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Education as invitation

“If there is any concept worth restoring to its original depth and evocative potential, it is the concept of hospitality.”   – Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out, The Three Movements of Spiritual Life

“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” – Hebrews 13:1-2

Christian hospitality is a powerful expression of the gospel. It demonstrates the tangible gifts of grace that are extended to us by God through others. Throughout the history of the West, the church has profoundly impacted the culture through simple practices like providing shelter and sharing meals. Christian communities, like classical Christian schools, are places where hospitable practices should be embodied and extended. In a deeply divided culture, hospitality is a sacred practice that carries life-affirming significance.

So how do we recover the sacred tradition of welcoming the stranger? What does hospitality have to do with classical Christian education? What does it mean for cultural renewal? Join us for a gathering of classical Christian educators from around the world as we consider what it means to build school communities and welcome the outside through biblical hospitality.

Over two days, we’ll explore:

  • the ancient and Biblical practice of hospitality
  • the history and large-scale demise of hospitality
  • how hospitality helps redeem human dignity
  • how hospitality can lead to cultural renewal
  • what this all means for you and your school

 

We welcome you to come join us for learning, connection, and inspiration at the 2024 SCL Summer Conference.

Plenary Speakers

Aaron Howard

Founder & CEO

Hospitality and the Gospel

Christopher Perrin

Author, Consultant

Education as Hospitality & Healing

Philippa Stroud

Baroness, House of Lords

Sowing the Seeds of Cultural Renewal, Part I

David Stroud

Founder & Leader

Sowing the Seeds of Cultural Renewal, Part II

Pre-Conference

Wednesday, June 12

Focused on helping you navigate the important issues in our world and in our schools, this in-depth day of learning features workshops that take a deep dive into a specific topic. With interactive discussion and teaching designed for teachers and administrators, you’ll leave equipped with the practical knowledge you need for day-to-day school life. A new schedule this year allows you to drive or fly in Wednesday morning if needed. Pre-conference sessions will run 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm.

Pre-conference ticket sold separately.

School Culture & the Family

Davies-Owens

Davies Owens

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Keith McCurdy

10 Principles of Classical Pedagogy

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Christopher Perrin

carrie_eben

Carrie Eben

Davies Owens & Keith McCurdy

School Culture & the Family

Dr. Christopher Perrin & Carrie Eben

10 principles of classical pedagogy

leadership & governance

William R. Mott, PhD

Collaborative Schools

Starrla Fowler

William r. Mott, PhD

Leadership & Governance

starrla fowler

Collaborative Schools

Schedule

– The conference schedule is listed in US Eastern Time (ET) –
– All scheduling in Whova will be in your local time zone –

NATIONAL MALL WALKING TOUR WITH CIVITAS TOURS

NATIONAL MALL WALKING TOUR WITH CIVITAS TOURS

Embark on a captivating journey with Civitas Tours through the heart of Washington D.C. Join experienced guides, David and Abbey Vogt, on a meticulously planned walking tour of iconic monuments and memorials. Explore the rich history of the National Mall, from the creation of D.C. to landmarks like the Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, MLK Jr. Memorial, and more. Capture the essence of each site with opportunities to read, explore, and photograph. As we stroll by Smithsonian buildings and the US Capitol, relish highlights and photo ops. Enjoy a provided lunch, ensure comfy shoes, and discover the capital’s gems from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. 

  •     Saturday, June 15, 2024, 9 AM – 6 PM
  •     Cost is $50 per person and includes lunch
  •     Tour starts and ends at the Smithsonian Metro on the National Mall.
  •     Lots of walking—wear comfortable shoes
  •     Bring your water bottle
  •     Lunch provided
  •     All ages welcome, capable of walking all day

KleerCard Special Discount

$100 off every SCL Summer Conference ticket purchased using a KleerCard! Sign up for KleerCard here. To take advantage of this fantastic offer, simply use your KleerCard to pay for your summer conference tickets. KleerCard will automatically apply the $100 credit (per ticket) to your KleerCard account.

TICKET OPTIONS

Early Bird Deadline: May 1, 2024

**Start-up school (years 0 – 3) special running through the end of March!**

Preconference

$ 159 PER TICKET
  • Non-Member Price: $179
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  • Group Pricing (4+)
  • Member: $129
  • Non-Member: $149
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Early Bird

IN-Person

$ 429 PER TICKET
  • Non-Member Price: $479
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  • Group Pricing (10+)
  • Member: $419
  • Non-Member: $459
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  • Start-Up School (Year 0-3):
  • Member: $359
  • Non-Member: $449
Early Bird

Virtual

$ 149 PER TICKET
  • Non-Member Price: $169
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  • Group Pricing (10+)
  • Member: $129
  • Non-Member: $149
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Early Bird

Password required for member registration. Members can find this password in their membership portal on the main SCL website.

