MOUNTAINTOP
“All that you touch, you Change. All that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is Change.”
– OCTAVIA E. BUTLER | FEMINIST, AUTHOR, POET, GIFT
MountainTop is a dynamic space for multifaith movement leaders to powerfully and lovingly engage our social justice landscape.
This gathering was the third time Auburn has invited leaders into this kind of community to encourage them to lean into the truth of their experience as a necessary resource for our work to heal and repair the world.
The event took place on December 9-11, 2019, in Oakland.
MountainTop 2019:
Living A Movement Life.
Living A Movement Life.
Auburn believes that a key way to support movement leaders as they confront challenges and work to create more pathways for love and justice in the world is by creating community to make connections that allow us to bring our full selves to the table.
Named Living A Movement Life, Mountain Top 2019 was inspired by the words of adrienne maree brown. Reflecting on the quality of relationships we need to foster in order to “live a movement life” in these times, brown writes,
“Things are not getting worse. They are being uncovered. We must hold each other tight and continue to pull back the veil.”
In light of these words Mountain Top 2019 asked:
What does it mean to live a movement life? What does it mean to befriend and love each other in movement? Who are we willing to be? How are we willing to live? What are we willing to build? What are the narratives and practices — personal and communal — that “holding each other tight,” require, and how can a self-conscious and active commitment to cultivating conversations and spaces within and among our people build power for us? How can we build spiritual power and the power in the world to replace supremacist practices and logics that define the precariousness of our times, with a way forward that holds us accountable to creating futures grounded in the full flourishing and dignity of all?
Oakland Marriott City Center
Oakland, CA
December 9-11, 2019
Schedule
By the end of this MountainTop experience, we have:
A deepened awareness of our pain and power as people of spirit, faith and moral courage in social movement spaces in this time of dis-covering, unveiling.
A set of experiences practicing together what it means and feels like to “hold each other tight” — even when it’s difficult.
Deepened connections that support our trust, relationships, and thrivability across and within geographies, identities, spiritual practices, and issue areas.
A set of reflections on our practice together.
A clear sense of how we can continue our community building after we leave this Mountaintop.
Sunday
December 8
Hotel arrivals and check-in at the Oakland Marriott (for those staying on-site) Dinner on your own.
NOTE: MOUNTAINTOP 2019 BEGINS WITH REGISTRATION & BREAKFAST FROM 7:30-9:00 AM ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, AND ENDS AFTER LUNCH AT 2:00 PM ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11.
Please plan to be with us for the entire event.
Monday
December 9
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
We will focus on the call to “pull back the veil” on the struggles that mark these times through a day filled with community building, story-telling, and reflection. With hearts set on discovery and exploration, we will focus on the Bay Area and do our best to understand the pain and power that are being uncovered in our movement communities across the nation. We will look at what befriending or loving means when things get hard or when there is harm.
5:30-8:00 PM
Small group dinners – hosted by local faith communities and leaders.
Tuesday
December 10
9 AM – 5:00 PM
We will break into small “communities of practices” to experience a variety of ways we can “hold each other tight” while working and living in social movements spaces.
Later in the day, we will leave the hotel to deepen our connections with each other and with communities, institutions and Mother Nature in the Bay. There will be a chance for you to gather in groups at a variety of local spots to offer support, service, and appreciation to local allies, Mother Nature and cultural institutions.
6:30 – 8:30 PM
Joy + Resistance: An Auburn Conversation featuring
- Malachi Garza, Founder, Innovative Justice Solutions
- Malkia Cyril, poet and Founding director of Media Justice Network
- Gina Breedlove, Artist, Sound Healer, Medicine Woman
Invite your friends in the Bay to join us for a public event where we will ask: What place do joy, pleasure, and celebration have in our liberation movements?
Light dinner and beverages served.
Wednesday
December 11
9 AM – 2 PM
On the final day, we will collect the threads of our many relationships, experiences conversations to support our way forward as people of faith, spirit and moral courage working and living in the midst of systemic change, peril and possibility.
