August 2, 2024 by Chris Kamalski, Oneya Okuwobi
Finding Our Voice: Introducing the 2024 Writing Fellows Cohort

"Missio's vision for our pilot Writing Fellows Cohort is to create a brave space for a cohort of historically marginalized voices within the Church to develop, mature, and flourish as writers exploring their vocational callings within this cultural moment. Our upcoming pieces aim to do just that."

"Missio's vision for our pilot Writing Fellows Cohort is to create a brave space for a cohort of historically marginalized voices within the Church to develop, mature, and flourish as writers exploring their vocational callings within this cultural moment. Our upcoming pieces aim to do just that."

“Marginalized people most starkly see the gap between the world we inhabit and the world we’d like to see – one that fully reflects the kingdom of God. When we write, we write into existence what we are hoping for, giving us all the vision and courage to join hands, work, and pray for it. That’s why this cohort matters.”

~Dr. Oneya Okuwobi, Lead Mentor for Writing Fellows

Missio Alliance’s Writing Collective creates a safe space for brave conversations to flourish through deep theological reflection, perceptive cultural analysis, and an honest witness as the global Church. Anchored by a diverse group of Leading Voices, our Featured Writers and the 2024 Writing Fellows Cohort cultivate a safe space for profound theological reflection, insightful cultural analysis, and authentic witness to the global Church. Our writing centers on the holistic integration of three key areas: Formation, Justice, and Mission.

Missio’s Writing Fellows Cohort exists to create a brave space for a cohort of historically marginalized voices within the Church to develop, mature, and flourish as writers exploring their vocational callings within this cultural moment. Our pilot Writing Fellows Cohort launched in March 2024 and runs through October of this year. Twelve Writing Fellows have pressed into life together with specific attention focused on how to find their unique voices in their writing.

These amazing, mature Writing Fellows are a wonderful slice of Kingdom diversity:

Spanning the West Coast to the Eastern Seaboard of America, with our first Canadian Writing Fellow: Two from California and Ohio, One from Texas, Minnesota, Illinois, Georgia (via Maryland), North Carolina, Virginia, and Massachusetts. Making sure that our Writing Fellows remember that North America is a continent, one hails from Saskatchewan as well!
Ten are female, two are male. This is wonderful, as women are historically marginalized within the publishing industry.
A beautiful ethnic diversity exists among our Cohort, which you can read more about in the words of our Writing Fellows, right here.
Denominational difference and Church distinction is present amongst us: Baptist, Non-Denominational, Presbyterian, young church plants, collegiate parachurch ministries, non-profit community development and advocacy organizations, house churches, with some Charismatic flavor thrown in for good mix!
Countless Educational, Pastoral, Christian Leadership, and Professional Specialization niches exist in our midst.

If you want to learn more about our 2024 Writing Fellows, please download this ‘get-to-know-you’ welcome PDF published earlier this year.

We could go on, but the purpose of this writing is to introduce you to our Writing Fellows’ actual writing voices, and so with great honor and anticipation, we look forward to their first pieces publishing over the course of the late summer, throughout August and September 2024.

Our first ten Writing Fellows have published their initial pieces so far throughout the past few months:

Amanda Hecht, writing on the challenges and beauty of pastoring a church in decline: “Walking Towards Shalom: Hospice Wisdom for a Declining Church“
Amber Jones, encapsulating this current divisive moment in our culture with an invitation towards the common good: “The Common Good: What Is Freedom For?“
Cheryl You, writing on how pastors must wrestle with the impact of trauma: “The Ongoing Journey of Becoming a Trauma-Informed Pastor“
Emily Beth Hill, exploring the inherent problems with viewing Jesus as your company’s leader: “Jesus as CEO (and Other Unhelpful Leadership Metaphors)“
Vatreisha Nyemba, reframing what faithful mission in your city can look like: “Arise and Shine: Missional Living that Boldly Confronts“
Ben Park, on a surprisingly formative experience he recently had while shopping at Costco: “The Costco Run: Confronting My True Self“
Sherene Joseph, writing about how our transformation comes in the normal moments of life: “Spiritual Formation In My Mundane (Actual) Life“
Bethany Becker, wrestling with holistic restoration for victims of sexual abuse: “Restoring A Masterpiece: God’s Tender Care For Sexual Assault Victims“
Liliana Reza, reflecting on how deeply her small immigrant Latina church created spaces of welcome, hospitality, and belonging for families: “Acompañamiento: The Sacred Between Us“
Lamont Hartman, on pastoring a multi-ethnic church in a healthy manner as a Person of Color: “Coping with Persistent Relational Isolation as a Pastor of Color“

Please bookmark this post, returning frequently as pieces go live.

With great anticipation,

Dr. Chris Kamalski, Editorial Director / Writing Fellows Cohort Director

Dr. Oneya Okuwobi, Lead Mentor for 2024 Writing Fellows Cohort

P.S. If you are interested in a future Writing Fellows Cohort, please email us at editor@missioalliance.org.

Chris Kamalski

Chris Kamalski facilitates space for Missio’s Writing Collective to thrive as Editorial Director, shaping both words and ideas to help our writers find and use their unique voice within the global Church. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he has lived in South Africa since 2009, married to Maxie, an Afrikaans South African. They have two amazing girls, Mia and Clara, and a furry son named Wally (their beloved Scottish terrier). Chris’s work and calling lies at the intersection of the holistic spiritual formation and leadership development of Christian leaders, particularly under-resourced leaders from the global south. He is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and long-time Spiritual Director with a D.Min in Leadership & Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary.

Oneya Okuwobi

Dr. Oneya Fennell Okuwobi is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Cincinnati. Her research interrogates how diverse organizations (including churches) affect racial inequality. Oneya serves as teaching pastor at 21st Century Church, a church plant in Cincinnati, OH. She has co-authored Multiethnic Conversations: An Eight-Week Journey Toward Unity in Your Church (2016) and Multiethnic Conversations for Kids (2022). Oneya’s work has appeared in American Sociological Review, Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, and Sociology of Religion, among other venues. Prior to joining the University of Cincinnati, Oneya served as a Rice University Academy Postdoctoral Fellow with the Religion and Public Life Program. Oneya is married to Dele Okuwobi, and has one daughter, Cadence.