Rev. Dr. Erin Edwards
Pastor // Founder // Innovator
Bio
Rev. Dr. Erin Edwards is the lead pastor and founder of LOP (Live on Purpose) Community Church, in Davis/Vacaville, CA, along with her wife Chelsea Edwards. Married in 2017, they welcomed twin daughters, Erilee and Evagrae, in January 2019. She is also the Director of Ecclesial Innovation at Brite Divinity School.
Erin earned a Bachelor of Arts from the Christian Leadership Institute, a Master of Arts in Ministry and Practical Theology from Ohio Christian University, and recently completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Pacific School of Religion.
She has 20+ years of experience in pastoral care and spiritual leadership and has successfully organized community outreach programs around anti-racism, social justice and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
As a gay, African-American woman in ministry, Erin is no stranger to opposition. Because of this, Erin has been equipped with an understanding of the marginalized and has used it as a platform to combat injustice. With a passion for what God has for His people in the here and now, Erin promotes a life lived not only with purpose but on purpose. Her voice and story speak directly to the soul, waking people up to encounter and live out their God-given dreams.
Erin and Chelsea strive to build a community in which all people are free to experience the love of God, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, race, etc.
Erin earned a Bachelor of Arts from the Christian Leadership Institute, a Master of Arts in Ministry and Practical Theology from Ohio Christian University, and recently completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Pacific School of Religion.
She has 20+ years of experience in pastoral care and spiritual leadership and has successfully organized community outreach programs around anti-racism, social justice and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
As a gay, African-American woman in ministry, Erin is no stranger to opposition. Because of this, Erin has been equipped with an understanding of the marginalized and has used it as a platform to combat injustice. With a passion for what God has for His people in the here and now, Erin promotes a life lived not only with purpose but on purpose. Her voice and story speak directly to the soul, waking people up to encounter and live out their God-given dreams.
Erin and Chelsea strive to build a community in which all people are free to experience the love of God, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, race, etc.
Rev. Dr. Kevin Murriel
Pastor // Teacher // Activist
Bio
Reverend Doctor Kevin R. Murriel serves as the 22nd senior pastor of Cascade United Methodist Church, overseeing a congregation of over 7,000 members across campuses in midtown and southwest Atlanta, Georgia. A native of Mississippi, Dr. Murriel graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Jackson State University in 2008, earning recognition as the 2008 “Student of the Year” for the College of Business. He furthered his education with a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and attained a Doctor of Ministry degree from Duke University, becoming the youngest and first African American to be named Degree Marshal of the 2014 Doctoral Cohort.
Known for his dynamic preaching, scholarly insights, and activism, Dr. Murriel’s research centers on translating Civil Rights Movement strategies into modern-day approaches for social justice and racial reconciliation. His dissertation, “Unveiling Racism: Racial Reconciliation and a Heterogeneous Model for American Christian Life,” draws from the Mississippi Church Visit Campaign of 1964, offering strategies for anti-racism, racial reconciliation, and progress.
An accomplished author with three published books, including “Breaking the Color Barrier: A Vision for Church Growth through Racial Reconciliation,” Dr. Murriel emphasizes the importance of modeling reconciliation in today’s racially divided society. His influence extends to academia, where he serves as Assistant Professor in the Practice of Practical Theology and Director of the Black Methodist Seminarians Program at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.
Beyond his pastoral duties, Dr. Murriel actively serves on various boards, including the Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA, Murphy-Harpst Children’s Centers, The Foundation for Wesley Woods, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Racial Equity Steering Committee. His leadership and commitment to social justice have garnered recognition, such as being named the 2016 Emerging Prophetic Leader by Gammon Theological Seminary and induction into the 2021 Class of the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame. Notably, he was honored by the Atlanta Business League as a 2021 Man of Influence, acknowledged as one of Atlanta’s 40 under 40 Movers and Shakers by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and recognized by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Women, Inc. with the Luminary Award for Social justice.
