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Authors

Lori Ransom

Lori Ransom is an ordained elder of The Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) and member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation in eastern Ontario who has worked in support of Canada’s Indigenous peoples throughout her career. She is presently a Senior Advisor responsible for relations with churches and other faith communities for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Lori resides in downtown Toronto and in her private life is a passionate supporter of the arts.

Nate Rauh-Bieri

Nate Rauh-Bieri is attending COP26 representing the Climate Witness Project (this attendance is privately funded and includes carbon offsets). He will be in Glasgow as part of the Christian Climate Observers Program. He lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Shantha Ready Alonso

Shantha Ready Alonso is Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries, an ecumenical organization that educates, equips, and mobilizes Christians to protect, restore, and more rightly share God’s creation.

Jennifer Renkema

Jennifer Renkema is the Food Pantry Director at Silver Spring Christian Reformed Church in Maryland. She graduated from Calvin University with degrees in Social Work and Spanish, and completed her formal education with a Masters in Social Work from Catholic University of America. Before becoming a food pantry director, Jennifer worked with teen parents, Latino youth, and local government. She enjoys continuing to learn about God, creation, and community with her husband, three boys, and her church and food pantry community. 

Cathy Rice

Cathy is a daughter, sister, aunt, friend, caregiver, and ally. She recently relocated from Atlanta, Georgia to New Orleans, LA and loves working and playing with young people, yoga, dancing, and podcasts. A deep believer that the peace of Christ will always meet us right where we are, she uses her pastoral gifts to create spaces of hope, safety, and restoration as she pursues a career in social work.

Skyler Rich

Skyler Rich is a 21 year old student of Calvin University and is the owner of the social enterprise Forgive Everyone Co., an organization dedicated to helping people restore unity through the power of forgiveness, while supporting the least forgiven people: people coming out of prison. He is dedicated to creating communities that value the humanity of each individual and that are radically devoted to restoration and transformation of being as a practical method of accountability and harm reduction. After his graduation in May of 2020, Skyler plans to continue to live and create restorative impact in the West Michigan area.

Troy Rienstra

Troy Rienstra joined Safe & Just Michigan in 2017. As Outreach Director he works to advance the organization’s outreach program by elevating the voices of people directly harmed by the effects of crime and punishment. He is responsible for outreach activities to crime survivors, formerly incarcerated individuals, their family members, and the faith community. Prior to serving as Outreach Director, Troy founded the Network for Real Change, and worked as program coordinator at the Church of the Servant – Prisoners in Christ. Troy completed 22 years of a life sentence in Michigan, during which he obtained training in critical thinking, communication, substance abuse awareness, and conflict resolution.

Debra Rienstra

Debra Rienstra is professor of English at Calvin University and the author most recently of Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth.

Sarah Rinsema-Sybenga

Sarah is the executive director of Community enCompass, a Christian Community Development Organization for the core city neighborhoods of Muskegon.. She gets to live and play in McLaughlin. She gets to work in McLaughlin. She gets to worship in McLaughlin. Her world is small and centered and grounded and she loves it. Before living in McLaughlin, she lived in Japan and traveled Asia. Taught English to hundreds of Japanese students, slept on tatami mats and in Buddhist temples, ate sushi cross-legged, drank Asahi and green tea, biked hundreds of miles of back roads, and learned what being “in the minority” means. Lessons from that world seep constantly into experiences in this world.

Katie Ritsema-Roelofs

Katie Ritsema-Roelofs is a Korean adoptee living in greater Washington, DC.  She is a commissioned pastor in the Christian Reformed Church of North America and serves in the denomination’s Office of Worship Ministries. She is passionate about music and worship, particularly the intersection of liturgy and life. 

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