Want to pay member prices and join the SCL community? Become a Member!

Monuments by Moonlight Tour

Monuments by Moonlight Tour

Free Tour to First 100 SCL Members Who Register

Be one of the first 100 people to purchase your summer conference ticket and receive a free tour of Washington D.C. through Joshua Expeditions!  

This special guided tour will take place on Wednesday night (6/12), starting at the Gaylord National Harbor, from 7-10pm. This offer is for SCL members only and there is a cap of 10 seats per school.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS AND SPONSORS!

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS AND SPONSORS!

title partners

Platinum partners

FAQs

In response to feedback and to maximize convenience, we’ve optimized this year’s schedule by reallocating Saturday breakout sessions to Thursday and Friday, and postponing the start of Pre-Conference, while introducing additional optional events on Wednesday and Saturday. This adjustment offers enhanced travel flexibility for schools, additional optional events, while ensuring access to the same comprehensive range of sessions (84+) with improved scheduling options.


Make the Most of It All
In addition to the Joshua Expedition tour Wednesday evening, Civitas Tours is offering an incredible opportunity to tour D.C. on Saturday for only $50 with lunch included. Bring your team or family and explore D.C. for the weekend. Or simply stay around Saturday morning and reserve space in one of our Gaylord rooms for a team gathering. Make the most of each day Wed-Sat!


Beat the Budget
We hope the new condensed schedule will allow you to stay as long or as little as you like, making this as affordable as possible to as many as possible. For the PreConference, drive or fly in Wednesday morning, without adding a night’s stay. For the Main Conference, fly or drive in Wednesday night and leave Friday night while still making all Main Stage & Breakout sessions. 

For questions related to group ticket purchases, contact Marissa Yanaga at marissa@societyforclassicallearning.org.

Breakout sessions applications closed in February. Look out for an email in the future to apply for next year’s conference!

Submit this interest form and Lauren Key will connect with you.

Whova is our all-in-one conference app where you can access the following: full schedule, speaker and breakout info, virtual sessions, exhibitor booths, sponsor info, job boards, community chat, and more!

The Whova App is a must for both in-person and virtual attendees.

You can buy a ticket for each member of your team: faculty, administration, staff, and board.

All tickets (including in-person) have access to livestreams and recordings through the Whova app for 90 days following the conference.

Click here to become a member and qualify for our member discount for conference tickets!

This year the conference will be at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort & Convention. Reservations can be made through the online reservation link or directly with the hotel at (301) 965-4000.

Please contact Marissa Yanaga (marissa@societyforclassicallearning.org) for assistance with payment plans.

  • The SCL summer conference livestream will include all plenary sessions and a minimum of 35 breakout sessions organized within the following categories: leadership and governance; upper school; lower school; CCE philosophy and culture.  Recordings for many sessions not included in the live stream will be available after the conference. 

 For registration and payment questions, contact Marissa Yanaga at marissa@societyforclassicallearning.org. For conference questions, contact Sarah Spencer at sarah@societyforclassicallearning.org!

© 2024 The Society for Classical Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Aaron howard

Founder & CEO

Session: Hospitality and the Gospel

Session Abstract

Hospitality, in cultures around the world, is an esteemed and treasured virtue. The ancient Greeks viewed hospitality, called xenia in Greek, as a foundational part of their culture, and Zeus was sometimes called Zeus Xenios, or “protector of strangers.” The Center for Western Studies states, “all the problems in the Odyssey were caused by poor xenia.” Hospitality preserved the relationships and social cooperation necessary in a rapidly expanding society.

Similarly, ancient Jewish culture valued hospitality and considered it a divine imperative. From the inception of the Jewish nation in God’s covenant with Abraham, kindness and compassion toward strangers was of preeminent importance. In the New Testament, as the people of Israel begin to share the gospel with their neighbors, they are encouraged to remain hospitable. For example, Hebrews 13:2 encourages believers, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

In a culture that remains politically, religiously, culturally, and racially divided, what can classical education learn from the ancient Greek, Jewish, and Christian traditions? How can classical education demonstrate a model of hospitality that promotes the best of these traditions to disrupt and overcome the division that plagues our society? What are some themes, ideas, and practices we should keep in mind? 