Committed to educational advancement, Dr. Murriel actively supports Emory University’s Southeast Region Campaign Leadership Council and co-chairs ALL (Atlanta Leaders for 100% Literacy), dedicated to eradicating illiteracy in Atlanta Public Schools. He also serves on the Board of the Jackson State University Development Foundation.
Recognized for his relevant ministry, Dr. Murriel was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers and Laity Board of Preachers through Morehouse College in April 2021. He remains an impactful speaker at national events and was recently inducted into the Atlanta Rotary Club in December 2023.
Dr. Murriel is a proud life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated and the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2019. He and his wife, Dr. Ashleigh Murriel, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are the proud parents of Scarlett Grace and Anderson Blake. Together, they spearhead The Murriel Foundation, Inc., a 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to empowering minority youth as effective leaders.
Throughout his journey, Dr. Murriel’s guiding motto has been, “Live God, Love God, Follow God; and in all things, stay the course!”
Known for his dynamic preaching, scholarly insights, and activism, Dr. Murriel’s research centers on translating Civil Rights Movement strategies into modern-day approaches for social justice and racial reconciliation. His dissertation, “Unveiling Racism: Racial Reconciliation and a Heterogeneous Model for American Christian Life,” draws from the Mississippi Church Visit Campaign of 1964, offering strategies for anti-racism, racial reconciliation, and progress.
An accomplished author with three published books, including “Breaking the Color Barrier: A Vision for Church Growth through Racial Reconciliation,” Dr. Murriel emphasizes the importance of modeling reconciliation in today’s racially divided society. His influence extends to academia, where he serves as Assistant Professor in the Practice of Practical Theology and Director of the Black Methodist Seminarians Program at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.
Beyond his pastoral duties, Dr. Murriel actively serves on various boards, including the Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA, Murphy-Harpst Children’s Centers, The Foundation for Wesley Woods, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Racial Equity Steering Committee. His leadership and commitment to social justice have garnered recognition, such as being named the 2016 Emerging Prophetic Leader by Gammon Theological Seminary and induction into the 2021 Class of the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame. Notably, he was honored by the Atlanta Business League as a 2021 Man of Influence, acknowledged as one of Atlanta’s 40 under 40 Movers and Shakers by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and recognized by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Women, Inc. with the Luminary Award for Social justice.
Committed to educational advancement, Dr. Murriel actively supports Emory University’s Southeast Region Campaign Leadership Council and co-chairs ALL (Atlanta Leaders for 100% Literacy), dedicated to eradicating illiteracy in Atlanta Public Schools. He also serves on the Board of the Jackson State University Development Foundation.
Recognized for his relevant ministry, Dr. Murriel was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers and Laity Board of Preachers through Morehouse College in April 2021. He remains an impactful speaker at national events and was recently inducted into the Atlanta Rotary Club in December 2023.
Dr. Murriel is a proud life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated and the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2019. He and his wife, Dr. Ashleigh Murriel, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are the proud parents of Scarlett Grace and Anderson Blake. Together, they spearhead The Murriel Foundation, Inc., a 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to empowering minority youth as effective leaders.
Throughout his journey, Dr. Murriel’s guiding motto has been, “Live God, Love God, Follow God; and in all things, stay the course!”
Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dail
Vicar // Church Planter // Podcaster
Bio
Lizzie has lived all over the world, with her boots now rooted in Austin, Texas. She’s living her dream as the founding planter of Jubilee Episcopal Church! She is passionate about evangelism for a God who makes each of us for joy, which is why you might see her doing silly dances and talking about church history on Instagram & TikTok with her combined 80k followers, or on her podcast with fellow Episcopal priest Rev. Laura - And Also With You. She’s thrilled to share her debut book, a first-of-its-kind devotional for the disillusioned, the deconstructing, and the disenchanted called, "God Didn’t Make Us to Hate Us: 40 Devotions to Liberate Your Faith from Fear and Reconnect with Joy" with TarcherPerigree of Penguin Random House, due out in February 2025.
