Speakers
The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson,
Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire
V. Gene Robinson was consecrated bishop on All Saints Sunday, November 2, 2003, and was invested as the ninth Bishop of New Hampshire on March 7, 2004. In 1973, he completed his M.Div. at the General Theological Seminary in New York, was ordained deacon, and then priest, serving as Curate at Christ Church, Ridgewood, New Jersey. From 1978 to 1985, Gene was Youth Ministries Coordinator for the seven dioceses of New England, serving two years on the National Youth Ministries Development Team, where he helped originate the national Episcopal Youth Event. From 1983 until his election as bishop, Gene also served as Executive Secretary of Province I, coordinating all cooperative programs between the seven dioceses of New England.
Co-author of three AIDS education curricula for youth and adults, Gene has done AIDS work in the United States, Uganda and South Africa. He has been an advocate for anti-racism training in the diocese and wider Church. He helped build the Diocese of New Hampshire's close working partnership with the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, advocated for debt relief for the world's most impoverished nations, and lobbied for socially-responsible investment within and beyond the Church.
Gene enjoys entertaining and cooking, gardening, music and running. He is the father of two grown daughters and is the proud, new grandfather of little Morgan Isabella. He lives with his partner, Mark Andrew, who is employed by the State of New Hampshire's Department of Safety.
Kelly FryeR
Kelly Fryer (M.Div., M.Th.) is the executive director of ARE: A Renewal Enterprise. She is a teacher, author, and inspirational speaker with nearly twenty years of experience leading organizations into renewal. Kelly is also a member of the faculty at Spertus College in Chicago, Illinois, where she teaches leadership and organization in the Nonprofit Management Graduate Program. Previously she served as Assistant Professor of Leadership at Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She is the author of several books including No Experience Necessary: Everybody’s Welcome (Augsburg Fortress, 2005) and Reclaiming The C Word: Daring To Be Church Again (Augsburg Fortress, 2006).
After serving as a Lutheran pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) for nearly two decades, Kelly resigned from the clergy roster in early 2006. In a letter written to the Conference of Bishops, she explained that seismic changes in her vocational and personal life over recent years, including the divorce that brought a formal end to her marriage, created space for her to understand her identity as a lesbian; something that she had never been able to see or admit before.
Fully committed to the cause of inclusivity within the church, Kelly’s real passion continues to be keeping the church focused outward, in mission, doing justice and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. In fact, in her newest book, Reclaiming the E Word: Waking Up To Our Evangelical Identity, to be published in early 2008, Kelly calls on mainstream and progressive Christians to share their message in word and deed with evangelical enthusiasm. “I believe the world today needs what we have,” she says, “the promise of radical grace and a path toward reconciliation. It is our responsibility to do whatever it takes, in any way we can, to get the real good news out there and make a positive difference in the world.” Kelly, along with the team at ARE: A Renewal Enterprise, is currently at work across the U.S. and Canada, helping to renew, refocus, and retool congregations and judicatories for the sake of God’s mission in the world.
Kelly is a news junkie, lifelong Cubs fan, cartoonist, wannabe drummer, and blogger (you can visit her online at Reclaiming the F Word and find out which F Word she means). She lives in Chicago with her partner, Tana, who is also the co-founder and Creative Director of ARE. They share their home with Kelly’s fifteen-year old son and their cat, Blizzard. Their daughters, both college-age, hang out there a lot, too — especially around dinnertime.
The Rt. Reverend John Selders,
Bishop of the Church of God
The Right Reverend John L. Selders, Jr. is an ordained minister serving in the United Church of Christ, the organizing pastor of Amistad United Church of Christ, Hartford, Connecticut, Program Coordinator of Zezzo House and Lead Principal for the Human Connection Project. He is the loving spouse of Pamela and father of two, Alisia and Jay. John has done his academic and theological reflection attending Life Christian Bible College, Webster University and Eden Theological Seminary.
In the fall of 2004, he was consecrated to the office of bishop in the Church of God and set as Presider of a new religious body, The Inter-Denominational Conference of Liberation Congregations and Ministries, an interfaith, ecumenical fellowship of radical inclusivity. He is a teacher, lecturer, workshop leader, an HIV/AIDS educator and activist with numerous citations for his work. He has been a speaker or presenter on issues of race and sexual orientation at many religious events and conferences. John tells his personal story in the video Bi-sex-u-al, that was produced by the United Church of Christ in 2003. He was a founding member of the Institute of Welcoming Resources, an interdenominational organization providing resources for LGBT-affirming communities of faith.
The Rev. Gladys G. Moore
Pastor Gladys G. Moore is currently serving as the Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life and the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Prior to her call at Mount Holyoke Gladys was an Assistant to the Bishop in the New Jersey Synod, ELCA for 16 years and served St. Matthew’s Lutheran in Jersey City and St. John’s Lutheran in Newark, New Jersey during her time on synod staff.
She plays the guitar and has written numerous songs. She has also served as chaplain, preacher, retreat resource person, and Bible Study leader at several synodical, regional, national, and international events.