Troubled waters or river of life?
Janet Campbell
Priest-in-Charge
Christ Episcopal Church in Tacoma
Mother Janet Campbell has served as Priest-in-Charge at Christ Church since 2014. She has also served as Canon for Liturgy in the Diocese of Olympia and has prepared many of the diocesan liturgies rooted in the Baptismal Covenant. Mother Campbell will preside and preach at the opening worship service.
Benjamin Stewart
Braatz Associate Professor of Worship
Lutheran School of Theology Chicago
A pastor of the ELCA, Dr. Stewart directs advanced studies at LSTC and teaches courses in worship and ecology. He is the author of A Watered Garden: Christian Worship and Earth’s Ecology and articles on water in worship and care for earth’s waters. Dr. Stewart will offer two plenary presentations on the conference theme.
Todd Hay
Data Team Lead
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Dr. Hay’s expertise in the waters of the Puget Sound drew him into advocacy for the waters of Commencement Bay and participation in the Sustainable Tacoma Commission. He is well known for his exacting chronicle of federal deregulation of protections for the environment. He will lead a workshop on serving as an advocate for clean, local waters.
Kathryn Nichols
Co-Director of Music
Christ Episcopal Church
The Rev. Kathryn Nichols directs the 40-voice Christ Church choir, composes settings of liturgical texts, and promotes a range of traditional and contemporary hymnody. An ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church USA, she has presented workshops on hymnody for both scholarly and pastoral groups. She will lead a workshop on congregational water music.
Samuel Torvend
Professor of Church History
Pacific Lutheran University
In addition to his work at PLU, Dr. Torvend serves as Associate Priest for Adult Formation at Christ Church Tacoma. He is the author of Still Hungry at the Feast: Eucharistic Justice in the Midst of Affliction and a member of the Ecology and Liturgy Seminar of the North American Academy of Liturgy. Dr. Torvend will lead a workshop on forming water advocates through teaching, preaching and praying.