Reformed Identity and Global Christianity: The Case of Asia
2024-05-11 08:30 - 11:00 | Immanuel Presbyterian Church, McLean VA, 1125 Savile Lane, McLean, VA, 22101
The Reformed Institute and the John Leland Seminary are hosting Rev. Dr. David Chao of Princeton Theological Seminary for a morning lecture, discussion, and light breakfast on Saturday, May 11, 2024 from 8:30 am to 11am. His address is titled: Reformed Identity, Christendom, and Global Christianity: The Case of Asia.
It will be held at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in McLean, VA. For people in town this is an IN-PERSON event (out-of-town participants may have virtual access). Join us to learn about the ways that the identity of Reformed Christians is shifting away from old models of Christendom to a new realities of global Christianity–especially in Asia. We are grateful to the John Leland Seminary for co-sponsoring this event!
David C. Chao is director of the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary. He teaches courses on Asian American theology and organizes academic programming in Asian American theology and ministry. His research and writing focus on Asian American theology, the uses of Christian doctrine for liberation, the convergence and divergence of Protestant and Catholic dogmatics, and the theology of Karl Barth.
He is grant co-author and project editor for a translation grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities to the Karl Barth Translators Seminar. He is co-leader of a Henry Luce grant project titled “Religiously-Inspired Asian American Coalitional Justice Work.” He is principal investigator of a Louisville Institute-funded project titled “Stories of Faith, Resilience, and Politics: First-Generation East Asian American Christians.” Dr. Chao is a graduate of Yale University (BA), Regent College (MDiv), and Princeton Theological Seminary (ThM, PhD). He is a member of the American Academy of Religion and the Association for Asian American Studies. Chao has a wide range of pastoral experience with Chinese American, Korean American, and Pan-Asian churches and ministries and is an active member of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Select Publications

Special issue of Theology Today (January 2023, “Lived Theology in Asian America: Race, Justice, and Politics in Transpacific Context”).
Asian American Christian Theology: An Introduction and New Perspectives (under contract with Wiley-Blackwell).
Concursus and Concept Use in Karl Barth’s Doctrine of Providence: Nature, Grace, and Norms (under contract with Routledge).

2024 Convocation with Dr. Mark Labberton
2024-01-27 08:30 - 11:30 | National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20016, United States
God’s Character, God’s Mission, and The Work of God’s People:
Everywhere All at Once
How does the work of the Church—God’s People—flow out of the nature and the mission of God’s own being? As the “body of Christ” how can we be the “hands and the feet” of God to carry out his mission and work in our lives? When we gather for worship—how do we celebrate God’s justice and love so that we can do God’s justice in the world with love?
You are invited to the 2024 Convocation with Mark Labberton, professor of preaching emeritus and former President of Fuller Theological Seminary. The event takes place Saturday, January 27, 2024 at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.
Join Mark Labberton—a gifted preacher, scholar and former seminary president—to explore how all that we do grows out of who God is and what God is up to in the world. Join fellow Presbyterians to share in the discussion and the fellowship to strengthen our knowledge and our ability to serve.
Enjoy the a la carte breakfast at 8:30. The program begins at 9:00 and ends at 11:30.
A virtual option will be available for long-distant participants.
Download the flyer for this event.

About the Speaker
Mark Labberton is the Clifford L. Penner Presidential Chair Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Preaching at Fuller Seminary. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and began what was to become three decades of pastoral ministry. Labberton has a strong history in missions, as he co-founded the Christian International Scholarship (now ScholarLeaders), he serves on the board of International Justice Mission and is Senior Fellow of The Trinity Forum. Labberton calls for the unbreakable link between worship, justice, and the Christian life. He has written numerous books, including Called: The Crisis and Promise of Following Jesus Today, The Dangerous Act of Worship, and Still Evangelical?, as well as several articles.
WATCH RECORDING

