Crisis of Faith:
When Belief Is Challenged
Monday Evening, October 25, 6:30-8:00pm CT via Zoom
Free of charge | Donations Welcomed
All of us own inward beliefs that shape our views, actions, and values. Spiritual awareness, in multiple diverse ways, is part of everyone’s human journey. What happens when our core beliefs get shattered by some calamity, some gross injustice, some broken dream, some disagreement with our faith community?
Join a panel of four individuals who will share what has impacted their spiritual journey, resulting in new, often unforeseen, expanded spirituality and a deeper regard for their own self-worth.
Panelists:
KRISTY JANENE SINKFIELD is the great-great-granddaughter of Mrs. Charlotte, the great-granddaughter of Mrs. Lucy Viola Jones, the granddaughter of Mrs. Ola Mae Robinson Webb, and the daughter of Mrs. Kathryn Beard Roberson Russell. The women and her family ancestry are the foundation of her spirituality, faith, courage, and strength. It is this foundation and her spiritual journey that guides her purpose. One purpose is to help guide others to a space and place of spiritual freedom, embracing life, to being whole, and to knowing who we truly are – the physical manifestation of the Divine.
Mrs. Sinkfield is Spiritual Director and a pastor’s wife. As a Spiritual Director, she works with individuals and small groups to guide them into knowing and living into their beauty and the wonder of being creations by God. In the church, she is a teacher, mentor, program leader and advisor, and former music director. She is often called on to speak on local and national platforms on the role of women leaders in the church as influencers. Her professional work experience includes serving as a leader at Allen University an HBCU in Columbia, SC, a strategist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), and as the newly appointed Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at VUMC. She is a community volunteer and an advocate for the underserved and underrepresented. She aspires to become a “Woodswoman,” who fosters children in natural, peace filled settings and to own/run a retreat center.
Kristy, married to Antoni for 32 years, has four children: Joshua and Michelle, Anah, and Tony (Antoni, Jr.). She is the “Gigi” to her three grand-gifts (from Joshua and Michelle) - August, Adelaide, and Auden.
THE REVEREND GENA DAVIS is an Episcopal priest, spiritual director, certified yoga teacher, advanced Amrit Yoga Nidra facilitator, advanced alchemy crystal bowl sound healer and meditation and retreat leader. Gena is the founder of YogaMass, an integrative approach of blending mind/body/spirit into worship, which she co-created with the Institute for Spirituality and Health and the members of Grace Episcopal Church Houston, where she was serving as the Vicar when YogaMass was borne. In 2017, Gena embarked on a journey outside the walls of the church to take the message of YogaMass to more people, including those outside of the Episcopal Church. She also published a book called YogaMass: Embodying Christ Consciousness. Her work in helping those who find their spirituality on the yoga mat and who worship in the Christian tradition has served as a bridge for many to embodied spirituality.
Gena serves in ministry in a unique way – through embodied spirituality and awakened Christ consciousness. Her experience has caused her an internal crisis of faith as her message in ministry is expansive beyond a particular Christian denomination -- and religious tradition -- to one that is deeply universal to all.
Gena also serves as a transformation guide for groups and individuals, providing spiritual mentoring with various energy and sound healing modalities for wholeness and healing. In 2020, Gena co-founded Crystal Bowl Gallery. Connect with Gena at GenaDavis.org, YogaMass.com and CrystalBowlGallery.com.
REV JONATHAN PAGE was called to be Senior Minister of First Congregational Church in August 2015. Educated at Harvard College and Yale Divinity School, Jon formerly served at the undergraduate chaplain at Harvard University’s Memorial Church under Rev. Peter Gomes and later as the Senior Minister of United Church of Christ-Congregational in Ames, Iowa.
Jon has a deep passion for social justice. While working at Harvard, he organized and led the “Right to Serve Tour,” a four state bus tour with protesting Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Also at Harvard he helped organize a major conference on climate change for 350.org. Since moving to Houston, Jon co-founded and was the first president of the Faith Leaders Coalition of Greater Houston, an organization of progressive faith leaders involved in political advocacy.
Jon is passionate about the role of progressive churches in 21st century American society and the power of churches to transform lives and our communities for the better. He is a former board member of the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Caucus, the LGBT group for Harvard alumni. Jon is openly gay and lives in Montrose.
Moderator: Dr. Virgil Fry
DR. VIRGIL FRYserves as the Director of ISH’s Interfaith Spiritual Care Coalition, an emergent alliance among faith communities and nonprofits to serve individuals whose spiritual resources are inadequate. Prior to joining ISH, he served as the Initial Executive Director for Lifeline Chaplaincy, a ministry to hospital patients and caregivers in multiple Texas major medical centers, for 36 years. He is author of two books, Disrupted: Finding God in Illness and Loss, and Rekindled: Warmed by Fires of Hope (Leafwood, 2007).
He also serves as adjunct professor for Abilene Christian University and Pepperdine University and is a frequent presenter for community and chaplaincy sessions on effective ministry with the seriously ill and grieving.