Oneya Okuwobi

Oneya Fennell Okuwobi is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Cincinnati. She also serves as teaching pastor at 21st Century Church, a church plant in Cincinnati, OH. You can find Oneya at oneyaokuwobi@bsky.social or oneyaokuwobi.com. Oneya is the author of Who Pays For Diversity? (2025) and has co-authored Multiethnic Conversations: An Eight-Week Journey Toward Unity in Your Church (2016) and Multiethnic Conversations for Kids (2022). She is married to Dele and has one daughter, Cadence. 

Latest Articles

Featured image for “I Set Out to End Racism and Failed”
Oneya Okuwobi

I Set Out to End Racism and Failed

Featured image for “I Thirst”
Julius Shumpert

I Thirst

Featured image for “An Unwasted Witness: Depression, Tears, and the Kingdom of God”
Katelyn J. Dixon

An Unwasted Witness: Depression, Tears, and the Kingdom of God

Featured image for “The Mothering Love of God: Our Unacknowledged Longing”
Amber H. Jones

The Mothering Love of God: Our Unacknowledged Longing

Featured image for “The Borderlands: What Will We Do?”
Liliana Reza

The Borderlands: What Will We Do?

Featured image for “Reflections on Awakenings 2025 from The Englewood Review of Books”
Christopher Smith

Lindsey Cornett

Reflections on Awakenings 2025 from The Englewood Review of Books

Featured image for “What If We Gave It All Back?: Awakenings 2025 Day 2”
Missio Alliance

What If We Gave It All Back?: Awakenings 2025 Day 2

Featured image for “Lace Up Your Jordans: Awakenings 2025 Day 1”
Missio Alliance

Lace Up Your Jordans: Awakenings 2025 Day 1

Featured image for “The Future of Digital Ecclesiology”
Mark Lutz

The Future of Digital Ecclesiology

Featured image for “Remembering For the Sake of Our Souls”
Amanda Hecht

Remembering For the Sake of Our Souls

Featured image for “Jesus As Entrepreneur (and Other Unhelpful Leadership Metaphors)”
Emily Beth Hill

Jesus As Entrepreneur (and Other Unhelpful Leadership Metaphors)

Featured image for “Learning a Better Way to Practice Mission”
Dishon Mills

Learning a Better Way to Practice Mission

Featured image for “The Immigrant Canary Stuck in the American Evangelical Coal Mine”
Daniel Yang

The Immigrant Canary Stuck in the American Evangelical Coal Mine

Featured image for “Faithful Mission Through The Chaos (Part 2)”
David Swanson

Faithful Mission Through The Chaos (Part 2)

Featured image for “Faithful Mission Through The Chaos (Part 1)”
David Swanson

Faithful Mission Through The Chaos (Part 1)

Featured image for “Character (Still) Matters”
Jamie Cowen

Character (Still) Matters

Featured image for “Discerning 2024: Our Leading Voices”
Missio Alliance

Discerning 2024: Our Leading Voices

Featured image for “Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 3)”
Amber H. Jones

Sherene Joseph

Bethany Becker

Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 3)

Featured image for “Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 2)”
Amanda Hecht

Benjamin Park

Emily Beth Hill

Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 2)

Featured image for “Sexism in the Church Decreases Missional Effectiveness”
Heather Matthews

Sexism in the Church Decreases Missional Effectiveness

Featured image for “Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 1)”
Vatreisha Nyemba

Lamont Hartman

Cheryl You

Reflections on Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church (Pt. 1)

Featured image for “Radical Discomfort: The Crux of Incarnational Mission”
Steph Armstrong

Radical Discomfort: The Crux of Incarnational Mission

Featured image for “Does Character Matter in Our President?”
MaryKate Morse

Does Character Matter in Our President?

Featured image for “Christianity’s Growing Cultural Identity Crisis”
Robert Chao Romero

Christianity’s Growing Cultural Identity Crisis

Featured image for “Biblical Justice Includes Justice for Women”
Heather Matthews

Biblical Justice Includes Justice for Women

Featured image for “Faithful Responses to Election Results”
Miranda Zapor Cruz

Faithful Responses to Election Results

Featured image for “Rise Above: Why Politics Matter, But Not As Much As Your Soul”
Derek Vreeland

Rise Above: Why Politics Matter, But Not As Much As Your Soul

Featured image for “We Are Not Exiles; We Are Babylon”
Seth Richardson

We Are Not Exiles; We Are Babylon

Featured image for “Agreeing with Time: The Art of Dying Well”
Sean Palmer

Agreeing with Time: The Art of Dying Well

Featured image for “Rewilding the Mission of the Church”
Rowland Smith

Rewilding the Mission of the Church

Featured image for “Who Gets the Bigger Share of God’s Love?”
MaryKate Morse

Who Gets the Bigger Share of God’s Love?