Biography

Aaron Howard is Founder and CEO of As One Christian Diversity Staffing, a consulting and recruiting organization that provides biblical solutions to Christian schools, universities, and organizations pursuing kingdom diversity and belonging. He has over twenty-five years experience serving in leadership roles in diverse schools, organizations, and churches. He will begin serving this fall as Assistant Professor of Ethics, Reconciliation, and Worship at Lipscomb University. He currently serves as Director of Diversity, Community, and Inclusion at Franklin Road Academy, an independent Christian school in Nashville, TN.

Dr. Howard received his Ph.D. in Ethics and Society from Vanderbilt University, an MA in Theology, Biblical Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, an MA in Education from San Diego State University, and a BA in Anthropology from UCLA. He also completed a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

Christopher perrin

author & consultant

Session: Education as hospitality and healing

Session Abstract

Mortimer Adler quipped that if a classical education was the best for a few then it is the best for all. If Adler is right, then a classical education is a human education that will bless and benefit any human being that receives it. Should Christians then seek to give this blessed education to all who seek it? The old monastic schools would often receive and educate “externs”–those who came to the monastery seeking an education but who were not planning to seek religious orders. Benedictine monasteries would receive the traveling stranger as Christ and offer hospitality; some extended this hospitality by offering an education. What greater gift can be offered? If progressive education has made us all weary travelers seeking rest, then are not all of us in need of the healing and hospitality that we can call classical Christian education? Can we offer it to all the tired families among us–those rich or poor, those in the church or external to it? In this presentation, we will survey the history of Christian, classical education and the way it was generously offered, and consider the ways we can welcome more weary travelers to the warmth inside. 

Biography

Dr. Christopher Perrin is an author, consultant, and speaker who specializes in classical education. He is committed to the renewal of the liberal arts tradition. He cofounded and serves full-time as the CEO/publisher at Classical Academic Press, a classical education curriculum, media, and consulting company. Christopher is also a consultant to charter, public, private, and Christian schools across the country. He is the director at the Alcuin Fellowship with the Institute for Classical Schools and the former board vice president of the Society for Classical Learning. He has published numerous articles and lectures that are widely used throughout the United States and the English-speaking world.

Christopher received his BA in history from the University of South Carolina and his MDiv and PhD in apologetics from Westminster Theological Seminary. 

He was also a special student in literature at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. He has taught at Messiah College and Chesapeake Theological Seminary, and served as the founding headmaster of a classical school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for ten years. He is the author of The Greek Alphabet Code Cracker and Greek for Children and the coauthor of the Latin for Children series, all published by Classical Academic Press.

Christopher has a passion for classical education and is a lover of goodness, truth, and beauty wherever it is found.  He is married to Christine Perrin, have children and live near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Phillipa stroud

ceo & Baroness

Session: Sowing the seeds of cultural renewal, part 1

Session Abstract

Coming soon!

Biography

Baroness Philippa Stroud is co-founder and CEO of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship, Member of the House of Lords, and Chair of the Social Metrics Commission. Prior to this, she was the CEO of the Legatum Institute and Co-Founder and Chief Executive of the Centre for Social Justice. She served as Special Adviser to the Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith MP from 2010-15 and also to the Prime Minister from 2012.

Philippa’s early career was spent in the voluntary sector including spending time in Hong Kong and Macau working with heroin addicts and ex-members of triad gangs who were undergoing rehabilitation. On her return to the UK she founded and directed a four-stage project that enabled homeless people to move into independent living before she moved to Birmingham in 2000 and became Executive Director of the Bridge Project, a voluntary sector project that provided supported accommodation for homeless men and women.

David stroud

Founder & leader

Session: sowing the seeds of cultural renewal, part II

Session Abstract

Coming soon!

Biography

William r. Mott, phd

author, consultant, head of school

leadership & Governance

Session Abstract

Session 1: One Board – One Voice

Working together for a shared vision should be the objective of the school’s board of trustees and the head of school. The recognition that our shared leadership has consequences on the school’s future should signal how important this relationship must be. Part of the key is for the board to acknowledge and live out fundamental responsibilities, including the critical concept of one board, one voice. Everything rises and falls on leadership.

