More information on the content of this program will be made available soon.
Innovating Beloved Communities
This public webinar is part of a series of trainings accompanying EDS's ongoing Innovating Beloved Communities Cohort - an ongoing, year-long learning experience for innovators creating God’s new thing for the sake of love, led by the Rev. Canon Dr. Stephanie Spellers '04. This cohort is convening, equipping, and catalyzing a circle faithful innovators advancing God’s dream of just, compassionate, multicultural, beloved community. The public is invited to witness and participate in this learning experience alongside our cohort leaders.
Trainers
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The Rev. Melanie Mullen
The Rev. Melanie Mullen is a senior executive leader with demonstrated success in scaling complex justice initiatives and managing organizational change across national platforms. With expertise in environmental stewardship, racial equity, and strategic development, she has built and led diverse teams while transforming institutional cultures.
As founding director of a major denominational justice department, she established innovative approaches to community engagement and leadership development, growing initiatives from local pilots. Her collaborative leadership emphasizes building sustainable partnerships and creating measurable community impact through mission-driven programming.
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The Rev. Canon Dr. Stephanie Spellers ’04
The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers is one of The Episcopal Church’s leading thinkers around 21st-century ministry and mission. The author of several books, she was canon to former Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and serves as Priest-in-Charge of St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco.
Spellers previously served as chaplain to the Episcopal House of Bishops, directed evangelism and reconciliation at General Theological Seminary, and led church vitality efforts in the Diocese of Long Island. Her professional ministry began in 2005 at St. Paul's Cathedral-Boston, where she founded The Crossing, a ground-breaking church that weaves Episcopal tradition together with voices from the margins. Before that, she was an award-winning religion journalist.
Spellers earned master’s degrees from both Harvard Divinity School and Episcopal Divinity School. She received an honorary doctorate from the General Theological Seminary. A native of Kentucky, she is passionate about helping people to fall in love with God and get free.