As Baptists, we uphold the separation of church and state, but that does not mean we do not advocate for our values in political places. Just as the Hebrew prophets advocated for the poor, the widow, and the orphan, and Jesus advocated for those who were on the margins of societies, so we also speak up in faithfulness to God and our responsibility as God’s people. As Baptists, we historically have taken a strong stance on justice issues such as the abolition of slavery, the Civil Rights Act, voting rights, and other issues of justice and equality. How do we get started?
Join Rev. Tim Schaefer, pastor of First Baptist Church in Madison, and Rev. Breanna Illéné, Director of Ecumenical Innovation & Justice Initiatives at the Wisconsin Council of Churches, for a FREE Zoom workshop on Thursday, April 9th at 6:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Commission on Congregational Mission for the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin. Registration is below.
About Our Speakers:
Rev. Tim Schaefer has served as pastor of First Baptist Church since November 2020. Prior to relocating to Wisconsin, he served as Minister to Youth at Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas, TX, where he was ordained in early 2019. Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Boston University and a Master of Divinity degree, as well as, a degree certificate in Gender and Sexual Justice from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University.
In addition to his pastoral role, Tim co-founded and continues to co-lead the Wisconsin Coalition for Religious Freedom, a broad collective of Wisconsinites dedicated to disrupting the rise of white Christian nationalism in our state.
Rev. Breanna Illéné (she/her) is the Director of Ecumenical Innovation at the Wisconsin Council of Churches, where she helps build strategic relationships and broaden opportunities for ecumenical engagement. She leads the WCC’s advocacy program, working to engage churches in policy on local, state, and national levels. She has an MA in Social Justice (Loyola University-Chicago), an MA in Christian Education (Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary) and an MDiv (Iliff School of Theology) and is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. She lives in Madison with her spouse and 3 children.