Lizzie grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and received her First Communion as a devout Catholic in the second grade. By the time she reached Middle School, her mother had led her family into her own calling to ministry, and Lizzie had the privilege (and, admittedly, challenge!) of watching her mother pursue ordination in the United Methodist Church, which culminated in her mother’s ordination as an Elder the same weekend Lizzie graduated high school. This makes Lizzie officially a second generation clergywoman and specifically, a clergywoman mama, and she delights in talking about motherhood, pregnancy, and reproductive justice from this lens of faith and leadership in the church.
A graduate from Mount Holyoke College (Summa cum laude), Lizzie brought a passion for intersectional feminism and queer theology to her studies at Duke Divinity School and Seminary of the Southwest. It was her time in both South Hadley, Massachusetts and Durham, NC that brought her into the Episcopal Church, and it was the Episcopal Church that brought Lizzie and her beloved spouse, Jonathan, to Texas. Prior to ordination, she worked in youth & children’s ministry and as a hospice chaplain, all while concurrently teaching art in bars and waiting tables.
Her home is filled with love with her husband, The Rev. Jonathan McManus-Dail, their beloved daughter, another baby on the way, and two mischievous cats.
Lizzie grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and received her First Communion as a devout Catholic in the second grade. By the time she reached Middle School, her mother had led her family into her own calling to ministry, and Lizzie had the privilege (and, admittedly, challenge!) of watching her mother pursue ordination in the United Methodist Church, which culminated in her mother’s ordination as an Elder the same weekend Lizzie graduated high school. This makes Lizzie officially a second generation clergywoman and specifically, a clergywoman mama, and she delights in talking about motherhood, pregnancy, and reproductive justice from this lens of faith and leadership in the church.
A graduate from Mount Holyoke College (Summa cum laude), Lizzie brought a passion for intersectional feminism and queer theology to her studies at Duke Divinity School and Seminary of the Southwest. It was her time in both South Hadley, Massachusetts and Durham, NC that brought her into the Episcopal Church, and it was the Episcopal Church that brought Lizzie and her beloved spouse, Jonathan, to Texas. Prior to ordination, she worked in youth & children’s ministry and as a hospice chaplain, all while concurrently teaching art in bars and waiting tables.
Her home is filled with love with her husband, The Rev. Jonathan McManus-Dail, their beloved daughter, another baby on the way, and two mischievous cats.
Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra
Educator // Author // Organizer
Bio
Alexia Salvatierra has been teaching at Fuller Theological Seminary in different capacities since 2014, and in 2020 she became a full faculty member in the School of Mission and Theology. She also serves as academic dean for Centro Latino, where she is the founding developer and coordinator of the Diplomado en la Respuesta de la Iglesia a la Crisis Migratoria (Professional Certificate in the Church’s Response to the Immigration Crisis.)
Before coming to Fuller, she taught in a wide variety of academic contexts, including multiple years for the Master of Arts in Transformational Urban Leadership and LA Term programs at Azusa Pacific University, the DMin programs at New York Theological Seminary, Wesley Theological Seminary, and the Nazarene Theological Seminary, the Master of Arts in Urban Studies program at Eastern University and the sociology department of Biola University. She is the coauthor of "Faith-Rooted Organizing: Mobilizing the Church in Service to the World (2014)," now in its 8th printing. She has contributed chapters to "Evangelical Theologies of Liberation and Justice," "Scholars and Southern California Immigrants in Dialogue: New Conversations in Public Sociology," "Trails of Hope and Terror: Testimonies on Immigration," and "Liberating Biblical Study." She has also published several articles in academic journals, and her dissertation focused on equipping Hispanic immigrant pastors for holistic mission.