Session 2: The Power of a Positive Culture

The idea of best practices suggests that the board should always be striving to improve. This translates into a healthy culture and a structure that allows the board to focus on the values at the core off their work. A well-structured board that has a culture that is positive and affirming, one defined by intentional actions, has the best chance for success.

Session 3: A Deep Dive Into the Role of the Committee on Trustees

Most boards have several standing committees. None of the committees is more important than the Committee on Trustees. Charged with identifying prospective new board members, this committee has the responsibility to get the best and the brightest. What is their role and how can all board members and the head of school support their work.

Session 4: Five Questions/Five Challenges Facing Heads and Trustees

Classical school governance faces many challenges and difficult questions arise when it comes to moving forward in a way that will lead to the best result for the board and ultimately the school. How do we navigate these issues and create a new way to address complicated problems?

Biography

Over the course of his thirty-year career, Dr. Mott has had the privilege of working with many independent and faith-based schools. In this, his third book on governance, Dr. Mott concentrates on the significant importance of unity, relationships, and building a culture for the head of school and the board of trustees to thrive. Healthy Boards – Successful Schools: The Impact of Governance and Leadership on Independent and Faith-Based Schools is a book that will resonant with heads and boards who strive to be a best-practices governing board.

Dr. Mott’s experience includes being the head of school at three different independent schools and a member of the board of trustees of several independent schools as well as other nonprofit organizations. In addition to the above experience, Dr. Mott is on the faculty of Vanderbilt University as an Adjunct Instructor. Dr. Mott received his Ph.D. in educational leadership from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College.

starrla fowler

director of collaborative schools & Leadership

Thriving CCC Schools: Their Telos & Paideia (at Home & on Campus)

Session Abstract

Session I: Fulfilling the Telos of Classical Christian Education in Our Schools and Our Homes

The aim, or telos, of classical Christian education within a collaborative school extends beyond the student to his/her family as well. Most parents who choose this particular model of schooling do so because of their desire to remain the primary influence in their childrens’ lives. Therefore, the aim of collaborative schools is not only cultivating wisdom and virtue in their students, but also enabling parents to create an immersive paideia of the Lord within their homes and family life. Exploring the telos of classical Christian collaborative (“CCC”) schools will occupy the first third of our time together and will involve much sharing by participants.

Session II: Equipping the Equippers — Supporting Parents as They Raise Their Children in the Paideia of the Lord

Given the biblical mandate for parents to train up their children in the paideia of the Lord (Eph 6:4, Deut 6:7), an intentional focus on building an effective family ministry function within a CCC school is critical for accomplishment of the school’s mission. This function typically includes such activities as parent/co-teacher training in curricula and pedagogy, practical parenting counsel, support/encouragement/community, etc. This ministry of “equipping the equippers” goes far beyond the typical parent partnership at five-day-a-week schools and will be the focus of the next third of our session. 

Session III:  Building a Thriving and Sustainable School of Rhetoric

As students mature and matriculate through a CCC school, they begin to be influenced by more teachers and peers—and for longer periods of time—at school than at home. Thus, the CCC school’s focus moves to the culture and environment experienced on campus, especially as students migrate through the School of Logic into the School of Rhetoric. Creating a rich, wholesome paideia in our upper schools with the intent of building a thriving and sustainable School of Rhetoric will be the focus of the last third of our time together. 

This pre-conference track is designed to be an interactive workshop. Participants are expected to share freely with others of their successes and failures in leading their schools towards the telos of a CCC.

Biography

Starrla Fowler has served at Veritas Academy since its inception in 2004. She and her husband, Jef, were co-founders of this school of nearly 700 students now residing on its 97-acre campus in the hills of southwest Austin. For the past 19 years, Starrla has served in various capacities as the Academic Dean, Academic Team Chair, Grammar School Head, and current School of Logic Head, in addition to her continued service on the School Board and its Governance and Nominations committee.

While at Veritas, Starrla has developed curriculum and academic programs, trained hundreds of teachers, served on accreditation teams for similar schools, and helped many classical, collaborative schools launch and grow. She is passionate about kingdom building through the expansion of classical, Christian schools; and after receiving her Masters in Leadership through Gordon College, shifted her focus to developing programs for training future Christian school leaders. Starrla and her husband, Jef (the longtime Veritas HOS), live in the Texas Hill Country and are the parents of three adult children, all graduates of Veritas Academy.

