A Day with Craig Barnes and Jonathan “Cat” Tran
Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Preston Road Church of Christ (map)
We are excited to invite you to a free event in Dallas on Thursday, November 5, at the Preston Road Church of Christ, from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. We will welcome Dr. Craig Barnes and Dr. Jonathan “Cat” Tran for a time of learning, sharing and fellowship. Lunch will be provided. We hope you will join us!
Dr. Barnes is currently leading a speaking and writing project called “Theologies for Pastoral Ministry,” which rises out of the recognition that there are many practical resources available for ministers and church leaders today, but not many of these resources have much theological depth. As a result, Craig and his colleagues secured a grant from the Lilly Endowment and the Association of Theological Schools to develop theologically sound resources for church leaders, and the grant includes the opportunity to speak with leaders while they are writing the books! We are thrilled to be able to partner with Dr. Barnes in this project, first by welcoming Dr. Willie James Jennings to Summit in October, and then at Preston Road in November.
Dr. Craig Barnes may already be familiar to you. He is the former president of Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of such books as The Pastor as Minor Poet (Eerdmans, 2008), Diary of a Pastor’s Soul (Brazos, 2020), and Searching for Home: Spirituality for Restless Souls (Brazos, 2003). His work in the Theologies for Pastoral Ministry project focuses on facing the fears that we encounter in pastoral ministry, and finding ways to let the love that casts out fear lead us in our ministries. In addition to his academic and writing work, Craig has a pastoral background, serving currently as the pastor emeritus of the Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in addition to prior work in Madison, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.
Dr. Jonathan “Cat” Tran is also part of the Theologies for Pastoral Ministry project. He recently moved to Duke Divinity School from Baylor University, where he served as professor of religion and with Baylor’s Honors College. Cat has written dozens of articles and multiple books on Christian ethics, with particular emphases in bioethics, political theory and ecclesiology. He even co-edited a book with our own GST professor, Dr. Myles Werntz! Dr. Tran’s project focuses on calling Christians into pastoral work, both those not yet in that field and also those already in leadership but struggling with its demands and challenges. This dovetails well with our work in the Siburt Institute, where we support both ministers already in ministry and churches who are inviting volunteers into ministerial positions.
On November 5, we will gather in the morning and share lunch together at midday; during that time, Dr. Barnes and Dr. Tran will each make presentations about the current state of their work, but we will also have extended time for Q&A with each author and will close the day by getting both speakers together for more conversation in a panel-discussion format. I’m particularly excited about the nature of this project, because the ATS grant allows us to gather with these theologians while they are writing their books—not merely afterward. In other words, you get to both hear from these thinkers and also help shape the work they are doing!
Make plans now to join us on November 5!
Who should come?
This event was designed to equip church leaders from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Registration
Registration is free for all attendees. Watch this space for a registration link to come.
Questions?
Contact david.kneip@acu.edu.