Who Am I? And My Upcoming Travel
I grew up in the evangelical church of N America, in Canada, Northeast United States. Seen all its strengths, weathered its problems. Left it all in disgust for a good while. But came back to my roots to work for renewal, reinvigoration and transformation for the days that lie ahead.
My journey includes a.) doing a Ph.D at Northwestern University, b.) teaching in a large city church, c.) leading a small intentional community in the city of Chicago, planting a missional church, Life on the Vine Christian Community (of the Christian and Missionary Alliance) in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I spent time at a church planted by Life on the Vine pastoring and participating in life at Peace of Christ Community in Westmont IL. Through a series of events, God working in and through those events, I am now pastoring as one of 4 pastors at the Renew Church of Westmont IL I've been coaching missional church plants for years. I am still ordained as a pastor in Christian and Missionary Alliance. I helped start Missio Alliance many years ago (you can find some of my writings there, although I no longer serve on the board). I am part of the Theology Circle at Jesus Collective. I am affiliated with Fresh Expressions USA. Currently, I serve as the BR Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary, Lombard, IL. where I teach culture, theology, ethics and mission (cause they are all related). I head up the D.Min Contextual Theology and M.A. in Theology and Mission at Northern.
That whole journey, and experience, has given me numerous opportunities to speak, teach and challenge the church on engaging the contexts of the new post Christendom cultures of North America. I have spent most of my adult ministry/academic life asking the questions What is the church? Why do church? And how do we cultivate church to engage the challenges we are facing related to pluralism, injustice, racism, sexuality and gender, post Christendom, secularity, etc. I have written on all these subjects seeking to reimagine church as a way of life under the Lordship of Christ and His mission in the worlds we are living in.
My 10 books (except for my first one) are viewable under David E. Fitch on amazon (sorry, you don’t have to buy them there). My latest effort (with Gino Curcuruto) is Presence-Based Witness. If you've been a reader of this substack, or know me in other ways, and you're interested in having me come to speak, lead dialogue on any of these things, e-mail me HERE. I'll be sure to get back to you. Blessings to you all. Thanks for reading!!
Below is my currrent schedule, a sampling of my many speaking engagements over the years, and some promo pictures.
Current Speaking/Teaching Engagements
2025
February 10. 11 Renew Conference Canadian Mennonite Univ Winnipeg MB
Mar 18-19 Ascent Alexandria VA
April 27-29 Blue Ocean NAB Hyde Park Chicago IL
May 2,3 ABC Massachusetts Gathering Groton Mass.
July 4-8 LIFE Youth Conference Indianapolis IN
Aug 27 The Axiom Church, Phoenix Area
Sept 25-27 Rocky Mountain ABC Gathering Canon City CO
Oct 2-4 Dare to Defy: The Church in the Midst of Political Crisis- What 500 Years of Anabaptism Teaches Us. North Park Seminary
Sampling of Past Speaking Engagements
Eastern Michigan Churches of Nazarene Flint MI 2024
Unite Conference Jesus Collective St Paul MN. 2024
American Baptist Churches of Maine. 2024
Ambrose Univ 2024 Pastor's Conference Calgary AB. 2024
Dinner Church "The Power of The Table" Fresh Expressions Winter Park FL 2023
American Baptist Churches of the Central Region, Kansas City 2023
OHIO Leadership Conference Columbus Ohio 2022
Jesus Collective UNITE Conference Oakville ON 2022
Live the Word Communities of Practice/Fresh Expressions Virginia 2022
Equip Conference- Mennonite Brethren Canada 2021
McMaster Divinity College: Theological Education in the 21st Century Lecture 2021
American Baptist National Leadership Council 2021
Eastern Mennonite University - School For Leadership Conference 2021
CRC Resonate Global Mission Conference 2021
Heston College KS Leadership Conf. 2021
Central Plains Mennonite Conference 2021
Telos Collective Conference 2021
Malcolm R. Robertson Lectureship on Holy Living - Azusa Pacific University 2020
'Becoming a Transforming Church' Transforming Center - St Charles IL 2019
Mennonite USA General Assembly Kansas City 2019
AMIA Nat'l Gathering - Dallas 2018
Blue Ocean Event North American Baptist Pastors 2017,18,19
Telos Collective ACNA National Gathering 2017,18,19
Fresh Expressions USA National Gathering Wash DC
Timothy Eaton Memorial Church - Being Christian Conference - Toronto
Telos Collective C4SO 2018 Annual Gathering Chicago IL
EkklesiaProject 2017 'On The Way the Church Engages The World's Antagonisms'
Missie.nu Send Conference Netherlands
American Baptists Great Rivers District 2018 Annual Gathering
Forge Canada London/Toronto/Edmonton/Vancouver
Toccoa Falls College, Woerner Lectures 2018, Toccoa GA.
