How will we regather the church after pandemic?

The Covid-19 pandemic is an inflection point for the church everywhere—and certainly for the Episcopal Church. The sudden flowering of creativity, connection, and collaboration is an expression of the Holy Spirit’s relentless presence within the church; yet ongoing distancing creates difficulties to be overcome on the other side of the present crisis.

How will we change habits of isolation and regather the church? How will we manage the impact on church finances? How is God calling us to embrace the energy and creativity of this moment—and the longing people have felt for a return to community? What challenges will we face regathering the people of God, particularly in already weakened communities?

We Shall Be Changed is a gathering of brief essays from thought leaders around the church on pressing topics that the church needs to be considering now—in preparation for the end of this pandemic. The book is designed to spur conversation within parishes, fellowship groups, and clergy gatherings about how to embrace the gifts this time has given while anticipating and addressing the very real challenges the church will confront in its wake.

MARK D. W. EDINGTON is the bishop of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe. He served as Epps Fellow and Chaplain to Harvard College, and Associate Minister and Director of Administration in The Memorial Church of Harvard University. He served as executive director of the Center for the Study of World Religions and as the inaugural executive director of the Harvard Decision Science Laboratory. He was also the founding director of the Amherst College Press. He lives in Paris, France.

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Paul-Gordon Chandler is rector of the Church of St. John the Baptist/Maadi, an international Englishspeaking Episcopal/Anglican church in southern Cairo, Egypt. Previously he served as the president/ CEO of Partners International, an international ecumenical Christian non-profit that helps indigenous Christian NGOs in over 70 countries in the Two-Thirds World. He has also served as CEO of the International Bible Society and as director of SPCK. He lives in Cairo, Egypt.

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Shane Claiborne is a prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author. Shane’s books include his classic The Irresistible Revolution, and his newest book, Beating Guns. He currently resides in Philadelphia, PA.

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LORENZO LEBRIJA is the founder and director of TryTank, the experimental lab for church growth and innovation. He was the chief development officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, and served as pastor at St. John’s in San Bernardino and priest associate at St. Athanasius in Los Angeles. He earned his Master of Divinity degree at the General Theological Seminary, as well as an MBA from Florida International University. He has been a frequent speaker on development, community involvement, the arts, business strategy, and marketing. He lives in Cathedral City, California.

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Greg Garrett, PhD, has written more than twenty books of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and translation, including My Church Is Not Dying: Episcopalians in the 21st Century. Professor of English at Baylor University and Theologian in Residence at the American Cathedral in Paris, he has appeared internationally on radio and television and regularly preaches, gives readings, and leads workshops and retreats.

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Lizette Larson-Miller is Huron-Lawson professor of liturgy at Huron University College, part of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. She is also canon precentor of the Diocese of Huron in the Anglican Church of Canada, where she serves on the Worship and Doctrine Commission; and chair of the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation. She lives in London, Ontario.

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Andrew B. McGowan is McFaddin professor of Anglican studies at Yale Divinity School, and dean and president of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.

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Deanna Thompson is director of the Lutheran Center for Faith, Values, and Community and Martin E. Marty Regents Chair in Religion and the Academy at St. Olaf College.

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Elise Erikson Barrett serves as the coordination program director of the Lilly Endowment’s National Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders. A graduate of Hanover College and Duke Divinity School, she has served in pastoral roles in the United Methodist Church and in leadership positions in the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance. She is the author of What Was Lost: A Christian Journey Through Miscarriage (2010).She lives in New Palestine, Indiana.

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Miguel Escobar is Director of Anglican Studies at Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary. Miguel was the Managing Program Director for Leadership Resources at ECF from 2010-2017, and worked as communications assistant to the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, from 2007-2010. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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JAMES W. MURPHY, a Certified Fund Raising Executive, is Managing Program Director at the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF). Active in ecumenical collaborations, he works with congregations, dioceses, and other Episcopal organizations to grow their endowments and develop their planned giving programs and various philanthropic efforts and resources. He holds a Masters in Christian Spirituality from General Theological Seminary, and a Bachelors from NYU’s Stern School of Business. He is a member of the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) and the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY). He lives in New Jersey.

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The Very Reverend Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas was named dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary and professor of theology at Union in September 2017. She was named the Bill and Judith Moyers Chair in Theology in November 2019. She also serves as the canon theologian at the Washington National Cathedral and theologian in residence at Trinity Church Wall Street. Dean Douglas is widely published in national and international journals and other publications. Her groundbreaking and widely taught book Sexuality and the Black Church: A Womanist Perspective (1999) was the first to address the issue of homophobia within the Black church community. Her latest book, Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God (2015), examines the challenges of a “Stand Your Ground” culture for the Black church.

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Molly Baskette is the senior minister of First Church Berkeley, California, a congregation of the United Church of Christ. A graduate of Dartmouth and Yale Divinity School, she writes devotional materials for the UCC’s Still Speaking Writers Group. She is the co-author of Bless This Mess: A Modern Guide to Faith and Parenting in a Chaotic World(2019). She lives in Alameda, California.

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JEFFREY LEE is the retired Bishop of Chicago, known across the church as a charismatic preacher, liturgist, and spiritual leader. He wrote Opening the Prayer Book for the new Church's Teaching series (1999) and Gathered for God with Dent Davidson for the Church's Teachings for a Changing World series. He lives in Chicago.

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Sarah Birmingham Drummond is the founding dean of Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School. A graduate of Yale College, Harvard Divinity School, and the University of Wisconsin, her scholarly interests center on the study, teaching, and execution of administrative leadership in the life of the church. She lives in New Haven, CT.

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C. Andrew Doyle, the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, summarizes his autobiography in six words: "Met Jesus on pilgrimage; still walking." He is author of Vocātiō, Unabashedly Episcopalian, Orgullosamente Episcopal, A Generous Community,and The Jesus Heist. Follow him on Twitter at @texasbishop. He lives in Houston, Texas.

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The Rt. Rev. Robert Wright is the Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta. He has also served as rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta and as a school chaplain and on the staff of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. He is the co-author with Donna Mote of “The Go Guide,” a book of practical tips for following Jesus into the world. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

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