David Bailey

Founder & Chief Vision Officer - Arrabon

Session: The 5 Challenges to Being a Reconciling Community

Session Abstract

People form communities and communities form people. Christian communities ought to be reconciling communities, but unfortunately, too many Christian communities mirror the same practices as secular communities around conflict and division. In this breakout session, we’ll introduce the five practices leaders need to build a reconciling community within their organization.

Biography

David M. Bailey is a public theologian, culture maker, and catalyst focused on building reconciling communities. David is the founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon, a spiritual formation ministry that equips the American Church to actively and creatively pursue racial healing in their communities. He is the co-author of the study series, A People, A Place, and A Just Society, and the executive producer of the documentary 11 am: Hope for America’s Most Segregated Hour and the Urban Doxology Project. David is rooted at East End Covenant Fellowship, serving on the preaching team, and his greatest honor is to be married to his wonderful wife, Joy.

Joseph Pearce

Best-Selling Author

Session: Wit, Wisdom, and Wonder: Life Lessons from G.K. Chesterton

Session Abstract

Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly whereas the devil takes himself far too seriously, falling by the force of his own gravity. So says G. K. Chesterton, the self-described “jolly journalist” who is worth taking seriously because he took himself so lightly. With wit, wisdom and eyes wide open with wonder, Chesterton shows us the way to paradise by way of paradox. Joseph Pearce, author of Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G. K. Chesterton, gives a guided tour of Chesterton’s life, work, wit, wisdom and legacy.

Biography

A native of England, Joseph Pearce is the internationally acclaimed author of many books, which include bestsellers such as The Quest for Shakespeare, Tolkien: Man and Myth, The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde, C. S. Lewis and The Catholic Church, Literary Converts, Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G.K. Chesterton, Solzhenitsyn: A Soul in Exile and Old Thunder: A Life of Hilaire Belloc. His books have been published and translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Croatian and Polish.
 
He has hosted two 13-part television series about Shakespeare on EWTN, and has also written and presented documentaries on EWTN on the Catholicism of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. His verse drama, Death Comes for the War Poets, was performed off-Broadway to critical acclaim. He has participated and lectured at a wide variety of international and literary
events at major colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, Britain, Europe, Africa and South America.
 
He is editor of the St. Austin Review (https://staustinreview.org/), series editor of the Ignatius Critical Editions (www.ignatiuscriticaleditions.com), senior instructor with Homeschool Connections (www.homeschoolconnectionsonline.com), and senior contributor at the Imaginative Conservative and Crisis Magazine. In 2022, he was awarded the St. John Henry
Newman Visiting Chair of Catholic Studies at Thomas More College (Merrimack, NH). His personal website is http://www.jpearce.co.

Kelly Kapic

Author & Professor - Covenant College

Session: Learning to Value Process: God Likes to Take His Time

Session Abstract

We know that God is perfect and complete, but we are not. In our time together we will consider how God loves process. While we often judge only according to finished products, God has always been comfortable with process, and learning to appreciate this truth about God can free us to more fully embrace the process of growth and learning. The implications of this for Christian education are enormous, as we see our work not merely in terms of a ‘final product,’ but in terms of the value of formation and growth.
 

Biography

Kelly M. Kapic (PhD, King’s College, University of London) is a professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught for twenty years. He is an award-winning author or editor of more than fifteen books, including You’re Only Human and Embodied Hope, which each won a Christianity Today Book Award. Kapic, a popular speaker, has been featured in Christianity Today and The Gospel Coalition, has worked on research teams funded by the John Templeton Foundation, and contributes to the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care and various other journals.
 

SANDRA McCRACKEN

GUEST MUSICIAN

Performances

Sandra McCracken will be leading worship from the main stage in the morning and afternoon of Friday, June 16, followed by her highly-anticipated concert at 6:00pm. See the conference schedule for further information!

Biography

Sandra McCracken is a singer-songwriter and hymn writer from Nashville, Tennessee. A prolific recording artist, McCracken has produced 14 solo albums over two decades. Her best selling release, Psalms (2015) received critical acclaim, followed by God’s Highway (2017) which made the top 50 on Billboard Heatseekers chart without a major label. She has had songs featured in TV, including ‘Ten Thousand Angels’ on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and has over 15 million streams. Blending the old and new, Sandra has also shown a unique ability to recast sacred scripture texts into theologically rich yet accessible songs. Her thoughtful lyrics and gospel melodies in songs like “We Will Feast In The House Of Zion,” “Steadfast” and “Thy Mercy My God” have become staple anthems in churches across the U.S. As a published writer, she contributes a regular column in Christianity Today and released her first book “Send Out Your Light” in September 2021.