Sabbath Symposium with Carol Bechtel
2023-11-04 09:00 - 11:30 | Parkwood Baptist Church, 8726 Braddock Road, Annandale, 22003, United States
Seeking Sabbath: A Practical Guide for Christian Sabbath Celebration
So, you’ve decided that Sabbath is an important aspect of your Christian life. Now what?
It is not enough just to think about Sabbath. Life-changing learning will only come if thinking is accompanied by living. As Henri Nouwen put it, “You don’t think your way into a new kind of living; [you] live your way into a new kind of thinking.”
With this in mind, we’ve designed an event that will offer practical suggestions and experiences for Christian “Sabbath seekers.” The focus of our time together will be to help Christians live their way into a deeper experience of Sabbath. Come ready to discover new ways to celebrate God’s beautiful gift of Sabbath!
This is a Saturday morning event that will allow time for a light breakfast, presentation and discussion, small groups for various arenas of Sabbath practice, and fellowship. This event will take place at the Parkwood Baptist Church in Annandale, Va., and is co-sponsored by the Rising Day Ministries of the Lord’s Day Alliance and the John Leland Seminary. It is endorsed by the Reformed Institute and highly recommended!
RSVP FOR THE SABBATH SYMPOSIUM HERE.

Dr. Carol Bechtel is Professor of Old Testament at Western Theological Seminary in Michigan. She also serves as a General Synod Professor of Theology in the Reformed Church in America. Dr. Bechtel grew up on a farm in Fulton, Illinois. She attended Hope College, Western Theological Seminary and received her Ph.D. in Old Testament from Yale University in 1992.
Dr. Bechtel previously taught at the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia. She has also served as a teaching fellow at Yale Divinity School and as interim pastor of Turn of River Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Connecticut. She wrote the Presbyterian Women’s curriculum: Accepting God’s Gift of Rest and Delight.
Dr. Bechtel grew up on a farm in Fulton, Illinois. She attended Hope College, Western Theological Seminary and received her Ph.D. in Old Testament from Yale University in 1992. She now lives in Holland, Michigan with her husband, Tom Mullens. They have four children and ten grandchildren. Her hobbies include singing, cooking, gardening, and the Celtic harp.
A virtual option will be available for long-distance participants.

Reformed Institute Friends Wine and Cheese
2023-10-29 16:00 - 18:00 | Lewinsville Presbyterian Church, 1724 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA
We invite friends and prospective supporters of the Reformed Institute to join us for an afternoon of wine and cheese, discussion with the Company of Teachers, and fellowship on Saturday, October 29 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Lewinsville Presbyterian Church. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of RI’s good work, say “thank you” to those who have supported our mission with gifts over the past few years, and to introduce new potential supporters to our organization and community. There is no charge for attending, but gifts are welcome!
If interested, please email lgolemon@reformedinstitute.org.

The Power of Lament for the Church
2023-04-29 09:00 - 11:30 | Lewinsville Presbyterian Church, 1724 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA
The Reformed Institute will hold a morning seminar and worship event April 29 with Dr. David Gambrell of the Office of Theology and Worship for the PCUSA. It features The Power of Lament for the Church, especially in relation to our history with indigenous peoples and their lands. Gambrell will explore Biblical, theological and liturgical forms of lament for the Christian life. Participants will learn the forms of lament in Scripture, church prayers, and hymns. They will also experience worship practices that they can adapt for their own congregations and devotions in relation to the church’s troubled history, but also in relation to personal tragedy, communal injustice, and more.
As Mark Charles said, “recovering lament is essential for the church to move forward” on past injuries and misdeeds with marginalized people and the planet.
WATCH RECORDINGS: PART 1 | PART 2

Confirmation Retreat 2023
2023-02-24 16:00 - 2023-02-26 11:00 | DC
“Tenets for Today: Making Our Faith Alive” with John Molina-Moore
Grow in your faith and share in fellowship
In our beautiful Reformed history and tradition we talk a lot about “the church reformed and always being reformed by the Word of God.” But what does that new form of being a Christian look like? Over this weekend retreat we will examine the foundations of our beliefs and begin the work of crafting a unique faith that works for our lives today. Participants will hear presentations, discuss their faith and questions with each other, and share experiences that strengthen their lives.
Rev. John Molina-Moore is the General Presbyter of National Capital Presbytery, serving 103 PCUSA congregations in the greater Washington, D.C. area. John graduated from Sterling College in 2005, completed his Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary in 2011, where he won the The Gerald R. Johnson Award in Speech Communication in Ministry” for his bold speaking ability. In 2017, John completed a Certificate in Advanced Executive Leadership for Ministers from Howard University. He lives in Silver Spring, Md., with his wife and two sons. John has a passion for mountain biking, all that is active, and is a self-proclaimed hip-hop connoisseur.
Cost is $175 per person (youth and adults). Adults from congregations in the Reformed Institute pay $150 per person. Some scholarships available for youth. For more information call Larry at (703) 232-5303.
WATCH RECORDINGS: PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE

