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.
Rich Villodas is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church with more than seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens....
As we prepare for Season 6 of Inverse Podcast, we are going back in the archives to share some of our favorite episodes with...
Inverse Patreon Link: [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/InVerse) [Surrender speech on Racism in the church - My Dream for the Australian Church, Keynote Address Surrender Melbourne](http://surrender.org.au/blog/2016/8/22/my-dream-for-the-australian-church) [2018 The...