The annual Convocation & Pastors’ School is an intensive two-day conference that offers lectures, worship, and seminars for Christian leaders of all traditions. Led by scholars and practitioners from Duke University and beyond, this event is a cooperative endeavor with the North Carolina and Western North Carolina Conferences of the United Methodist Church. The convocation also includes alumni gatherings.
Past Events
2018 Convocation & Pastors’ School: “Neighboring in a Post-Christendom World” Audio
- Two sermons by Cynthia Hale, founder and senior pastor of the Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Ga.: Cynthia Hale Monday Worship in Goodson Chapel and Cynthia Hale Tuesday Worship in Duke Chapel.
- A lecture by David Goatley, research professor of theology and Black Church Studies and director of the Office of Black Church Studies at Duke Divinity School on the topic of "Aiming for the Ditch."
- A lecture by Ian Douglas, missiologist and bishop diocesan of The Episcopal Church in Connecticut on the topic of "Participating in God’s Mission: Ecclesial Lessons from the Post Christendom Frontier."
- A conversation with L. Gregory Jones , dean of the Divinity School and Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Distinguished Professor of Theology and Christian Ministry, and Christine Pohl, professor emeritus of Christian Ethics at Asbury Theological Seminary on the topic of "Reweaving the Social Fabric: Hospitality, Community, and Learning to be Good Neighbors."
- There are no recording for Barbara Brown Taylor’s plenary sessions.
Closed Captioning available on all recordings. Activate closed captioning [CC] by clicking CC on the lower right-hand corner of the audio recordings and YouTube video.
2016: Who Needs Theology? Inside and Outside the Church
Featuring Elaine A. Heath, Norman Wirzba, Ellen F. Davis and panel, Kenneth H. Carter, Jr. and panel, and Brian E. Combs
2015: Body and Belonging
Featuring John Swinton, Claire Wimbush, Deb Richardson-Moore, and William Lee
2014: Life After Christendom: Resident Aliens 25 Years Later
Featuring Stanley Hauerwas, Will Willimon, James Davison Hunter, and Hope Morgan Ward
Due to technical difficulties, recordings of this event are not available.
2013: Renewing the Church
Featuring James K.A. Smith, Jorge Acevedo, Laceye Warner, and Jeremy Troxler
2012: Form/Reform: Cultivating Christian Leaders
Featuring Richard J. Mouw, Andy Crouch, Sarah Coakley, and Prince Raney Rivers
2011: Drawn into Scripture: Arts and the Life of the Church
Featuring Jeremy Begbie, Marilynne Robinson, Anthony Kelley and the BLAK Ensemble, and Lillian Daniel
2010: The Living Witness: Tradition, Innovation, and the Church
Featuring N.T. Wright, Rob Bell, Andy Crouch, and Vashti McKenzie
2009: The Next Generation
Featuring Os Guinness and Philip Jenkins
2008: For Such a Time as This
Featuring L. Gregory Jones, Janice Riggle Huie, Ron Heifetz, Al Gwinn, Greg Palmer, Larry Goodpaster, and Adam Hamilton
2007: Our Daily Bread
Featuring Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson, Stanley Hauerwas, Ellen Davis, Janice Virtue, Norman Wirzba, L. Gregory Jones, and Carol Bechtel