In-person attendees can take part in keynote talks, panels, workshops, shared meals, book signings, art experiences, worship, music, dancing, and conversations with people from across the country.
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In-person Event Schedule
Come ready to meet new people, explore big questions, and leave with new ideas, relationships, and tools for action.
Freedom Rising Conference • October 23–25, 2026
In-Person Schedule
For attendees joining at Middle Church in New York City • All times Eastern
108%
| Format / Type | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00–9:30 AM | Doors Open and Gathering | Welcome | Arrival and connection |
| 9:30–10:00 AM | Welcome and Grounding | Welcome | Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis • Housekeeping, intention setting, and song |
| 10:00–10:45 AM | History Matters: How Did We Get Here? | Keynote | Dr. Jemar Tisby |
| 10:45–11:00 AM | Film and Self-Reflection: Decolonizing Wealth Project - An Invitation to Heal | Film | Decolonizing Wealth Project |
| 11:00 AM–12:00 PM | White Christian Nationalism, Our Peculiar Economy, and the Dismantling of ‘Democracy’ | Panel | Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas; Rev. Dr. Edwin Aponte; Dr. Melissa Deckman; Rev. Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim; Dr. Hussein Rashid (via video call) |
| 12:15–1:30 PM | Lunch, Connections, and Book Signing | Meal & Connection | Lunch on your own, connections, and book signing |
| 1:30–2:15 PM | Class Matters: Can We Unbreak What Money Broke? | Keynote | Abby Disney; Trevor Smith |
| 2:15–2:30 PM | Connect + Discuss (Intermission) | Connect + Discuss | In-person transition and conversation time |
| 2:30–3:15 PM | Money Matters: How Do We Decolonize Wealth and Finance Freedom? | Keynote | Edgar Villanueva; Rev. Jason Garrett |
| 3:15–3:45 PM | Connect + Discuss (Intermission) | Connect + Discuss | In-person transition and conversation time |
| 3:45–4:45 PM | Resourcing Our Movements with Love | Workshop | Isaac Luria; Rev. Jennifer Bailey; Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews; Tricia Levesque |
| 3:45–4:45 PM | The Moth: Shaping Stories, Building Worlds | Workshop | The Moth Staff • Registration-based; limited space |
| 5:00–5:45 PM | The Movement Moves: Dance Party and Reception | Special Event | Friday closing celebration |
No sessions match your filters.
| Format / Type | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00–9:15 AM | Gathering and Grounding | Welcome | Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis |
| 9:15–10:15 AM | Building the Narrative: Re-shaping God Talk | Panel | Ciarra Jones; Brian Recker; Kristian Smith; Genesis Be; Nick Laparra |
| 10:30 AM–12:15 PM | Who Shapes Our Spiritual Imagination: A Soul Story Experience | Panel | Erica Williams Simon; Rev. Lucas Johnson; Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis; Alencia Johnson |
| 12:15–1:30 PM | Lunch and Book Signing | Meal & Connection | Lunch and book signing |
| 1:30–2:15 PM | When Our Stories All Matter… | Panel | Tiq Milan; Casey Donahue; Bridgit Antoinette Evans |
| 2:15–2:30 PM | Connect + Discuss (Intermission): Turn and Talk | Connect + Discuss | In-person reflection time |
| 2:30–3:15 PM | Art Creating the World | Panel | Kaliswa Brewster; Lucy Tiberghian; Ty Jones |
| 3:30–4:30 PM | Dream Space: BLIS Collective Activation | Dream Space | Studio on 4 |
| 3:30–4:30 PM | Dream Space: Decolonizing Wealth Project | Dream Space | Sanctuary / online |
| 3:30–4:30 PM | Dream Space: Middle Church Artists | Dream Space | Studio on 3 |
| 3:30–4:30 PM | Just Love Kids: Imagining a Liberated Generation | Dream Space | Studio on 3 |
| 4:30–4:45 PM | Setting the Table Before Dinner: What Have We Learned So Far? | Reflection | Day-program reflection |
| 5:00–6:15 PM | Moth Rehearsal Coaching | Workshop | The Moth Staff • Registration-based; limited space |
| 6:30 PM | Doors Open for The Moth Story Slam | Special Event | Evening public event arrival |
| 7:00–9:00 PM | An Evening Story Slam with The Moth | Special Event | Open to the public; ticketing information coming soon |
No sessions match your filters.
| Format / Type | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00–9:15 AM | Grounding | Welcome | Opening grounding |
| 9:15–10:00 AM | Revolutionary Spiritualities in Intergenerational Organizing, Hybrid Spaces, and the Public Square | Panel | Rev. Amanda Hambrick; Rev. Natalie Renee Perkins; Rev. Macky Alston |
| 10:00–10:30 AM | Special Guest Keynote | Keynote | Speaker to be announced |
| 10:30–11:30 AM | Essential Strategies to Build Multiracial Communities | Workshop | Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis; Rev. John Janka |
| 11:45 AM–12:50 PM | Celebrating Love and Liberation in Worship | Worship | Multifaith worship celebration |
| 1:00–2:00 PM | Lunch, Book Signing, and Community Org Fair | Meal & Connection | Conference ticket-holder lunch, book signing, and community organization fair |
| 2:00–3:00 PM | Ubuntu & The Spiritual Practice of Revolution | Panel | Dr. Stacey Floyd-Thomas; Dr. Simran Jeet Singh; John Fugelsang |
| 3:00–3:15 PM | Connect + Discuss (Intermission): Survey | Connect + Discuss | Survey and reflection time |
| 3:15–4:00 PM | Healing Institutions; Repairing Our Movements | Panel | Linda Sarsour; Rev. Mark Thompson; Gamal Palmer |
| 4:15–5:15 PM | Liberating a Multiracial, Multifaith Movement to Heal Our Nation | Panel | Rev. Traci Blackmon; Shifra Bronznick; Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis; Dr. Rami Nashashibi |
| 5:15 PM | Closing Ritual | Reflection | Dr. Jacqui Lewis and Middle Church Staff |
No sessions match your filters.