2023 Convocation on the Injustices of the Doctrine of Discovery with Mark Charles
2023-01-28 08:30 - 11:30 | National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20016, United States
The Doctrine of Discovery was a Papal Decree that gave many European Countries religious legitimacy to invade and colonize the “new world” in the name of Christianity. The legacy of brutality, injustice, and destruction that followed, especially against native communities, leaves a legacy that all Christians must face. While Reformed and other Protestant communities had their own theological rationales for conquering North America in the name of Christ, their legacy of injustice and colonization is equally culpable, even in their efforts of missions and education. This session will explore these entangling legacies with an eye toward truth telling, repentance, and restorative justice that makes Christians better allies in anti-racism and justice-building with native peoples.
Mark Charles is a speaker, writer, and consultant. The son of an American woman (of Dutch heritage) and a Navajo man, Mark has faced the colonial legacy of Christian Indian schools in his own family, has served as a Reformed pastor, and has rediscovered his Navajo identity and spirituality. He teaches the complexities of American history regarding race, culture, and Christendom in order to help forge a path of healing and conciliation for the nation.
He is one of the leading authorities on the 15th-century’s European Doctrine of Discovery and its influence on US history and its intersection with modern-day society. Through advocacy, writing, and education, Mark has called for greater acts of repentance, justice, and conciliation with native communities on behalf of the federal government and the American people.
Mark is the co-author, with Soong-Chan Rah, of the book, Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery, and he authors the blog “Reflections from the Hogan.” He is a co-founder of the “Would Jesus Eat Frybread?” college-conference series and has served on the boards of the Christian Reformed Church of North America and the Christian Community Development Association. In national politics, Mark advocates for a Truth and Conciliation Commission – a formal and national dialogue on issues of race, gender, and class.

Response will be offered by Dr. John Lee, professor and Academic Dean of the John Leland Center of Theological Studies, and pastor of The Rock Presbyterian Church, Bethesda, Md. John is Chair of the Public Program Committee and serves on the Board of the Reformed Institute.

Discerning Welcome: A Reformed Faith Approach to Refugees
2022-09-24 09:30 - 11:45 | Darnestown Presbyterian Church, 15120 Turkey Foot Road, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, United States
Join us for an in-person Presentation by and Dialogue with Dr. Ellen Clark Clémot

Dr. Clémot, licensed as both a lawyer and a pastor, will talk about her book, Discerning Welcome – a Reformed Faith Approach to Refugees, sharing from the perspective of law and ethics, with historical information about the Reformed faith tradition of welcoming refugees.
The event will take place Saturday, September 24 from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. at the Darnestown Presbyterian Church, 15120 Turkey Foot Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878. Continental breakfast will begin at 9 a.m.
Attendance is also available online and is free of charge. Both in-person and virtual particpation require registration – SEE BELOW.
To enhance your experience, read the book (Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble) and submit questions prior to the event.
About Rev. Dr. Ellen Clark Clémot
Rev. Dr. Ellen Clark Clémot is the author of Discerning Welcome – a Reformed Faith Approach to Refugees (Cascade Books, 2022). Her book is the result of a personal transformation story, of both herself and her congregation, when a long-time church member turned out to be a refugee in need of welcome. Her book aims to equip congregants and churches with deeper understanding and a method for discerning ways to welcome the refugees who already live among us.
Dr. Clémot is the Senior Pastor and Head of Staff at the Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township in Chatham, New Jersey, installed there in 2020. Previously she served the Larchmont Avenue Church, in Larchmont, New York, as interim Senior Pastor/Head of Staff; and as interim Senior Pastor/Head of Staff at the First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, New Jersey. She was ordained in 2012 to serve as the Associate Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Smithtown, New York.
Before becoming a Pastor, Ellen practiced international business law for over two decades in New York City, London, and Paris.
Dr. Clémot is a graduate of Brown University, magna cum laude, with a double major in Religious Studies and Creative Writing. She earned her doctorate in ministry at Duke Divinity School. At seminary she was recognized for her writing on individuals who led the Black church during the Civil Rights era and on Christian ethics. An ongoing theme of her pastoral studies, and of her ministry, is Christian hospitality and neighbor love. She has also published articles in the Christian Century and Faith and Leadership magazines.
Married to André Clémot, they reside in New Jersey. The Clémots have two adult daughters.