Participants
ADAM PHILLIPS – HIM/HIM/HIS
W/ Collective
ADRIENNE ZACKERY
United Methodist Church
AESHA RASHEED- SHE/HER/HERS
Spirit Grove (healing co-op); Soulshifting (community of healers and earth stewards); Southerners on New Ground (SONG – southern regional liberation organization); and my New Orleans-based spiritual family that makes home and ritual together. We call ourselves “the blessing”
AIN EALEY – SHE/HER/HERS
Rev. Melinda Weekes Laidlow
ALISON HARRINGTON – SHE/HER/HERS
Southside Presbyterian Church/Presbyterian Church (USA)
ALLYN MAXFIELD-STEELE – HE/HIM/HIS
Highlander Research & Education Center staff and Board; southern freedom movement leaders and elders; young people; chosen kin; church folk and clergy mentors
AMBREIA MEADOWS-FERNANDEZ – SHE/HER/THEY
Guest of Auburn
AMNA FAROOQI – SHE/HER/HERS
Muslim, organizer with 9to5 Georgia, grounded by community in Southwest Georgia, DMV, and Israel/Palestine
ANDREW RAMER – HE/HIM/HIS
Congregation Sha’ar Zahav and the First Mennonite Church of San Francisco
ANNIE-ROSE LONDON – THEY OR SHE
Jewish Social Justice Roundtable
ARIA SAID – SHE/HER/HERS
Compton’s Transgender Cultural District
ARIELLE ROSENBERG
Muslim, organizer with 9to5 Georgia, grounded by community in Southwest Georgia, DMV, and Israel/Palestine
ASAD MUHAMMED – HE/HIM/HIS
People of African descent, Communities of Color and Queer Folx
AUNDREIA ALEXANDER – SHE/HER/HERS
Work at the National Council of Churches; Worship at Covenant Baptist UCC Church; Sister-Friends ground me
BILL WEEKES
BILLY MICHAEL HONOR – HE/HIM/HIS
New Georgia Project and Truth On The Loose
CAITLIN BREEDLOVE – SHE/HER/HERS
Auburn; Women’s March; SONG
CANDACE Y. SIMPSON – SHE/HER/HERS
The Concord Baptist Church of Christ, Brooklyn, New York
CANDY HOLMES – SHE/HER/HERS
Metropolitan Community Churches
CANTOR RISA WALLACH – SHE/HER/HERS
Jewish, Jewish Renewal, Queer community
CARLA GASKINS-NATHAN – UNICORN
Auburn STLC
CEDAR LANDSMAN – SHE/HER/HERS
Relational Uprising
CHELSEA YARBOROUGH – SHE/THEY
Black femmes + women
CHERRI MURPHY
CHRIS YAMAMOTO – SHE/HER/HERS
Auburn
CHRISTIAN SCHAREN – HE/HIM/HIS
Pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Vice President of Applied Research at Auburn Seminary
COURTNEY WEBER HOOVER – SHE/HER/HERS
Auburn Seminary
CRYSTAL CHEATHAM – SHE/HER/HERS
Our Bible App
CURTIS OGDEN – HE/HIM/HIS
Interaction Institute for Social Change; Food Solutions New England; Chesapeake Foodshed Network; new food system movements,
DANNY MOSS – HE/HIM/HIS
Jews; Reform Jews; Post-denominational Jews; Progressive Faith Leaders; Deep Thinkers; Open Inquisitors; Compassionate Humans
DARCY ROAKE – SHE/HER/HERS
Community Church UU; PP National Clergy Advocacy Board; HIVE Cohort in LA
DAVID BEASLEY – THE/THEM/THEIRS
Auburn; Jews; Discordians; Witches; Genderqueer folk and anyone working to end the idea of a gender binary; Lovers (of music, art, food, and c); Anyone with jokes that tell truth
DIAMOND STYLZ – SHE/HER/HERS
Black Transwomen Inc
DIANE JOHNSON – SHE/HER/THEY/THEM
Mmapeu Management Consulting; Freedom Road; and the three spiritual communities I am part of (Heart and Soul Center of Light, East Bay Community Center, Fire Family)
DONYA NASSER – SHE/HER/HERS
Planned Parenthood; Muslim, Immigrant, and Iranian communities
DOROTHY RICHMAN – SHE/HER/HERS
Makor Or: Jewish Meditation
ELIZABETH NGUYEN – SHE/HER/HERS
Unitarian Universalist clergy, queers, progressive Vietnamese community, National Bail Fund Network
ELIZAH CLABORNE – SHE/HER/HERS
I work for the Sacramento LGBT Center
EMANUEL BROWN – HE/HIM/HIS
Strategies4Freedom: Black Love Convergence
EMMA JORDAN SIMPSON – SHE/HER/HERS
Fellowship of Reconciliation USA and Concord Baptist Church of Christ
ERIN JOHNSON
GINA BREEDLOVE – SHE/ I AM
Grace
HANNAH ADAIR BONNER – SHE/HER/HERS
United Methodist Church
IDIT KLEIN – SHE/HER/HERS
Keshet
ILANA KAUFMAN – SHE/HER/HERS
Jews of Color Field Building Initiative
IMAM MAKRAM – HE/HIM/HIS
Masjid AnNur
IRA ARMSTRONG
ISAAC LURIA – HE/HIM/HIS
Nathan Cummings Foundation
ISOKE FEMI – SHE/HER/HERS
I work at GLIDE in SF. I am a student of A Course In Miracles; I am founder of Soul Matters; people who are at least open to forgiveness as a valid path to social justice.
