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Lenten Lunch
& Ecumenical Speaker SeriesWednesdays during Lent
Join us for our annual Lenten Lunch & Ecumenical Speaker Series (L.E.S.S.),
when we invite neighboring faith leaders across different denominations
to give a talk on a chosen topic.
This Lent, our theme is Spirit of Life.
Event Flyer
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Schedule
Soup & Salad Lunch
March 1
(freewill offering)
11:30 AM
Parish Hall
Prayer Service & Speaker Talk
12:15 PM
Worship Space
Speaker Schedule
Rev. Mr. R. Samuel "Sam" Rajaratnam
Good Shepherd United Methodist Church
March 8
Rev. Mary Anne Biggs
United Church of Christ
March 15
Amelia McDaniel
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
March 22
Rev. Ann D. Cherry
Laurel Presbyterian Church
March 29
Rev. Dr. John W. Kinney
Ebenezer Baptlst Church
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Speaker Bios
Associate Pastor
Talk: March 1
Rev. Dr. R. Samuel "Sam" Rajaratnam
Good Shepherd Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. R. Samuel "Sam" Rajaratnam is an ordained pastor serving in the United Methodist Church. He earned a Bachelor of Divinity from United Theological College, Bangalore, India, in 2014, under the Senate of Serampore University, and a Master of Theology in Biblical Studies from Union Presbyterian Seminary, Richmond, and a Doctorate of Ministry in pastoral care and counseling in family systems theory at Virginia Union University, Richmond.
Talk: March 8
Rev. Mary Anne Biggs
United Church of Christ
Rev. Mary Anne Biggs retired from ministerial service and moved to Richmond with her husband John after most recently serving at Oakland Christian United Church of Christ, Suffolk, for three years. She earned her Master of Divinity at Chicago Theological Seminary in 2007. The Texas native spent her first 12 years as an ordained minister in Wisconsin. Her first six years were at Nekoosa United Church of Christ, and the second six were at First Congregation United Church of Christ in Eagle River. She presently serves as Secretary of the Virginia Council of Churches.
Upon completion of RCIA, John was confirmed on September 2022, and he and Mary Ann joined St. Michael Parish, Glen Allen. Together they are Inquirers, seeking to become Richmond Oblates of the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia.
Lay Associate for Christian Formation
Talk: March 15
Amelia McDaniel
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
Amelia McDaniel has served as Christian Education Director and teacher to several congregations and an Episcopal Day School over the past 20 years. She began her career in Richmond at St. James's. Her travels have taken her to Raleigh, Alexandria, Nashville, and Baton Rouge. She is thrilled to be back in Richmond. Amelia is excited to be working with the children and families of St. Mary's Episcopal Church to continue to build upon its nurturing and family-friendly programs. Amelia grew up in Middle Tennessee and graduated from Sweet Briar College. She is engaged to be married this year to Steve Metzger. Together they have six children and one badly behaved Labrador.
Minister
Talk: March 22
Rev. Ann D. Cherry
Laurel Presbyterian Church
Rev. Ann D. Cherry grew up in New England and was educated at Elmira College (B.S.), Western Michigan University (M.A.), and Union Theological Seminary (M.Div.). She is currently working on her D.Min. at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She has three amazing sons and two sweet cats.
Ann was raised in the Episcopal Church and was led to the Presbyterian Church (USA), which she instantly loved. She finds the liturgy refreshing, because it is grounded in both our language and plight. She is a big fan of classical spiritual mysticism and describes herself as a contemplative minister. Her work at Austin is focused on thinking through how we might recapture God's love language and build an infrastructure to make love known through the local church.
Ann is drawn to the heart of Laurel Presbyterian Church as a beloved community of faith; a community that actively strives to see Christ in the other; a community of people who actively works to ground their faith in the nurture and care of their neighbor.
In her spare time, she is an avid learner, reader, swimmer, and eater. In the winter, she loves to huddle by a cozy fireplace, and in the summer, to be anywhere near water. She meditates and awkwardly attempts the Downward Dog.
Pastor
Talk: March 29
Rev. Mr. John W. Kinney
Ebenezer Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. John W. Kinney has devoted himself to the pursuit of excellence in theological training and minsterial preparation and has distinguished himself as a systematic theologian, academician, and administrator in a career that spans over 35 years. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia, and Virginia Union University, Richmond respectively. He earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University/Union Theological Seminary, New York. He also has shared instruction at Chicago Theology Seminary, Chicago; Randolph Macon College, Ashland; Union Theological Seminary, Richmond; and the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg.
Dr. Kinney has lectured extensively across the breadth of this nation and in Africa. He has been a featured lecturer at numerous universities and colleges. He also has presented at numerous theological schools. He is recognized for his theological constructions, addressing the designed harmony in creation and the subsequent fragmentation and separation with particular attention to racism, sexism, and materialism. His thoughts are included in several publications and crystallized in an article entitled The Theology of Fallenness: The Roots of Racism.
His commitment to the needs of the community at large is apparent by his avid participation in several professional societies and organizations. Dr. Kinney has served as a consultant to the American Baptist Convention, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the Progressive Natoinal Baptist Convention, the Baptist General Convention of Virginia, and both the U.S. Air Force and Navy Chaplian Corps. He has been a member of the American Society of Church History, the American Academy of Religion and the Society for the Study of Black Religion. He has served the larger community of theological educators through multiple leadership roles in the Association of Theological Schools in the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Kinney chaired the committee on Race and Ethnicity from 1998 to 2000. He served as a member on the Commission on Accrediting for the Assocation of Theological Schools in the U.S. and Canada from 2000 to 2006 and actively continued as Commission Chair (2004 - 2006), Vice President (2006 - 2008), President (2008 - 2010), and Personnel Committe Chair (2010 - 2012). His service to academia is complimented by his service to the parish. Dr. Kinney has served as the pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Beaverdam, Virginia, for more than 35 years.
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Contact
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Sarah Brockwellsbrockwellsaint-mikes.orgDirector | Faith Formation
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