Radical Welcome: Embracing God, The Other, and the Spirit of Transformation

For the fifteenth anniversary of its publication, this revised edition features a new introduction from the author on the state of the church and its “radical welcome” today, along with new reflections on how it continues to reshape the church.

This book is at once a theological, inspirational, and practical guide for congregations that want to move beyond diversity and inclusion to present a vision for the church of the future: one where the gifts, voices, and power of marginalized groups bring new life to the mainline church. Based on two years of work and over 200 interviews with people in congregations all around the United States―in urban, suburban, and rural settings―it asks the question: How do we face our fears and welcome transformation in order to become God’s radically welcoming people?

Each chapter introduces a particular congregation and the challenges it faced, and lays out the theological underpinnings of tackling fears head-on to embrace change as a welcome part of community life. This new edition features essays from Michael B. Curry, Mark Bozzuti-Jones, Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, and Mark Richardson.

Stephanie Spellers an Episcopal priest and the author of The Church Cracked Open, The Episcopal Way, and Radical Welcome. After nearly a decade working alongside the former Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, she is now Canon in Residence at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York. A former religion journalist and graduate of both Episcopal Divinity School and Harvard Divinity School, she lives in Harlem, New York. Keep up with her work, study guides, and book tour at https://stephaniespellers.com/church-tomorrow.

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry is the Episcopal Church’s 27th Presiding Bishop. He was the Bishop of North Carolina from 2000 to 2015. Bishop Curry has a national preaching and teaching ministry and is a regular on TV and radio and a frequent speaker at conferences around the country. His books include Crazy Christians: A Call to Follow Jesus; Following the Way of Jesus: Church’s Teachings for a Changing World; and Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times.

Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones is the priest and director of spiritual formation of Trinity Church Wall Street’s Retreat Center in West Cornwall, Connecticut. He is an avid reader, award-winning author, and popular speaker, and has taught at elementary and university levels. A former Jesuit priest, Dr. Bozuzuti-Jones has missionary experience in Belize, Brazil, and Guyana. He lives in West Cornwall, CT.

Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows is the first black woman to be elected a diocesan bishop in the Episcopal Church. She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.