Pastors and Politics


In this webinar on April 22, we learned about what it means for ministers to be involved in political life, listening to the ways in which Jemar Tisby and Preston Clegg have engaged issues of racism in their work. We also talked with Jennifer Hawks as she helped answer questions around the legal issues of ministers’ involvement in political issues. Participants learned not only practical strategies for engaging political life, but also how to navigate the legal issues surrounding the intersection of church and politics.

We were pleased to partner with ACU’s Baptist Studies Center to offer this webinar.

Recording and Resources

Special Guests

Jemar Tisby

Jemar Tisby

JEMAR TISBY

Jemar Tisby is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Color of Compromise, president and co-founder of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, and co-host of the podcast, Pass the Mic. His new book, How to Fight Racism, was released in January. He received his M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary and is presently working toward his Ph.D. in history at the University of Mississippi studying race, religion, and social movements in the 20th century. Jemar and his family call the Deep South home and especially love the weather, people, and food!

Dr. Jennifer Hawks

Dr. Jennifer Hawks

JENNIFER HAWKS

Jennifer Hawks is the associate general counsel at Baptist Joint Committee. She provides legal analysis on church-state issues that arise before Congress, the courts, and administrative agencies. Jennifer also assists in education efforts and responds to pastors and other constituents who have questions about church-state matters. She received a J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law and an M.Div. from George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. She is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, Texas and Mississippi bars, and she was ordained into the gospel ministry by McLean Baptist Church in Virginia.

Dr. Preston Clegg

Dr. Preston Clegg

PRESTON CLEGG

Preston Clegg is the pastor at Second Baptist Church (2BC) in Little Rock, Arkansas. Before coming to 2BC, he pastored churches in Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. Preston earned his M.Div. and D.Min. from George Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. He and his wife Rebecca are Arkansans natives and have two sons, Paxton and Truett, who keep their parents laughing and on the go.

Webinar Hosts

ROYCE MONEY

Royce Money became chancellor of Abilene Christian University in 2010, after serving 19 years as ACU’s 10th president. He earned a bachelor’s and a Master of Divinity degree from ACU, a master’s degree in human development and the family from the University of Nebraska, and a Ph.D. in religion from Baylor University. He has been an elder in Abilene and ministered to churches in Texas, Alabama, Maryland, and Missouri. He has authored two books. He and Pam, his wife of 56 years, have two daughters and five grandchildren.

Dr. Royce Money

Dr. Royce Money

MYLES WERNTZ

Myles Werntz is director of the Baptist Studies Center and associate professor of theology at Abilene Christian University. He is the author and co-editor of six books in the area of Christian theology and ethics and teaches and writes broadly in the areas of Christian social ethics and modern theology. His research interests include church engagements in political life, Christian ethics of war and peace, immigration, and ecclesiology. He is married to Sarah Martin-Werntz, and they live in Abilene with their sons Eliot and Arthur. He is always waiting for baseball season.

Dr. Myles Werntz

Dr. Myles Werntz

CONTACT

If you have questions about this event, contact Renee Paul.