Brian Albert Smith, PhD., grew up in the Midwest but has spent most of his adult life in the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the US. A brief stint in youth ministry led to seminary and a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near East studies. His work at Messiah University has been in Campus Ministries and the department of Biblical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies. In addition to teaching courses in Hebrew Bible and Hermeneutics, he co-directs Thriving Together: Congregations for Racial Justice, which challenges local churches to grapple with central Pennsylvania’s racialized past and respond with new work for justice. Brian has a deep fondness for trees and woodworking and enjoys life with his partner Jackie, whom he married this past summer.
We love Kelley Nikondeha. Her new book “DEFIANT: What the Women of Exodus Teach Us about Freedom” is out today. Get it!: [Kelley's book](http://www.amazon.com/Defiant-Women-Exodus-Teach-Freedom/dp/0802864295)...
Trey Ferguson is an avid indoorsman in Miami-Dade County, Florida. He serves on the pastoral staff at the Refuge Church in Homestead, Florida in...
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