Renewing Theology and Church for Public Life: March 6, 13, 20
2021-03-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Event, Link will be sent a few days before
EVENT RECORDINGS: March 6, 2021 | March 13, 2021| March 20, 2021

This course brings experts in national church leadership, public policy, and generational forecasting to explore current cultural, social, and generational challenges to the church. They will address trends, theological shifts, and resources for renewing the church for public witness–all within a Reformed framework. This VIRTUAL course will include presentations, small group discussions, and Q & A. This is a unique opportunity to engage some of the most visionary church leaders in the Washington DC region. We ask all participants to read Nate Phillips’s “Do Something Else: The Road Ahead for the Mainline Church.” Kindle version is $9.99, available at:
https://www.amazon.com/Do-Something-Else-Mainline-Church/dp/149822637X
Short Course Spring 2021 Pub Life Flier
Biographies of Speakers
John Molina-Moore was called as the General Presbyter of National Capital Presbytery in May 2019. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Sterling College in Communications, where he was a scholarship student in both music and athletics. He has a MDiv. from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he won the Gerald R. Johnson Award in Speech Communication in Ministry in preaching and communications. John completed a Certificate in Advanced Executive Leadership for Ministers from Howard University. John served pastorates at Red Clay and Calvary Presbyterian Churches in Wilmington, Delaware. In National Capital, he has served as Stated Supply Pastor of Northminster PC and Stated Supply Pastor for Community Life at Western PC. March 13, 2021 Theology and Public Policy Presenter:
Rev. Jimmie Hawkins Jimmie Hawkins is Director of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness, which advocates for policy issues of the PCUSA General Assembly. He earned a BA in Social Studies from North Carolina Central University; a MA in Christian Education from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education; and a MDiv. from the Interdenominational Theological Center/Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary. For twenty years he served as the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC. He also served as the senior pastor of Grace PC, Holmes Memorial and Trinity PC in Western Virginia. He has been leader for the Moral Monday Movement since its onset in 2013.
Rev. Jessica Tate, a lifelong Presbyterian, became the Director of NEXT Church in 2012, where she had been in leadership since 2010. NEXT CHURCH is dedicated to strengthening the relational fabric and transformation of the Presbyterian church. Prior to this ministry, she served as Associate Pastor of Fairfax Presbyterian. She also served as clergy co-chair of VOICE, a broad-based interfaith, community power organization. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she served as a Young Adult Intern for the PC(USA) at the church’s Washington office. Jessica received a MDiv. and a MA in Christian Education from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond.

Black Presbyterians and Racial Justice: Reshaping the Reformed Tradition in the U.S.
2021-01-23 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Event, Link will be sent a few days before
The Reformed Tradition has been complicit in slavery, segregation, and White dominance throughout U.S. history. At the same time, Black Presbyterians have drawn on deep wells of resilience and prophetic vision to contest such racism and to reframe the tradition from within. Two gifted scholars — Dr. Perzavia Praylow and Dr. Douglas Brown Clark — will present the narratives of African American Presbyterians, including Francis Grimke and Gayraud Wilmore, that refashion today’s church and its theology to serve racial diversity, equity, and justice. Speakers will explore such history in relation to this moment of racial reckoning in the U.S.
About the Speakers
Rev. Dr. Perzavia Praylow is Pastor of Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC and teaches African American History at Bowie State University (MD). Previously, she was an assistant professor of American History at Augusta University. Dr. Praylow earned a PhD in American History, an MA in Education Policy and a MA in History all from the University of Illinois (Urbana, IL), an MDiv at Columbia Theological Seminary, a Masters of Sacred Theology at Lutheran Theology Southern Seminary (SC), and a BA in History at Drew University. Dr. Praylow’s research focuses on 20th Century race relations, American religious history, African American social equality and the history of education. She is editing her first book project, Educating the Talented Tenth: Fisk University Students, the Politics of Race Leadership and the Struggle for African American Equality and is completing a manuscript on the mission work of Black women ruling elders in Black Presbyterian churches in the Carolinas. She serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Historical Society, is a member of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Mission Development Resource Committee, the DC Mayor’s Interfaith Council and has served on the strategy Team of Next Church and the Alumni Council of Columbia Theological Seminary. She is an ordained Presbyterian minister.
Rev. Dr. Douglas H. Brown Clark is Visiting Assistant Professor at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, where he teaches courses in American, African American, and Africana religious history as a part of the seminary’s Black Church Studies program. He also teaches church history at Lexington Theological Seminary. Clark received a BA from Davidson College and an MDiv from Vanderbilt Divinity School, where he earned second honors and served as Student Body President. He then earned a PhD at Vanderbilt University, where he studied American and African American religious history with a focus on race, civil rights, and reparations. His current book project, A Solid Black Hyphen: Race, Religion, Identity, and the Black Power Activism of Gayraud S. Wilmore, examines the history of religion in the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, with a focus on late 1960s Black clergy advocates for reparations, especially Presbyterian minister, theologian, and activist Gayraud Wilmore. Clark’s research has benefited from support as a Research Fellow with the Presbyterian Historical Society, and as a Fellow in Vanderbilt’s Program in Theology and Practice. He chairs the southeast regional AAR’s History of Christianity section, and previously chaired Vanderbilt’s Graduate Diversity and Inclusion Committee. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister.
Download Convocation 2021 Flyer

