The Transform Network Podcast - A Progressive Christian Podcast

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network. Maren C. Tirabassi is white. Her most recent book is A Child Laughs – Prayers for Justice and Hope, an anthology with seventy-seven writers from eleven countries. She is a guest preacher, new author mentor, and workshop facilitator with prison inmates, new English speakers, and cancer and dementia patients.  blog: giftsinopenhands@wordpress.com Facebook: Maren Tirabassi Casa: An Experiment in Doing Church Online, RevGalsBlogPals

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network. R. C. Ferguson is an unconventional minister focused on faith, community upliftment, and social change, as well as an author and educator by trade. Her literary works include poetry, devotionals, children fiction, and Christian fiction. Additionally, she is a high school math teacher. Ferguson is a proud graduate of Fayetteville State University. However, the titles she esteems most are a loving wife and adoring mother.  Facebook: R. C. Ferguson Instagram : rcferguson716 Twitter: @RFerguson716

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network. Dr. Carolyn Yvette Baldwin is an ordained minister at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church (MPBC) in Alexandria, VA. As a trained psychologist, she has developed a skill and passion for teaching others about the impacts of disabilities and trauma. She has an earned Ph.D. in Counseling and Educational Psychology w/minors in Neurological Psychology and Assessments from Loyola University as well as a M.Div. from The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology (STVU) at Virginia Union University.  Facebook: CarolynBaldwin

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network. The Reverend Dr. Jerret Fite is the Pastor of New Mt. Olivet A.M.E. Zion Church in Rock Hill, SC. He is the husband of Andrea Fite and the proud father of Jeremiah, Aaron and Maya. Pastor Fite is a Graduate of North Carolina Central University with a BA in Political Science with a minor in History, Gardner-Webb University with a Masters of Divinity, and Hood Theological Seminary with a Doctorate of Ministry.  Facebook: Jerret Fite Instagram: jcfite Twitter: @JerretFite 

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network. Rev. Carlton Elliott Smith is an ordained minister in the Unitarian Universalist Association. Born and raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi, he has served as parish minister at congregations in Metro New York; Oakland, California; Greater Boston and Northern Virginia. He is currently a member of the UUA’s Congregational Life Team for the Southern Region. At the time of this publication, he had just become a candidate for Mississippi State Senator representing Senate District 10, which includes Holly Springs, his place of residence since 2013. 

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network. Jean Jeffress holds a Master’s of Divinity from American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, CA. She is a candidate for ordination in the United Church of Christ. She is a member and lay leader of First Congregational Church of Oakland, and a member of Second Acts, a liturgical direct action group in Oakland, CA.  Twitter at @jeanj199  

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network. Rev. Jeanelle Nicolas Ablola is a second-generation Filipino American, queer, trans, neurodivergent, anti-imperialist, and is currently serving at Pine UMC, San Francisco. They are rooted in the movement for national democracy in the Philippines and regularly lead solidarity trips to the country. They are Co-Chair of the UMC Cal-Nev Philippine Solidarity Task Force (PSTF) and a member of the National Ecumenical-Interfaith Forum for Filipino Concerns - NorCal (NEFFCON). They serve Christ through serving the People.  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrHe2ED-QIG9wx3TfB7Ncw 

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network. Velda Love serves as Minister for Racial Justice in The Justice and Local Church Ministries of The United Church of Christ National Office in Cleveland, OH. The goal of her work is to dismantle and eradicate racism by understanding the role and intent of the creation of colorism categories, the construction of whiteness , and people of color myths. Velda brings an African-centered, black liberation, and Womanist approach to the Bible and theology, placing God at the center of life and faith.  Facebook: VRaye Love Instagram: vrayelove (The Rev. Dr. Love) Twitter: @vrayelove 

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network.  Monica Leak is the editor and a contributing writer of, Faith of our Founders 100 Daily Devotionals to Inspire, Encourage and Propel the Finer Woman. She contributed writings for The Road to Calvary: Surviving a Season of Suffering, a Lenten devotional and to Resipiscence: A Lenten Devotional for Dismantling White Supremacy. She is a school based speech-language pathologist in Maryland, a librarian for the John Leland Center for Theological Studies where she is also a student and an associate minister at First Baptist Church Vienna.  Instagram and Facebook: Monica LeakTwitter: @MoPrayer

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network.  Rev. Dr. Gina Marcia Stewart is a pastor, visionary, preacher, and builder. She has served as the Senior Pastor of Christ Missionary Baptist Church since March 1995. She currently serves as the 1st-Vice President of Lott Carey Foreign Missions Convention and is a member of the National Board of the NAACP. She is a Visiting Professor of Practical Theology for the Samuel D. Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University.  Instagram: DrGinaMStewart FB Personal: Gina M. Stewart FB Public: Dr. Gina M. Stewart Twitter: @drgmstewart 

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network.  Dr. Stacy L. Spencer is the Senior Pastor of New Direction Christian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Spencer’s Kingdom mindset led to the development of Eden Square Town Center, a community model intended to reinvigorate a Memphis food desert. Dr. Spencer is the author of "3D Relationships: Three Relationship Dimensions to Lead You Into Your Purpose" and "U-Turn: A 12 Step Guide to Spiritual Transformation." He is chairman of the board for Power Center Community Development Corporation. Dr. Spencer earned a Doctorate of Divinity from Drew University, a Masters of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelors from Western Kentucky University He and Rhonda Spencer are the proud parents of four sons, Calvin, Omari, Jordan, and Jaden.

