Knox College Ministry Forum
ICS Free to be Faithful
Courageous
Faith in a Time
of Fear
Pastoral Leadership, Public Responsibility, and the Risk of Taking a Stand
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
— Joshua 1 : 9About the Conference
From Fear
Toward Hope
Courageous Faith in a Time of Fear is a two-day public conference exploring what it means to lead, speak, and act faithfully amid political polarization and deep divisions within churches.
Presented by Knox College's Ministry Forum and the Institute for Christian Studies' Free to Be Faithful initiative, the conference is open to clergy and lay leaders alike and includes a dedicated pastoral leadership track.
Through roundtables, workshops, and a closing panel, participants will explore sustaining big-tent communities, organizing for faithful action, and building the capacity of faith communities to move from fear to hope.
Keynote Presenters
Meet the Speakers
Dr. Kristin Kobes Du Mez
New York Times bestselling author and Professor of History at Calvin University. Currently a Senior Democracy Fellow with the Public Religion Research Institute, her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics. Author of Jesus and John Wayne.
Rev. Joash P. Thomas
Author of The Justice of Jesus (Brazos Press) and Instructor in Public Theology, Peace & Justice at St. Stephen's University. Drawing from his St. Thomas Christian roots and a decolonized, Jesus-centered understanding of Scripture, Fr. Joash helps audiences reimagine a faith that unites rather than divides.
Conference Schedule
Two Days of
Learning & Dialogue
Roundtables & Workshops
Session Details
Each time block offers concurrent tracks for pastoral leaders and community members. Choose the sessions that speak to where you are.
Reformed Witness in the 21st Century: Journeying Together in Courage
An honest conversation about the challenges and possibilities facing Reformed communities today. Reflect on leading congregations through ideological tension, denominational transition, and public scrutiny.
Taking a Stand Without Tearing the Church Apart
How do we act courageously without deepening division? Explore what faithful public responsibility looks like for congregations and how members can support clergy and one another through difficult conversations.
Take Heart! Faith Deconstruction Will Not Destroy the Church
Using research and stories from Blessed are the Undone, this workshop will equip leaders to interpret and respond thoughtfully to experiences of faith deconstruction in their communities—and give helpful context to anyone who feels “undone.” What if stories of quiet deconstruction are not a problem to solve but a prophetic call for the Church?
Angela Reitsma Bick
Writer, speaker, and co-author of Blessed are the Undone: Testimonies of the Quiet Deconstruction of Faith in Canada. Former Editor-in-Chief of Christian Courier (2009–2025).
Engage Different: What Lies Beneath—Culture, Theology, and the Courage to Lead Across Difference
Most congregational tension today is driven by what sits below the waterline: unspoken cultural assumptions, inherited theological convictions few of us have ever traced to their roots, or radical differences that can feel irresolvable. This interactive workshop fuses two field-tested tools from the Engage Difference! curriculum: the Cultural Iceberg and a Theological Archeology exercise.
David Montealegre
Associate Secretary of Intercultural Leadership and Learning at the Canadian Council of Churches. Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Fellow and Seasonal Professor at Emmanuel College, University of Toronto.
Tending the Wide Table: Notes from the Long Way
This workshop is for pastors and ministry leaders walking their own journeys with congregations and communities navigating theological differences. The Good Table is a Canadian association of Jesus-centred, fully inclusive churches and leaders. Drawing on three years of deep listening, repentance, and following the Spirit’s breadcrumbs, we’ll share stories, encouragement, honest conversation, and practical frameworks for navigating change and difference.
Elle Pyke
Executive Director of The Good Table Canada and Director of Programming and Innovation with The New Leaf Network. Completing an MA in Theology and Culture at St. Stephen’s University.
You Are Not Alone: Supporting Clergy and Strengthening Congregations
Explore how congregational members can actively support pastoral leadership and strengthen the spiritual resilience of their communities, becoming places of solidarity, formation, and sustained courage.
Closing Panel — 4:00 PM
Capacity for Courage: Building Faith Communities for the Long Haul
The conference concludes with a panel of pastors and congregational leaders reflecting on what it takes to build communities capable of sustained courage, moving beyond one-time moments of boldness to focus on formation, structure, and shared responsibility.
How do we nurture leaders who can speak and act with integrity?
What forms of support help clergy endure fatigue and fear?
How do congregations cultivate practices that strengthen courage over time?
At a Glance
Move From Fear To Hope
Join scholars, pastors, ministry leaders, and engaged citizens for two days of reflection, learning, and practical imagination.
Presented by the Institute for Christian Studies's Free to Be Faithful initiative and Knox College's Ministry Forum.