Watch Event Recording

Short Course on Biblical Justice and Christian Formation
2020-11-07 10:00 - 11:30 | Virtual Event, Link will be sent a few days before
This short course explores the Presbyterian scholar Michael Barram’s Missional Economics: Biblical Justice and Christian Formation. This is a LIVE ZOOM event on Saturdays, Nov. 7, 14, and 21 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. The author will lead one session, and two notable Church leaders will lead us in the others. This timely event is co-sponsored by the Justice Formation Fellowship, a group of Multi-Cultural, White, and Black congregations who stand with the Institute for Justice Formation, John Leland Center for Theological Studies. Join us for this ecumenical and multi-cultural conversation of key Biblical texts on justice and economics, and their implications for our communities. There will be time for Q & A at each of our sessions. And with Zoom, there is NO SPACE LIMIT, so please invite your church brothers and sisters. NO FEE during these stressful times. Leaders include:
November 7

Dr. Michael Barram is Professor in the Department of Theology & Religious Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California
Watch November 7 Session Recording:

November 14

Stephen Reeves, Esq. is Associate Coordinator of Partnerships & Advocacy for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Watch November 14 Session Recording:

November 21

Rev. Dr. Timothy Tee Boddie is the immediate past General Secretary and Chief Administrative Officer of the Progressive National Baptist Convention
Watch November 21 Session Recording:

For full bios and description, Download: Short Course Fall 2020 flyer
Registration is for all three sessions. Attendance at all sessions is encouraged, but not required. RSVP BELOW and a Zoom link will be sent to you the week before the event.

Presbyterians and Race: A Reflective Experience in Power and Social Justice
2020-09-19 09:45 - 12:00 | DC
An event for this time of racial reckoning. This event can be available to Reformed Institute Congregations for no charge and to others at shared costs.
On Saturday, September 19, 10:00 a.m.-noon the Reformed Institute held a reflective walk in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia to sites that mark key moments in the story of Presbyterians, White supremacy, and Black resistance from colonial days to the present. The 25 participants walked with a focus on reflection, inspiration and a challenge to action for racial justice. We were honored to have members of the Justice Formation Fellowship churches with us as well. We visited these sites:
Presbyterian cemetery (starting point) where White slaveholders and workers for abolition are buried side by side. We will also pass the Frederick Douglas Cemetery, where many Black families are buried.
The Freedom House: now a Museum built on one of the largest holding pens for enslaved peoples, often “owned” by White Presbyterians like Carlyle and Alexander, but with their own stories of resistance and dignity.
Site of Appomattox Statue to dead Confederate soldiers, including white Presbyterians, who fought for the “the Lost Cause,” and recently removed by the city after Virginia law changed.
Beulah Baptist Church: founded by Rev. Clem Robinson, a graduate of Presbyterian Ashmun Institute (PA) for African-Americans, and site of first theological school founded for former slaves during Reconstruction.
Alexandria Academy: first semi-public school for Whites in Alexandria, organized and lead by Presbyterians, and supported by George Washington’s scholarships for poorer students. Robert E. Lee was schooled here. Also site of early Black school in 19th century.
The Progressive Club: established by Black federal workers, denied access to established clubs, in order to strengthen social networks and offer hospitality to professional Black families.
Old Presbyterian Meeting House: Colonial church founded by city fathers, with prominent slave “owners,” some slavery resisters, and some Black congregants in the early days.
Contraband and Freedman’s Cemetery: burial site of Black Freedmen who struggled with White supremacy and those who successfully escaped slavery during Reconstruction. Their stories continue to inspire and guide present struggles for racial justice. (Vans will take us here, and back to cars at the Presbyterian Cemetery.)
This walk was dedicated to engaging Reformed history and theology with all its voices, and to serve as a resource for challenging White dominance, lifting up Black resistance and furthering racial justice. Leaders: Dr. Kent Myers, Judy Herseth, Dr. Perzavia Praylow, Pamela Russel, Dr. Larry Golemon, and Yvonne McKinney.
The planning team has decided to offer this event again, so STAY TUNED about possible dates.
Presbyterians Race and Justice Walk flyer Sept 19

