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Authors

James Calvin Schaap taught literature and writing at Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa, for 37 years before retiring in 2012. He has published many short stories and several novels, including Romey's PlaceIn the Silence There Are GhostsThe Secrets of Barneveld Calvary, and Touches the Sky, as well as two books of meditations, Sixty at Sixty and Honest to God. His publications within the CRC are numerous, including Our Family Album: The Unfinished Story of the CRC. New River Press (MN) is releasing a new collection of stories titled Up the Hill in August. He just finished six years on the CRC's Racial Relations Advisory Committee​. He and his wife, Barbara, live in the country just outside of Alton, Iowa.

I'm a freelance writer and social media consultant for non-profits in Charlotte, North Carolina. When I'm not feeding chickens or writing Twitter posts, I work as the director of a social enterprise that provides job training and employment to refugee women. I enjoy reading books, learning new languages, drinking coffee and debating economics and policy with friends. And occasionally weeding the garden. But only occasionally. 

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon is the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace and an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, CNN, Chicago Tribune, Christianity Today, Leadership Magazine, The Christian Post, Jerusalem Post, EU Parliament Magazine, Huffington Post, and other international media outlets.

Christy is the Director of Youth Ministry at Madison Square Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, overseeing their Middle and High School Ministries. She also supervises the Grand Rapids Initiative for Leaders (GRIL U) Program, which prepares students for leadership and service in the church and world. Inspiring and equipping adults to invest deeply in the lives of students in grades 7-12 is her passion. She loves to be a bridge builder by connecting students to God, each other, their mentors, church, community, and world.

Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director, National Religious Partnership for the Environment

Chris Cassis is the Lead Pastor of The Source Church. Chris left Calvin Christian Reformed Church in the fall of 2013 with his wife Viviana, and their four children: Michael, Katelynne, Brianna, and Caleb to plant a church in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The Source Church is part of a vision to plant 20 churches in South Florida by the year 2020.

Austin Channing Brown's journey as a racial reconciler began in college with an experience called Sankofa-- a three-day bus trip exploring Civil Rights sites throughout the South. She was never the same. Now she has the pleasure of collaborating with various Christian ministries who are moving forward a vision of racial reconciliation and socioeconomic understanding. Her day job is working as a Resident Director and Multicultural Liaison for Calvin College. Whether speaking, training, facilitating dialogue or planning strategies, she loves the messy work of reconciliation. 

Mark Charles is the son of an American woman (of Dutch heritage) and a Navajo man. He lives on a Navajo Reservation and tries to understand the complexities of the history of the United States regarding race, culture, and faith so that I can help forge a path of healing and reconciliation for our people.

Calvin Chen is currently a Master of Divinity student at Regent College in Vancouver, BC and ministry intern at First CRC Vancouver. He has also served for 9 years on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA in Madison, WI in campus ministry and as regional multi-ethnic ministries specialist. He is a Taiwanese American originally from Chicago and occasionally blogs at calvindc.wordpress.com

Cenaida resides in the rural town of Barrhead, AB with four of her six children who are her life. At present she does janitorial work with which her children often help her. Cenaida and family belong to the Neerlandia CRC and also attend St Anne's Roman Catholic Church.

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