The 2021 Florida Clergy Convening will be held virtually again this year. The convening is hosted by the Florida Council of Churches and presented by Pastors for Florida Children. The theme for this year’s convening is, “Called, Prepared, Sent.”Our keynote speaker is Fedrick Ingram, Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers. Ingram grew up in inner-city Miami, where he attended public schools. Pursuing his love of music, he attended Bethune-Cookman University on scholarship and became the first member of his family to earn a postsecondary degree, in music education. He served as a music teacher and band director in Miami-Dade public schools for 10 years. Ingram is also the immediate past president of the 140,000-member Florida Education Association.

Convening Schedule:

9:30 a.m. Welcome & Opening Remarks – Dr. Russell Meyer; Centering Reflection & Scripture Reading – Dr. James Morris; Invocation – Rev. Joyce Lieberman

9:45 a.m. Keynote Address – Fedrick C. Ingram, American Federation of Teachers

10:00 a.m. Legislative Advocacy: Public Education

11:00 a.m. Legislative Advocacy: Criminal Justice, Voting Rights/Redistricting, etc.

11:45 a.m. Celebration of Denominational Leadership

11:50 a.m. Charge & Sending Forth – Rt. Rev. Frank Madison Reid, III, Presiding Prelate 11th Episcopal District AME Church (Invited)

12:00 p.m. Adjourn

For more information, contact Rev. Rachel Gunter Shapard (rguntershapard@cbf.net), Rev. James T. Golden (jamethegold@aol.com), or Dr. Russell Meyer (rmeyer@floridachurches.org). Be sure to register by close of business on September 14. 2021. A link to the virtual convening will be emailed out to registrants a few days prior to the event.