Alliance Theological Seminary Faithful Presence in the City, Manhattan
American Baptist Churches New Jersey Annual Gathering 2017
Okoboji Bible Conference 2017, Okoboji Lakes Iowa
Lectures - Reformation and Post Christendom Conference 2017 - McMaster Divinity School, Hamilton ON -
ACNA Telos Collective Gathering 2017 Orange Cty California
Canadian Baptists of Western Canada Pastors Gathering 2017. Banff AB
Fresh Expressions National Gathering 2016, Alexandria VA
Vital Church Planting Conference 2016, Toronto
The Praxis Gathering 2015/2016/2017/ Washington DC
SheLeads Conference Missio Alliance 2016 Chicago
Young, Restless and Always Reforming 2016 Philadelphia
Ministry in Motion Conference, United Church of Canada, 2015 Burlington Ontario
North Central Dist. C&MA Pastors Institute 2015 Big Sandy Camp Minnesota
Global Impact Weekend, Metro District C&MA, 2015 New Jersey
Evangelical Theological Society. Eastern Region Meetings, 2015 Philadelphia PA
American Baptist Pastors of Michigan Clergy Retreat 2015 - Lansing MI
Missio Alliance National Gathering 2015 Alexandria VA
Regent College 2015 Vancouver Summer Programs/ Public Lectures
V3 Movement The Praxis Gathering 2015 Washington DC
CBOQ Assembly (Canadian Baptists Ontario Quebec) 2014 Toronto ON *
Eastern Mennonite University - Lecture Series 2012 The Church’s "Politic of Fullness": How Ideology and Antagonism Work Against The Bold Witness of the Gospel *
Northeastern Seminary (Public Lectures 2012) The Radical Future of the Church in N America Rochester NY *
American Baptist Pastors of Maine Annual Gathering 2014*
Ministers' Council of American Baptists Indianapolis, Indiana and Kentucky 2014.*
Church and Post-Christian Culture Conference - Missio Alliance. Carlisle PA.2014
ReChurch Conference- Anglican Diocese of Niagra 2014*
Slow Church Conference. Englewood Church* Indianapolis. 2014
Inhabit (Parish Collective) Conference 2012 Seattle *
Great Rivers American Baptist Ministers Conference 2012, Peoria IL*
CRC Campus Ministers Association National Conference 2014* Chicago
Biblical Seminary Commencement 2012, Hatfield PA*
SENT-tralized Conference Kansas City MO 2012*
The Conference on Christianity and Consumerism in Minneapolis
Resonate Echo Hamilton Ontario*
C&MA 2006 General Assembly in Edmonton
American Baptist Prairie Pastor's Conference 2014* Omaha
Foursquare Great Lakes pastor's conference in Minneapolis 2006
Evolving Church Conference. 2007 Oakville, Ontario. "Justice in but not of Capitalism."
Grow Center for Biblical Leadership, "Postmodernity as good news for the church."*
C&MA Council 2007 in Orlando "Postmodernity as Good News for the Church"
Faith and War, Three Views Conference Congregational Church of Batavia.*
Cultivate Gathering 2007 in Hamilton Ontario.*
The Ecclesia National Gathering" 2007- Chevy Chase MD*
C&MA Midwest District Conference "Church planting and Evangelism in post-Christendom Contexts"*
C&MA Eastern PA District 2008 "Exegeting Culture" Training Seminars*
2008 AEF Conference Northern Seminary -Can Evangelicalism and Capitalism (Not) Get Along?*
The Christian Theological Research Fellowship at 2008 AAR on "Contesting Evangelicalism"*
2009 The Evolving Church Conference Oakville Ont.
Western Theological Seminary's Center for Continual Learning JOURNEY*
Nazarene Theological Seminary: 2009 Missional Communities in a Changing Culture (4 lectures)*
National OutReach Convention 2010 San Diego California
Through the Consuming Fire Gathering: Economic Faithfulness in an Age of Consumerism Indianapolis
Breakforth 2010 Edmonton Alberta
Northern Illinois District Conference 2009 Lutheran Church Missouri Synod*
Canadian Church Planting Congress 2009 Winnipeg*
Fresh Expressions Conference 2011 East Coast*
Inhabit Conference 2011 - Seattle*
Field Forum for International Workers C&MA 2010 Limoges France*
Ambrose University College Murray Downing Lectures 2010 Calgary AB*
Present-tensions Conference - 2010 Toronto*
Missio Alliance National Gathering 2013, Alexandria Va.*
In Good Faith: Catholic Theological Union 2013. "On Religious Liberty and the Common Good"* Chicago, IL
Bethany College Discipleship Week 2013 Saskatoon Sask*. Canada
Church of the Brethren Regional Pastors Conferences 2013 (OH-IN)
In Bold = Academic Presentations (excluding AAR or Soc of Christian Ethics)
For promo pictures, feel free to email me or send me a message via this substack. :) Thanks