Pano Kanelos

President - University of Austin

Session: Coming Soon

Session Abstract

COMING SOON!

Biography

Panayiotis (Pano) Kanelos is the founding president of the University of Austin.
 
From 2017 to 2021, Dr. Kanelos served as the 24th President of St. John’s College, Annapolis. After earning degrees from Northwestern University (B.A.), Boston University (M.A.), and the University of Chicago (Ph.D.), he taught at Stanford University, the University of San Diego, and Loyola University Chicago.
 

He served most recently as dean of Christ College, the Honors College of Valparaiso University. An outspoken advocate for liberal education, he oversaw the Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts, comprising a network of more than 100 colleges and universities. Among the earliest participants in the Teach for America program, President Kanelos is as passionate about teaching as he is about writing and scholarship. He founded the Cropper Center for Creative Writing at the University of San Diego and is a noted Shakespeare scholar, having served as the resident Shakespearean in the Old Globe MFA Program and the founding director of the Interdisciplinary Shakespeare Studies Program at Loyola University Chicago.

Beck A. Taylor

President - Samford University

Session: Coming Soon

Session Abstract

COMING SOON!

Biography

Beck A. Taylor comes to Samford University after serving as the 18th president of Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, since 2010. Prior to this appointment, Taylor served as dean and professor of economics for Samford’s Brock School of Business (2005-2010), and associate dean for research and faculty development for Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business (1997-2005).

Taylor’s tenure at Whitworth was highlighted by a renewed emphasis on community involvement; efforts to enhance academic programs and quality; the building of new campus infrastructure to facilitate the university’s academic, athletic, and student life programs; the creation of newly endowed faculty positions and centers; leading Whitworth’s largest-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign; and an emphasis on overall institutional effectiveness.

After earning his undergraduate degree from Baylor with majors in economics and finance, Taylor was employed as an analyst for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in Houston, Texas. He went on to earn his M.S. and Ph.D. in economics from Purdue University. After returning to the Baylor faculty, Taylor was named the first holder of the W.H. Smith Professorship in Economics. In 2002, he was appointed as a visiting scholar by Harvard University where he spent one year in residence at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As dean of Samford’s Brock School of Business, Taylor led the rapid transformation of the business school, including its renaming to honor Harry B. Brock, Jr., founder of Compass Bank. Taylor led the Brock School of Business to establish eight new academic programs, as well as the school’s new honors program. The school’s entrepreneurship program was recognized in 2010 as the nation’s top emerging program by the U.S. Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship. In an effort to build bridges between students and the Birmingham business community, Taylor established the Samford Business Network, as well as a 45-member advisory board of the region’s top business leaders.

As a scholar, Taylor has published dozens of studies in economics journals such as Review of Economics and StatisticsJournal of Labor EconomicsJournal of Human Resources and Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking. Illustrating his diverse research interests and his connections to the social sciences, Taylor has also published groundbreaking research in public health and child developmental psychology. His research has been cited in testimony given before the U.S. Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, and the California State Assembly, and also has been referenced in publications such as The New York TimesThe Boston Globe, and The Christian Science Monitor.

Taylor is a member of numerous professional and academic organizations, and he has served as a strategic business consultant for dozens of organizations. Taylor and his wife of 28 years, Julie, have three children: Zachary, 25, a Nashville-based music recording artist, Lauren, 22, a recent Whitworth graduate, and Chloe, 14.

Savannah Kimberlin

Associate VP of Church Engagement - Barna Group

Session: Faith & Culture

Session Abstract

Barna Group has researched faith trends in the United States and around the world for more than 40 years, specializing in the study of generations and the intersection of faith and culture. Together, let’s explore a handful of key cultural shifts and their impact on and implications for our organizations.

Biography

Savannah serves as the Associate Vice President of Church Engagement at Barna. Savannah loves facilitating Barna’s mission to provide the Church with knowledge to navigate a changing world through consulting services, CoLab learning cohorts and research efforts. She is passionate about taking Barna’s research and synthesizing it into helpful, actionable insights for Christian leaders.
 
As a certified data miner and predictive modeler, Savannah specializes in advanced analytics. Prior to her time at Barna, she worked in the big data and software development spaces.
 
She earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Samford University and her M.S. in Decision Analytics from the University of Alabama. Savannah currently lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Josh and her daughter Zoe.