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network.  Rev. Dr. Joseph W. Caldwell serves as the President of the Memphis Center for Urban Theological Studies in Memphis, TN. MCUTS is a regionally accredited institution of higher education serving lower income students with limited educational options. Dr. Caldwell has also served as a Chaplain, Pastor, and Professor. His work evolves around awakening white churches to the realities of white abuses of power. He is currently working on a theology of power and privilege in conversation with James Cone and is also writing a series of personal essays tentatively entitled Whitey Got Woke: Sort Of. He also wishes someone cooler had taken his bio pic. 

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network.  Lyndsey Medford is an indecorous Southerner, an erstwhile evangelical, and an inexpert advocate for justice. She is Director of Discipleship at Two Rivers UMC, a new church start in Charleston, SC, that aspires to be radically inclusive, anti-racist, and creative. She writes regularly about creativity, Jesus, justice, and bodies on Instagram and at lyndseymedford.com.

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network.  Lenny Duncan (he/him/his) is a follower of Jesus Christ and is in a passionate love affair with Grace. He is the Pastor of Jehu’s Table, a church of justice, radical welcome, and a place where “all” means all. He is also a frequent voice on the intersection of the Church and the cries of the oppressed. He pays special attention to Black liberation movements in his work, but lifts up the intersection with other marginalized peoples. He believes that the ELCA has remained so white because of a theological problem, not a sociological one. He holds a Master of Divinity from United Lutheran Seminary. His book "Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the U.S." from Fortress Press is available for pre-order on most major book retailers and is set for release

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network.  Keyona Saquile Lazenby is the founder of Blessed is She, an interfaith women’s ministry that provides services and offerings to help women achieve self-actualization. Keyona is passionate about delivering pre and post-release services to system-involved populations. She is an adjunct professor with the Prison University Project/Patten University. An avid traveler, she believes that cultural exploration is the world’s greatest teacher. She received her Master’s in Social Transformation and Certificate of Women Studies in Religion from Pacific School of Religion/Graduate Theological Union. She is currently pursuing a Certificate of Advanced Professional Studies at Pacific School of Religion and plans to enter a Ph.D. program in the Fall of 2020. Rev. Keyona is an ordained interfaith minister a

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network.  Lance D. Watson, Jr. is the eldest son of Pastor Dr. Lance Watson & First Lady Rose Watson. He is the father of two wonderful teens – Kaylee and Lance Watson III. He holds a Bachelors in Business Management/IT Project Management from ECPI University and pursuing a M.Div at the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology. Lance is a licensed minister, and serves as the Communications Directional Leader for Digital Content at Saint Paul Baptist Church. He proudly serves the Greater Richmond Community as a Brother of Commonwealth Lodge #81 as a Prince Hall Mason in Virginia. He is a lover of books; the Dallas Cowboys – in and out of season; and the Founder of Heirborn LLC – a mentoring fellowship. His ONE WORD is “Legacy.”  Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn: lancewatsonjr 

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network. Minister Ciarra Smith-Bond serves as the Young Adult Ministry Leader at Faith Community Baptist Church. She is a wife, mother, probation officer, and community advocate with a calling be a conduit for liberation and rehabilitation. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and a Master of Divinity from Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University.  IG: bottomless_acheiver Facebook: Ciarra Smith-Bond Twitter: @godsfav611 

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network.  Rev. Jamaar Jones serves as the Executive Minister at First Baptist Church East End in Newport News, Virginia. He has obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Foreign Languages from Norfolk State University. He has also obtained a Master of Divinity degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University.  Facebook: Jamaar Jones Twitter: @_MrJonesSince89 Instagram: jamaarjones 

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network.  Pastor Hugo Morrison is a proud alumnus of Regent University, holding a Master’s of Divinity Degree in Practical Theology. He serves as the Senior Pastor & Teacher of the Union United Church of Christ, located in Norfolk, Virginia. A great source of strength for Hugo is found in the word of God. In particular, he finds encouragement and renewal in Psalm 27:14, where it states to: “wait on the Lord and be of good courage and He shall strengthen thine heart, wait, I say on the Lord.”

The Transform Network Podcast, A Progressive Christian Podcast, is hosted by Vahisha Hasan, founder and executive director of Movement in Faith, and Stephen Roach Knight, co-founder and board member of Transform Network.  Regina D. Clarke has Masters degrees in Divinity and Christian Education with an emphasis in Ethics and Social/Restorative Justice from Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. She has a heart burst for the Deaf, the Hard of Hearing, the abused, and those who are “forgotten or discarded” by mainstream society. Her thirst for connecting the community and the church has led her to serve in prisons, domestic violence shelters, and the community-at-large to ensure no person -- despite their past, abilities, or status -- would be denied the opportunity to learn about Jesus and walk faithfully with their God. She currently serves on the ministerial staff of Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis. She is also a speaker in the Transform Network Speakers Bureau.