Active listening and motivational interviewing can be powerful tools in promoting racial reconciliation. Active listening involves fully focusing on and understanding a person's perspective: emoting oneself to listen without judgment or interruption. Motivational interviewing is an empowering, collaborative, and empathetic approach designed to help people find within themselves the motivation to move toward becoming the person God calls them to be.

In the context of racial reconciliation, active listening can help individuals better understand the experiences and perspectives of others from different backgrounds. By genuinely listening to and empathizing with these experiences, we can begin to build bridges of understanding and being about reconciliation. Motivational interviewing can also promote racial reconciliation by helping individuals explore their motivations for change. People might explore personal biases and prejudices and identify the benefits of working toward reconciliation and building a more inclusive, beloved community.

Join Recovery Coach Professionals Pastor John R. Unger II and Marti Steiner Unger as we focus on listening with love by learning and practicing the skills of active listening and motivational interviewing in life.

Rev. John R. Unger II Bio: 

Rev. John R. Unger II is a social entrepreneur and spiritual coach utilizing an adaptive, servant-leadership approach through theology, asset-based Rev. John R. Unger II is a social entrepreneur and spiritual coach utilizing an adaptive, servant-leadership approach through theology, asset-based community development (ABCD), restorative justice, and public service. A Rhodes Scholar, Pastor Unger worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India, to provide care to the poorest of the poor and emergency relief for Kurdish refugees, orphanages, children's hospitals, senior care homes, and homes for the mentally disabled in Iraq during the wars. Pastor Unger is a pastor and priest of three historic Harpers Ferry Civil War churches of three denominations (Lutheran, Episcopal, and United Methodist). As a Recovery/Life  Coach Professional / Master Facilitator and a WRAP I facilitator, Pastor Unger started in Appalachia the Greater Recovery and Community Empowerment (GRaCE) where he helped train over 4,000 recovery/life coaches and peer recovery support specialists who work to address trauma, addiction, and mental illness in their communities. He also serves as Senior Advisor to the White House Executive Office of the President (EOP) and Special Senior Advisor to the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), engaging and coordinating international faith leaders in an international interfaith coalition to address the global synthetic drug threat and assisting rural communities on trauma, addiction, and mental health integrated approaches that save lives.

Marti Steiner Unger Bio:

Marti Steiner Unger received her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Glenville State University.  She is a Recovery Coach Professional, GRaCE Recovery Coach/Life Coach Master Facilitator, and a WRAP I facilitator. Marti is co-founder and Executive Director of Greater Recovery and Community Empowerment (GRaCE), a 501c3 nonprofit organization that, in conjunction with higher education, trains, empowers and connects Recovery/Life/Youth/Nurse Health Coaches (www.StrengthInGRaCE.com). She is an award winning film director, author, composer, the mom of five amazing people, and is the caregiver of 100,000 honeybees. Marti is a member of Mt Zion Episcopal Church, in Hedgesville WV, a graduate of the WV Iona Collaborative (Seminary of the Southwest) and currently a candidate for ordination for the Episcopal Diocese of WV.

Bishop Ortiz will moderate a discussion with the newly formed Reconciling in Christ Team Lead and leaders from two congregations who have recently gone through the RIC process to provide insight into how to begin the RIC process and how to prepare for potential pitfalls.

Panelists: Rev. Lynn Miller-King of Kings, Philip Moeller-RIC Team Lead, Rev. Tony Prinsen-Emmanuel Lutheran

All organizations have cultures with components having their own related subcultures. As a leader you will find yourself facing questions regarding culture at various levels – your church, the Synod, and the ELCA. Starting with Biblical/Church cultural shifts as an illustration, the workshop will present basic concepts and overview of the Cultural Shift Racial Equity Goals. A framework for discussing readiness for shifting cultures, the nature of resistance, and developing strategies for success will be presented. Discussion will include cultural topics such as assimilation, valuing differences, and facilitating factors for effecting change.

Duke Taylor
Member of the Racial Equity Audit Strategic Planning Team

Speaker Bio: 

Duke Taylor is a retired Federal/Naval Human Factors/Organizational Psychologist. He received his BS in Psychology with minor in Theatre from Lincoln University of MO and his MA in Clinical Psych & PhD in Experimental Psych from the University of New Mexico. The former is an Historically Black College/University and the latter is a Hispanic Serving Institution. The taught at Lincoln University before joining the US Navy as an Aerospace Experimental Psychologist. He left active duty to join the Federal Aviation Administration where he worked in human resource strategic planning, diversity, civil rights, minority outreach, human resource management, and Freedom of Information Act management.