J.C. PRITCHETT II – HE/HIM/HIS
Legacy Center for Social Justice
JACQUELINE PIERRE
JAMES B. LIN – HE/HIM/HIS
GLIDE Memorial Church / GLIDE Foundation
JAMES GERTMENIAN
The BTS Center, Faith In Public Life, Foreside Community Church
JAMYE WOOTEN – HE/HIM/HIS
Black Theology Project/KINETICS/CLLCTIVLY/Baltimore
JANELLE LUSTER – SHE/HER/HERS
I’m currently Program Associate for Compton’s Transgender Cultural District. I also am Bay Area President of FLUX. The trans community is where my heart is and it grounds me.
JANET EDWARDS – ZE/ZIR/ZIR
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
JEANNIE LEE – SHE/HER/HERS
My family is central to grounding me, especially my 2 sons. My professional grounding place is Auburn where I’m privileged to be part of a team that supports and equips the multi-faith movement for social justice.
JEN BAILEY – SHE/HER/HERS
Faith Matters Network
JESSICA KATE MEYER
The Kitchen
JESSICA STERLING – SHE/HER/HERS
JCRC, synagogue
JHANA SENXIAN – SHE/HER/HERS
The Guild & Global black, brown & indigenous healers, spiritual warriors & wisdom carriers
JOEL ABRAMOVITZ – HE/HIM/HIS
The Kitchen
JOHNNY MANZON-SANTOS – HE/HIM/HIS
With/In Collaborative
JUNAUDA PETRUS-NASAH – SHE/HER/HERS
Free Black Dirt, my wife. Queer people, Black people, Caribbean people. Black Diaspora people. Artists, creators, healers. lovers. People who love good food!
PASTOR KAJI DOUSA – SHE/HER/HERS
Park Avenue Christian Church
KATHARINE HENDERSON – SHE/HER/HERS
Auburn
KEISHA MCKENZIE – SHE + THEY
Auburn (Program), STLC’s Cauldron Squad, progressive humanists, and mystics
KELLY RYAN – SHE/HER/HERS
The Table: United Church of Christ of La Mesa
KENDALL WILCOX – HE/HIM/HIS
C.W.E.E.R.S. Nonviolent Empowerment Groups
JASON KIMELMAN-BLOCK – HE/HIM/HIS
Bend the Arc Jewish Action
KUJI ABDUL ALIM MAH AJANI – HE/SHE/HIM/SHIM
Faith Voices/Berkeley Food & Housing Project
KYLA DIXON – SHE/HER/HERS
Toward Justice & Service 2 Justice
LADONNA HARRIS
LANA GARLAND- SHE/HER/HERS
Insibah Media
LAWRENCE RICHARDSON – HE/HIM/HIS
Linden Hills United Church of Christ
LINDA KAY KLEIN – SHE/HER/HERS
Break Free Together
LISA ANDERSON – SHE/HER/HERS
Auburn Seminary
LISA SHARON HARPER – SHE/HER/HERS
FreedomRoad.us
LISBETH MELENDEZ RIVERA – SHE/HER/ELLA
United Theological Seminary/Waves Ahead
LIZA J. RANKOW – SHE/HER/HERS
OneLife Institute — a POC-centered Oakland organization serving at the intersection of spirituality and social action. // And concentric circles of multi-generational loved ones locally, nationally, internationally.
LUCIEN DEMARIS – HE/THEY
Relational Uprising
LYVONNE PROVERBS – SHE/HER/HERS
womanists, progressive Christians, African-centered folx.
MACKY ALSTON – HE/HIM/HIS
First Date Films
MAGGIE SIDDIQI
MAKRAM EL-AMIN
MALACHI GARZA – ALL
Auburn Board
MALKIA CYRIL – THEY/THEM/THEIRS
Founder, Media Justice; widower
MAX AIRBORNE
MELINDA WEEKES-LAIDLOW – SHE/HER/HERS
Income equity. People being compassionate and kind towards Black women.