Rev. Dr. Salvatierra is best known for her local, national, and international church and community leadership. Ordained as a Lutheran pastor in 1988, she has pastored English- and Spanish-speaking congregations, served as a missionary in the Philippines and as the director for justice for the Southwest California Synod (ELCA), started and directed multiple nonprofit community development organizations, worked as a legislative advocate, fund developer, and community organizer. She is the cofounder of several major national initiatives including the New Sanctuary Movement, the Evangelical Immigration Table and the Guardian Angels Project. She currently coordinates the Southern California-based Ecumenical Collaboration for Asylum Seekers and serves on the leadership team of Matthew 25/Mateo 25 (a bipartisan Christian network to protect and defend families facing deportation in the name and spirit of Jesus). She also serves as a consultant for a variety of national/international organizations, including World Vision, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, CRU, and the Christian Community Development Association.
She has received multiple awards, including the Fuller School of Intercultural Studies 2019 David Allan Hubbard Achievement Award, the Wally Marks Changemaker Award from the Liberty Hill Foundation, the Stanton Fellowship from the Durfee Foundation, the Amos Award from Sojourners, the Giants of Justice award from CLUE LA, and the Prime Mover fellowship from the Hunt Alternatives Fund.
Her core research interests are the unique role and contribution of the church to movements for social transformation and the process of enabling churches to live the call to holistic mission, with a particular focus on the missionary gifts and calling of the Hispanic immigrant community.
Before coming to Fuller, she taught in a wide variety of academic contexts, including multiple years for the Master of Arts in Transformational Urban Leadership and LA Term programs at Azusa Pacific University, the DMin programs at New York Theological Seminary, Wesley Theological Seminary, and the Nazarene Theological Seminary, the Master of Arts in Urban Studies program at Eastern University and the sociology department of Biola University. She is the coauthor of "Faith-Rooted Organizing: Mobilizing the Church in Service to the World (2014)," now in its 8th printing. She has contributed chapters to "Evangelical Theologies of Liberation and Justice," "Scholars and Southern California Immigrants in Dialogue: New Conversations in Public Sociology," "Trails of Hope and Terror: Testimonies on Immigration," and "Liberating Biblical Study." She has also published several articles in academic journals, and her dissertation focused on equipping Hispanic immigrant pastors for holistic mission.
Rev. Dr. Salvatierra is best known for her local, national, and international church and community leadership. Ordained as a Lutheran pastor in 1988, she has pastored English- and Spanish-speaking congregations, served as a missionary in the Philippines and as the director for justice for the Southwest California Synod (ELCA), started and directed multiple nonprofit community development organizations, worked as a legislative advocate, fund developer, and community organizer. She is the cofounder of several major national initiatives including the New Sanctuary Movement, the Evangelical Immigration Table and the Guardian Angels Project. She currently coordinates the Southern California-based Ecumenical Collaboration for Asylum Seekers and serves on the leadership team of Matthew 25/Mateo 25 (a bipartisan Christian network to protect and defend families facing deportation in the name and spirit of Jesus). She also serves as a consultant for a variety of national/international organizations, including World Vision, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, CRU, and the Christian Community Development Association.
She has received multiple awards, including the Fuller School of Intercultural Studies 2019 David Allan Hubbard Achievement Award, the Wally Marks Changemaker Award from the Liberty Hill Foundation, the Stanton Fellowship from the Durfee Foundation, the Amos Award from Sojourners, the Giants of Justice award from CLUE LA, and the Prime Mover fellowship from the Hunt Alternatives Fund.
Her core research interests are the unique role and contribution of the church to movements for social transformation and the process of enabling churches to live the call to holistic mission, with a particular focus on the missionary gifts and calling of the Hispanic immigrant community.
Rev. Matt Miofsky
Pastor // Author // Equipper
Bio
Matt Miofsky is the Lead and Founding Pastor of The Gathering in St. Louis, Missouri. Since Matt founded The Gathering in 2006, it has grown into a thriving multi-site congregation with three locations scattered throughout St. Louis.
Matt is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis where he received a B.A. in mathematics. He then completed his Master’s of Divinity at Emory University in Atlanta. He served as an associate pastor for a local UM church in St. Louis before starting The Gathering.
