Place Matters with Rev. Bill Lamar IV and Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount

This week, host Rev. Lisa Greenwood and co-host Rev. Kathi McShane continue exploring themes that will be essential to the future church – and they are happening right now. Rev. Bill Lamar IV, Pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, and Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount, Associate Professor of Formation, Leadership, and Culture at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, join Lisa and Kathi to discuss the power of place. This idea of ‘going local’ or the power of place in local, contextual ministry is a means of grace now and for the future flourishing of people, congregations, and communities.

Listen as they talk about the need for leaders to embrace the local stories and narratives of their communities while also advocating for the inclusion of younger generations in leading transformative change within the church.

Guests

Rev. William H. Lamar IV is the pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. He previously served Turner Memorial AME Church in Maryland and three churches in Florida. He is a former managing director at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity. Lamar is a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Duke Divinity School. He is the co-host of "Can These Bones," a faith and leadership podcast.

Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount serves on the faculty of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary as Associate Professor of Formation, Leadership, and Culture and teaches in the area of Christian Education, Congregational Leadership, and Youth and Young Adult Ministry. He is the Program Director of the Garrett Young Adult Initiative and serves as an advisor for the Doctor of Ministry in Strategic Leadership in Black Congregations. Reggie is Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Oikos Institute, helping congregations harness the power of their assets to be a catalyst for communal transformation and economic renewal.

Quotes

• “Not only do human beings have personhood, but objects, too. Objects are to be respected, and objects are to be learned from and to be revered. And the church itself, I mean, there is an energy to the place that teaches the one who would listen. And so what I share with people who come is that architecture is a form of rhetoric. Any sign, symbol or language that communicates is rhetorical." -Rev. William H. Lamar IV [20:35]

• “Humanity can learn what it means to be human. Every culture offers that from within its own particularity. So if we take that theological principle and understand that God is particularly, radically, offensively involved in the local, in the particular and the infinitesimal of human granular life, then we realize the church exists symbiotically with what surrounds what I think about this.” -Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount [31:36]

Episode Highlights  

• The Role of Place in Formation: Both guests underscore how deeply the places we inhabit inform our spiritual and communal lives.
• AME Tradition and Community: The African Methodist Episcopal Church’s emphasis on community engagement offers profound lessons in living out faith in local contexts.
• Innovative Local Ministry: Successful ministry innovation is deeply rooted in understanding and engaging the local community, fostering both spiritual and physical well-being.
• Theological Anthropology: Understanding God's relationship with humanity is essential for nurturing inclusive and neighborly relations within communities.
• Empowering Youth: The significance of allowing young people to lead and shape the future direction of the church is key to its vitality and relevance.

Timestamps

(01:30) Exploring The Power Of Place In Ministry

(07:15) The Influence of Place on Identity and Ministry

(11:44) The Spiritual and Cultural Significance of Place in AME Tradition

(24:16) Revitalizing Neighborhoods Through Church Collaboration and Social Capital

(30:00) The Sanctity and Importance of Local Pastoral Work

(37:11) Theological Anthropology and Its Impact on Community Engagement

(47:52) Youth Leadership as the Future of the Church

Links

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