Confirmation Retreat 2020: Videos Available!
2020-02-27 - 2020-03-01 | Claggett Center, 3035 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown, MD, 21710, United States
Theme: “Growing Into the Reformed Christian Faith”
We had a wonderful Retreat for Confirmation-Age Youth over leap year weekend! Six churches with over 35 youth attended and explored where Presbyterians fit in the Christian family, challenging aspects of God’s grace and sovereignty, and how to live in and help reform the Church!
Videos of Matt Taylor’s presentations available here!

Session 1: Family Trees
Session 2: Living by Grace in the Reformed Tradition
Session 3: How to Be a Lifelong Church Member and Bible Lover
For all Churches in the National Capital Presbytery
(RI member churches with discount!)
February 28, 29 and March 1
(from Friday evening through Sunday morning)
Location: Claggett Center
3035 Buckeystown Pike
Adamstown, MD 21710
Cost: $125 per student (if reserved by Feb. 15) – Thanks to a Presbytery grant! Scholarships available.
$165 per leader ($100/leader for RI member churches!)

This retreat engaged our youth with the Reformed Vision of being Christian, being part of the Church, and their relevance today!
Our leader was Dr. Matt Taylor, Protestant Scholar of the Institute of Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies, who wowed us last year!
Special thanks to Mary Hill and Beth Williams for their planning and leadership!

Retreat for Confirmation 2020 flyer
Retreat for Confirmation 2020 schedule

The 2020 Convocation w/ Dr. Cynthia Rigby
2020-01-25 08:30 - 11:30 | DC
Featuring Dr. Cynthia Rigby, the W.C. Brown Professor of Theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary: Videos Available!
Excellent Convocation Address, Responses and Discussion held Saturday, January 25, 2020 at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC

Guest Speaker
Rev. Dr. Cynthia Rigby
Austin Theological Seminary
Reformed Christians and Public Life: How Can We Speak to a Frayed Society?

Video of Dr. Rigby’s Presentation Here
Video of Responses and Discussion
Download Flyer with Bios
How can Christians and the Church speak to torn civic life with healing and hope?” As Reformed Christians, how do we represent the Gospel in spaces, places, and communities that don’t speak the same theological language that we speak? Given the antipathy to organized religion and “religious” people, how do we regain trust as dialogue partners with others? And what is it, exactly, that we have to offer to the brokenness we all share in and are trying to heal? A number of Reformed themes address this question: Grace, Forgiveness, Restoration, Irreplaceable personhood. In a world where you can only get what you can pay for, where forgiveness is elusive, where restoration (for example of failed civic leaders) seems impossible, and where everyone believes that “no one is irreplaceable,” we worship a God who tells us differently. But how do we get this good news out to the wider church and to society?
Dr. Rigby is a prolific scholar, gifted teacher, and accomplished preacher and speaker. Her most recent book, Holding Faith: A Practical Introduction to Christian Faith (Abingdon Press, 2018), weaves the doctrines of the church into the rhythms and practices of everyday life. Her scholarship includes books on social righteousness, protestant perspectives of Mary, feminist theology, power in theology and scripture, and more. Rigby is an associate editor for the Journal of Reformed Theology and the Journal of the American Academy of Religion and serves on the board of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation.
Responses were given by Rev. Jessica Tate of “Next Church,” and Rev. John Molina-Moore, General Presbyter of the National Capital Presbytery