Featured image for “The Theology of a ‘Bombera’”
Mayra Ramos

The Theology of a ‘Bombera’

Featured image for “Faithful Approaches to Politics”
Miranda Zapor Cruz

Faithful Approaches to Politics

Featured image for “Reconciling to Place”
David Swanson

Reconciling to Place

Featured image for “Can Christian Leaders Hope to Flourish?”
Mandy Smith

Can Christian Leaders Hope to Flourish?

Featured image for “Racism Hinders Spiritual Formation”
Nicole Doyley

Racism Hinders Spiritual Formation

Featured image for “Coping with Persistent Relational Isolation as a Pastor of Color”
Lamont Hartman

Coping with Persistent Relational Isolation as a Pastor of Color

Featured image for “El Encanto Latino: Un Regalo Para La Iglesia”
Gaby Viesca

Lisa Rodriguez-Watson

El Encanto Latino: Un Regalo Para La Iglesia

Featured image for “The Latino Encanto: Gifts for the Church”
Gaby Viesca

Lisa Rodriguez-Watson

The Latino Encanto: Gifts for the Church

Featured image for “Acompañamiento: The Sacred Between Us”
Liliana Reza

Acompañamiento: The Sacred Between Us

Featured image for “Restoring A Masterpiece: God’s Tender Care For Sexual Assault Victims”
Bethany Becker

Restoring A Masterpiece: God’s Tender Care For Sexual Assault Victims

Featured image for “Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church”
Missio Alliance

Wholeness and Beauty in the Life of the Church

Featured image for “The Costco Run: Confronting My True Self”
Benjamin Park

The Costco Run: Confronting My True Self

Featured image for “Every Woman Has a Story (of Sexism)”
Heather Matthews

Every Woman Has a Story (of Sexism)

Featured image for “Arise and Shine: Missional Living that Boldly Confronts”
Vatreisha Nyemba

Arise and Shine: Missional Living that Boldly Confronts

Featured image for “My Country Isn’t The Kingdom”
Miranda Zapor Cruz

My Country Isn’t The Kingdom

Featured image for “Jesus as CEO (and Other Unhelpful Leadership Metaphors)”
Emily Beth Hill

Jesus as CEO (and Other Unhelpful Leadership Metaphors)

Featured image for “The Common Good: What is Freedom For?”
Amber H. Jones

The Common Good: What is Freedom For?

Featured image for “What Art Does: An Artmaker’s Wisdom on Life and Leadership”
Mandy Smith

What Art Does: An Artmaker’s Wisdom on Life and Leadership

Featured image for “Seek the Welfare of the City”
Chris Kamalski

Seek the Welfare of the City

Featured image for “Listening to Black Voices Experiencing Oppression”
Dennis R. Edwards

Listening to Black Voices Experiencing Oppression

Featured image for “A False Dichotomy: Am I Black or Am I Christian?”
Joylanda Jamison

A False Dichotomy: Am I Black or Am I Christian?

Featured image for “Walking Amongst Our Dry Bones”
Alex Booker

Walking Amongst Our Dry Bones

Featured image for “Flourishing and Cruciformity: Paradoxical Tensions in the Christian Life”
Sahr Mbriwa

Flourishing and Cruciformity: Paradoxical Tensions in the Christian Life

Featured image for “Why Haven’t We Made More Progress?”
Nicole Doyley

Why Haven’t We Made More Progress?

Featured image for “Every Bombed Village Is My Hometown”
Todd Deatherage

Every Bombed Village Is My Hometown

Featured image for “Standing in the Middle of the World: A Bicultural Story of Finding Belonging”
Prasanta Verma

Standing in the Middle of the World: A Bicultural Story of Finding Belonging

Featured image for “Assimilation Displaces, and the Church is Complicit”
Eun Strawser

Assimilation Displaces, and the Church is Complicit

Featured image for “Dismantling Patriarchy to Recover the Blessed Alliance (Part 2)”
Carolyn Custis James

Dismantling Patriarchy to Recover the Blessed Alliance (Part 2)

Featured image for “Dismantling Patriarchy to Recover the Blessed Alliance (Part 1)”
Carolyn Custis James

Dismantling Patriarchy to Recover the Blessed Alliance (Part 1)