The Embrace Conference is a two-day event focused on understanding and engaging the practice of racial reconciliation.
Hosted by Asbury’s office of Intercultural Affairs, the conference focuses on racial reconciliation and justice through a Wesleyan theological understanding.
“The Embrace Conference goes hand in hand with Initiative III of Imagine 2022- an initiative created to cultivate a culturally responsible Christian community that practices hospitality, mutuality, redemptive social action and grace-filled reconciliation,” said AVP for cultural affairs, Esther Jadhav.
Asbury University hosted its fifth annual Embrace Conference. This year’s focus was on the exploration of hospitality.
On Nov. 8-9, the conference met with the hope to build better members of the Asbury community and featured two keynote speakers, Bishop Claude Alexander and Dr. Mac Pier.
Alexander currently serves in a North Carolina church with a global ministry reaching thousands of people internationally and acts as a chair on the board for Christianity Today.
“However I feel welcome, how do I make someone else feel that way,” said Alexander. “It is also to see others as having something to offer that currently those with whom I am, do not.”
He wants to view others from a close proximity following their journey at Asbury.
Alexander also has co-authored a book, “Required: God’s Call to Justice, Mercy, and Humility to Overcome Racial Division” with Pier.
Pier cofounded Concerts of Prayer in 1988, which focuses to advance the power of prayer across New York City. He, along with author Tim Keller, co-founded the Church Multiplication Alliance, which focused on uniting prayer. According to Asbury, planting the church catalyzed 300% growth of evangelical Christianity in Manhattan.
Asbury also reported his biggest desire was for “gospel movements” to transform the lives of the most vulnerable citizens. In 2008, he founded The New York Leadership Center to catalyze and train Christian leaders. This eventually was renamed Movement.Org a little while later.
Pier said he was passionate to see the body of Christ come together across denominational, ethnic, geographical, and socio-economic lines.
The Embrace Conference intent is to “cultivate a culturally responsible Christian community that practices hospitality, mutuality, redemptive social action, and grace filled reconciliation.”
Dr. Esther Jadhav, who works with intercultural affairs, helped with the production of this event. She explained that “crossing cultural boundaries is a biblical sentiment.”
The objective of this annual event is to mix with the diverse populations and learn how to interact with people of a different culture, especially as students prepare for the workforce.
Dr. Brian Hull, professor of youth ministry, said the conference 2022 was a formative experience.
“Personally, I was challenged to exercise my agency more in all my spheres of life for justice,” he said. “Professionally, I was challenged to help students talk about and learn about issues of hospitality and racial justice more in the classroom.”
