TCTC

Dr. Meredith Riedel currently serves on the ECO Committee on Theology guiding the development of theological positions of this Presbyterian, Reformed, and Evangelical denomination Meredith is a recent cancer survivor, a certified candidate for ordination in ECO, and a historian of medieval Middle Eastern Christianity. As a professor of church history at Duke Divinity School, she previously taught courses on Orthodoxy, Crusades, Islam, icons, heretics, the Bible in Byzantium, and the doctrine of hell. As a ruling elder at Triangle Grace Church in Durham NC, she has taught children and adults on topics such as systematic theology, hermeneutics, Christianity and Islam, the Minor Prophets, the Heidelberg Confession, and the Apostles’ Creed. She holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, a Masters of Theology in Old Testament from Princeton, and a Masters of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary. Above all she is most grateful for the marvelous grace of God and the enduring love of her husband Detlev. Together they have a brilliant daughter, a steadfast son-in-law, and three small, extremely adorable grandchildren.

Didi Wong is the lead pastor of Missio Church in South Durham, a recent church plant connected to the EPC. He earned an MDiv from Reform Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL. Didi dramatically came into relationship with Jesus as an atheist at the age of 16. He has ministered in many different contexts within the church and in many different locations- both in the States and his hometown of Hong Kong. In 2020, God made a clear call for he and his wife, Amber, to return to Amber's hometown of Durham to start a church for people of all different backgrounds and with a focus on sharing the embodied gospel.

Jay Thomas is the Lead Pastor of Chapel Hill Bible Church in Chapel Hill, NC. Jay met his wife, Rebecca, while interning at College Church in Wheaton, IL. They have four children. Jay was born in India, but grew up in Marin County, CA. He holds degrees from Wheaton College (B.A.) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M.). Jay became the Lead Pastor at Chapel Hill Bible Church in 2011 after serving as the College Pastor at College Church. He is co-author of Sex, Dating, and Relationships: A Fresh Approach, and the author of 1 Corinthians: A 12-Week Study in Crossway's Knowing the Bible series. He has also written articles and reviews at The Gospel Coalition, Tabletalk Magazine, and Themelios. For fun, Jay likes to dabble in music, humor (especially puns), art, architecture, eating, and occasional fitness.

Michael Balboni, Ph.D., Th.M., M.Div, is a congregational pastor and theologian. He has served both as a congregational minister in Boston and an intentional Christian community of healthcare students and professionals. He holds a Ph.D. in practical theology from Boston University and completed post-doctoral training at the Harvard School of Public Health and at Harvard Divinity School. As an Instructor at Harvard Medical School and a palliative care researcher he has published approximately fifty articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. As a theologian, his focus has included the development of a theology of medicine and a concentration in the theological underpinnings related spiritual care in a pluralistic, secular medical context. With Tracy Balboni, he has co-authored "Hostility to Hospitality: Spirituality and Professional Socialization in Medicine” (Oxford University Press). The book explores a theology of medicine, including its decline through secularization, and hope for renewal through faith communities. He is also the co-editor of "Spirituality and Religion Within the Culture of Medicine" (Oxford University Press).

Join Dennis Hollinger for a conversation over lunch to talk together about the tensions present in congregations connected to the current political climate. The Triangle region is politically diverse, a diversity which is reflected within the make-up of many of our local churches. As pastors and church leaders, this is a challenging time to lead as another election season approaches.

This event is limited to pastors and paid church staff. It is connected to A Conversation About Human Identity, a conference hosted by Triangle Grace Church's Triangle Conference on Theology & Culture.