MELVIN BRAY – HE/HIM/HIS
Collabyrinth
MICHAEL CRUMPLER
Tapestry Ministries/First Christian Church of Oakland/ Oakland Peace Center
MICHAEL J. ADEE – HE/HIM/HIS
Global Faith & Justice Project
MICHAEL LEZAK – HE/HIM/HIS
Glide / Jewish
MICHAEL SOTO – THEY/THEM AND HE/HIM
Equality Arizona – LGBTQ (especially trans and queer) people and people of color
MICKY SCOTTBEY JONES – SHE/HER/DIVA
Faith Matters Network; Rev. Jen Bailey; Black people
MIMI RIVERA – SHE/HER/HERS
Auburn Seminary
MINISTER ONLEILOVE CHIKA ALSTON – SHE/HER/HERS
Beth-El The House of YHWH/BronxConnect
MYLES MARKHAM – HE/HIM OR THEY/THEM
Multitude Films
NORA RASMAN – SHE/HER/HERS
Work at Auburn PT :), birth workers, queers!
NORMAN WEEKES – HE/HIM/HIS
Greater St. Paul, Taylor Memorial
PANCHO ARGUELLES PAZ Y PUENTE – HE /HIM/ ÉL
Living Hope Wheelchair Association / Highlander Center
PATRICIA DEJONG – SHE/HER/HERS
Church World Service, Auburn Seminary, Ecology of Awakening
PHIWA LANGENI – THEY/HE
United Church of Christ; Salus Center; QPOC
Q HAILEY – SHE/HER/HERS
Freexone4us amd The Concord Baptist Church of Christ
RABBI NOA KUSHNER – SHE/HER/HERS
The Kitchen SF / GLIDE / Rise Up
RABBI SALEM PEARCE – SHE/HER/HERS
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
RABBI ZELIG GOLDEN – HE/HIM/HIS
Wilderness Torah, Renewal Jewish Community
RABI’A KEEBLE
Qalbu’Maryam Women’s Mosque
REBECCA VOELKEL – SHE/HER/HERS
Center for Sustainable Justice
REBEKAH LOWE – SHE/HER/HERS
Organization-Illustrated Ministry, progressive christian faith
REBEKAH STERN – SHE/HER/HERS
I serve as one of the rabbis of Congregation Beth El in Berkeley, CA.
REED KOLBER – THEY/THEM/THEIRS
Jewish
RENÉE HILL – SHE/HER/HERS
Auburn Seminary
REV. MONICA CROSS – SHE/HER/HERS
Tapestry Ministries/First Christian Church of Oakland/ Oakland Peace Center
ROBERT BEALS
SABRINA HAYEEM-LADANI – SHE/HER/HERS
Auburn
SAHAR DRIVER – SHE/HER/HERS
Documentarians and artists
SARAH DAR – SHE/HER/HERS
Work at the California Immigrant Policy Center; belong to the Muslim community
SARAH MASTERS – SHE/HER/HERS
Auburn Seminary Programming Community
SELINA DAVIDSON – SHE/HER/HERS
Greenhouse Pictures
SHANNON DALEY-HARRIS – SHE/HER/HERS
Children’s Defense Fund
SHANNON KEARSE-HIGH – SHE/HER/HERS
City of Refuge UCC, Oakland
SHARON GROVES – SHE/HER/HERS
Auburn
SHIFRA BRONZNICK – SHE/HER/HERS
Auburn
SOPHIA JACKSON – SHE/HE
Disciples of Christ
STEVE NEWCOM – HE/HIM/HIS
Kaleo Center for Faith, Justice and Social Transformation
SUMAIYA ZAMA – SHE/HER/HERS
CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), Muslim community, women of color
SUNITA VISWANATH – SHE/HER/HERS
Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus
TAMEKA BELL – SHE/HER/HERS
Faith in Action
TEREA SMALLWOOD – SHE/HER/HERS
Vanderbilt Divinity School
TRACI WEST – SHE/HER/HERS
Drew Theological School
TUQUAN HARRISON – THEY/THEM/THEIRS
Black Queer and Trans Folks
WINONA NADINE LEWIS – SHE/HER/HERS
Spirit rock -Buddhism- Eselen institute
ELLEN SCHNEIDER – SHE/HER/HERS
Active Voice Lab
JUNAUDA PETRUS-NASAH – SHE/HER/HERS
Free Black Dirt, my wife. Queer people, Black people, Caribbean people. Black Diaspora people. Artists, creators, healers. lovers. People who love good food!
STEPHANIE RAPP – SHE/HER/HERS
Walter and Elise Haas Fund
REV. ERIN MAXFIELD-STEELE – SHE/HER/HERS
Episcopal Church, coming with my partner who is an ED at the Highlander Center