Matt is passionate about church planting, connecting with new generations, and multi-site ministry. He frequently speaks and teaches on these subjects. Matt is the author of “The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer” (Abingdon, 2023), “Let Go: Leaning Into the Future Without Fear” (Abingdon, May 2019), “8 Virtues of Rapidly Growing Churches” (Abingdon Books, October 2018), “Happy? What It Is and How to Find It” (Abingdon Books, April 2017), “Fail: What to Do When Things Go Wrong” (Abingdon Books, September 2017), a contributor to Disciple Fast Track: Into the Word, Into the World (Abingdon, 2017), “Flipping Church: How Successful Church Planters Are Turning Conventional Wisdom Upside-Down” (Discipleship Resources, 2016), and the “Ask: Faith Questions in a Skeptical Age” DVD project (Abingdon, 2015).
Matt has been elected to serve as a delegate from Missouri to the United Methodist General and Jurisdictional Conferences in 2012, 2016, 2019, and is a delegate for both Conferences again in 2024. Matt is also passionate about the Mozambique safe water ministry he began through The Gathering. To date, this ministry has raised over $2.2 million for safe water and dug over 200 wells.
When he's not writing, preaching, or teaching, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids.
You can connect with him via:
Facebook: @MattMiofsky
X: @mmiofsky
Instagram mmiofsky
Matt is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis where he received a B.A. in mathematics. He then completed his Master’s of Divinity at Emory University in Atlanta. He served as an associate pastor for a local UM church in St. Louis before starting The Gathering.
Matt is passionate about church planting, connecting with new generations, and multi-site ministry. He frequently speaks and teaches on these subjects. Matt is the author of “The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer” (Abingdon, 2023), “Let Go: Leaning Into the Future Without Fear” (Abingdon, May 2019), “8 Virtues of Rapidly Growing Churches” (Abingdon Books, October 2018), “Happy? What It Is and How to Find It” (Abingdon Books, April 2017), “Fail: What to Do When Things Go Wrong” (Abingdon Books, September 2017), a contributor to Disciple Fast Track: Into the Word, Into the World (Abingdon, 2017), “Flipping Church: How Successful Church Planters Are Turning Conventional Wisdom Upside-Down” (Discipleship Resources, 2016), and the “Ask: Faith Questions in a Skeptical Age” DVD project (Abingdon, 2015).
Matt has been elected to serve as a delegate from Missouri to the United Methodist General and Jurisdictional Conferences in 2012, 2016, 2019, and is a delegate for both Conferences again in 2024. Matt is also passionate about the Mozambique safe water ministry he began through The Gathering. To date, this ministry has raised over $2.2 million for safe water and dug over 200 wells.
When he's not writing, preaching, or teaching, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids.
You can connect with him via:
Facebook: @MattMiofsky
X: @mmiofsky
Instagram mmiofsky
Rev. Lisa Yebuah
Pastor // Leader // Justice Seeker
Bio
Rev. Lisa Yebuah is the Lead Pastor of the Southeast Raleigh Table (SERT), a United Methodist worshipping community in Raleigh, North Carolina. Lisa is a 1999 graduate of Wofford College and a 2004 graduate of Duke University Divinity School. What fuels her life in ministry is seeing people become their best selves, and in turn, seeing the world become a better and more just place.
Most would describe Lisa as a glutton for joy and a lover of people. She’s a self-professed party-starter, people-watcher, biscuit-eating CrossFitter, and admits to having a slight obsession with 90’s R&B and the television show, “The Office" and to being an overly enthusiastic Dallas Cowboys fan.
Most would describe Lisa as a glutton for joy and a lover of people. She’s a self-professed party-starter, people-watcher, biscuit-eating CrossFitter, and admits to having a slight obsession with 90’s R&B and the television show, “The Office" and to being an overly enthusiastic Dallas Cowboys fan.
FEATURED GUESTS AND ON-STAGE HOSTS
Rev. Charity Goodwin
Author // Coach // Facilitator
// Assoc. Pastor - The Gathering
