Preaching in the Purple Church

How do you preach faithfully to a purple congregation? Red vs. blue partisan tensions are also present in the pews of "purple churches," both large and small, creating weekly angst for the preacher. The preacher in the purple church often feels like they are on a homiletical tightrope. They want to follow the text where it leads, or speak to a pressing contemporary issue, but are unsure of how to avoid falling into the trap of political divides and partisan echo chambers. Join these preachers in a conversation about faithful preaching in the purple church the day after the presidential inauguration.

Patrick W. T. Johnson, PhD '13, MDiv '06, began his call to ministry at First Presbyterian Church Asheville, North Carolina on December 15, 2015. Johnson has served congregations in several states, including Virginia, California, and New Jersey, and is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and Princeton Theological Seminary. Prior to being called to Asheville, he was a solo pastor for six years in New Jersey and adjunct faculty at Princeton Seminary. He is the author of numerous published articles and reviews, and the book The Mission of Preaching: Equipping the Community for Faithful Witness.

His spouse, Caitlin, is also a seminary graduate and candidate for ordination in the PC(USA). They live in North Asheville, with their four children, Isla, Luke, Claire, and Felicity. Johnson loves to spend time with his family outside, whether hiking the mountains or playing in the waves; and he enjoys any time spent in the woodshop.

At FPCA, Johnson focuses on worship and preaching, strategic direction, leadership and stewardship development, pastoral care, and community involvement.

Amy Miracle is the pastor at Broad Street Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Ohio. A lifelong Presbyterian, she grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and attended Princeton University. Following graduation, a Marshall Scholarship sent her to Northern Ireland where she received her Master of Social Sciences in Irish political studies from Queen’s University of Belfast. Upon returning to the United States, she earned her Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Before coming to Broad Street, Pastor Miracle served as associate pastor at Central Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado, and senior pastor and head of staff at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Des Moines, Iowa.

Hardy Kim is head of staff at Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church in Sunnyvale, California. In 1996 he received his bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University and enrolled in law school at the University of Michigan until confirming his calling in ministry after serving a year as a Presbyterian Young Adult Volunteer in Mission in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Kim received a Master of Divinity degree in 2007 from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois.

In 2008, he completed a two-year program at Fourth Presbyterian Church as a Lilly Pastoral Resident and continued that ministry as Associate Pastor for Church Growth Ministries at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta before returning to Fourth Church in 2011 to serve as Associate Pastor for Evangelism. He joined Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church in 2017.

There is no cost for this event but registration is required.