Join the Black Pastoral Leadership Collaboration for virtual presentations and conversation. The Black Pastoral Leadership School at Duke Divinity School is designed for pastoral leaders committed to ministry that empowers people for liberating and transformative work and witness.
- Pastor's School Overview
The Black Pastoral Leadership School hosts pastors for transformative learning experiences each year. The 2022 leadership school will host learners virtually by offering 45-minutes of wisdom and observations on the theme: "Recalibrating Ministry." Diverse thought leaders will share what they are learning about leadership from pastoring during the intense pressures of the pandemic.
- Continuing: What are they pulling forward?
- Contemplating: What are they placing in the parking lot?
- Cutting: What are they putting aside?
- 2022 School Faculty
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Pastor Orlander R. Thomas serves as the Senior Pastor of the Southside Church of Christ in Durham, North Carolina. Pastor Thomas earned a B.S. in Religious Studies from Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas, and an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School in 2020 with certificates in African & African American Studies and Black Church Studies. Additionally, he holds MBA and MA in Ministerial Leadership degrees. In addition to Durham, he has served congregations in Los Angeles, California, and Miami, Florida. Pastor Thomas is an Adjunct Professor of Bible & Theology at Southwestern Christian College and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He strives to be a lifetime student of the Word and views himself as a public theologian whose goal is to promote conversations about God in the public square that may lead to the continual building up of God's Kingdom.Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Pastor Michael A. Walrond, Jr. is the Senior Pastor of First Corinthian Baptist Church (F.C.B.C.) in Harlem, New York. Walrond—affectionately known as Pastor Mike—is considered a visionary and cultural architect. With his pastoral leadership, membership at F.C.B.C. has grown from 300 to over 10,000 members. Pastor Mike opened the H.O.P.E. (Healing On Purpose and Evolving) Center, the first faith-based mental health facility in Harlem in December 2016. The H.O.P.E. Center seeks to eliminate the stigmas people of color associate with receiving mental health services. Pastor Mike's community and social justice initiatives advocated for the “New York City Living Wage" legislation passed by the City Council. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Morehouse College and an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School, where he was a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar. For eight years, he served at Duke University as the university minister and director of the African American campus ministry. He also served as the Senior Pastor of Zion Temple United Church of Christ in Durham, North Carolina. He is a proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and the Morehouse College Alumni Association.Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Pastor Cynthia L. Hale is the founding and Senior Pastor of the Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia, and has been in ministry for 43 years. She established ELAH Pastoral Ministries, Inc. in 2004, a mentorship program that develops pastors and parachurch leaders. She also launched the Women in Ministry Conference in 2005 to develop, coach, and mentor Christian women in ministry for the 21st Century. She serves as the Chairperson of the IC3 Board, a member of the Board of Visitors of Duke Divinity School, a member of the Board of Trustees at Hollins University, and the Vice President for the Hampton University Ministers' Conference. She is an active lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Pastor Hale is a native of Roanoke, Virginia, holds a B.A. degree from Hollins College, an M.Div. degree from Duke Divinity School, and a D.Min. from United Theological Seminary. Pastor Hale authored her first book, I'm A Piece of Work: Sisters Shaped by God, in 2010 and is a contributing writer for many books and publications and the recipient of numerous honors and recognitions. - Registration
Registration and participation in the 2022 Black Pastoral Leadership School give participants' six-months of access to the Duke Divinity School Library online and a certificate of completion. Register for the event.
Registrants will also have six months of access to the lecture recordings and access to all resource material shared by this year's presenting faculty.
Registrants can invest in Duke Divinity School students' academic and vocation formation for those pursuing the Certificate in Black Church Studies by giving here.
- Questions
Please plan to register before the start of the May 10 plenary. Contact Deborah A. Williams, project coordinator for the Black Pastoral Leadership Collaboration, with questions.