We are now planning the 12th Annual HOMEGROWN: North Carolina Women’s Preaching Festival. Guided by our theme of “Digging Deep, Rising Up,” we will reflect on the wisdom of Esther (Esther 4:14-16) and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:39). Together, we will hear wonderful preaching from conference attendees and have time for group conversations on the art of proclamation in all its forms.
This year’s festival will include a host of faith-based workshop leaders, musicians, and preachers. They will lead us as we celebrate and empower each other through shared learning, fellowship, and worship. You can find out more about these leaders and more below.
Conference Speakers
Opening Keynote
Rev. Dr. Chelsea Brooke Yarborough is the Associate Director of Leadership Programming at the Association of Theological Schools. She earned her B.A. from Elon University (2012), her M.Div. from Wake Forest University School of Divinity (2015), and her Ph.D. in Religion from Vanderbilt University (2021). Her research reimagines preaching and worship by exploring the methodologies that emerge from the rhetorical and ritual practices of Black women throughout history.
Her new book, Proclamation Beyond the Pulpit: The Expansive Homiletical Practice of Black Women, considers the preaching insights from Fannie Lou Hamer, Nannie Helen Burroughs and Sojourner Truth. Yarborough’s work seeks to challenge normative power structures and traditional paradigms of proclamation, advocating for diverse platforms beyond the pulpit to amplify the voices of those that have not always been heard. At her core, she is dedicated to empowering individuals—regardless of their platform—to find, embrace, and use their voices to foster well-being, equity and the possibilities of flourishing. Dr. Yarborough is also a leadership coach, an Enneagram teacher, and a poet. Above all, she values her roles as a wife, daughter, friend, sister, and auntie. To connect further, see iamchelseabrooke.com.
Conference EVENING PREACHER
Rev. Gail Song Bantum is passionate about creating space for developing leaders and their flourishing. She has been a lead pastor, executive coach, and culture curator for diverse, multi, and inclusive organizations for three decades. As a second generation Korean-American woman, deeply formed in the Black Church tradition, Gail centers and prioritizes advocacy, liberation, and belonging for the marginalized and is a highly sought after speaker, preacher, and consultant. She currently serves on the board of WomanPreach! Inc. and as an advisor for organizational leaders. Gail served eight years as a WNBA chapel speaker for the Seattle Storm, and is the co-author of Choosing Us: Mutual Flourishing In A World Of Difference. She is an ordained minister and received her M.Div. from Duke Divinity School. Gail and her husband, Dr. Brian Bantum, are the parents of three young adults and reside in North Carolina.
CONFERENCE Morning Preacher
Rev. Dr. Cathy S. Gilliard is a retired United Methodist pastor having served 13 years as the Senior Minister at Park Avenue United Methodist Church, New York, NY, 8 years on staff at Christ Church United Methodist, NY, NY and 10 years at White Rock Baptist Church, Durham, NC.
She is an experienced thought leader with 30+ years of experience as a mentor, coach, workshop facilitator, and motivational speaker. Cathy specializes in one-on-one, couples, group/team, and diversity coaching as well as organizational strategic planning.She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from North Carolina A&T State University, Master of Education in Counseling Psychology from Rutgers University, Master of Divinity from Duke University Divinity School, and Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary. Cathy has served on the Advisory Board at Duke Chapel and is currently a pastor-in-residence at Princeton Theological Seminary’s Iron Sharpening Iron Executive Leadership Program for Women.She is the proud mother of two sons and 6 grandchildren!
Workshop FACILITATORS
Workshop Title: Preaching to Whose Choir? Proclamation and Engagement in Interfaith and Intercultural Settings
Rev. Breana van Velzen, currently serves as the executive director of Durham Congregations in Action, spiritual director, and a non-profit consultant. Rev. Velzen was present at the intersection of faith and justice on behalf of Duke University Chapel from 2017-2022. Breana is an ordained Baptist minister, holds a master of divinity from Duke Divinity School, and a master of social work degree from UNC Chapel Hill and a bachelor of arts in English education from UNC Wilmington. Breana serves on the board of Innovative Space for Asian American Christianity, Baptist Women in Ministry NC, and the Religious Coalition for a NonViolent Durham. Breana’s passions include advocacy at the intersections of racial, economic, and environmental justice, and hospitality. When not volunteering or traveling, Breana enjoys slam poetry, science fiction, and baking for friends.
Workshop Title: Blues in the Sanctuary: Poetry, Music & Song
Lois Deloatch’s work consistently bridges cultural expression, social impact, and economic empowerment. As an artist, she is widely recognized for her soulful contralto voice, provocative compositions, and eclectic blend of jazz, folk, blues, and spirituals. Deloatch’s six recording as leader includes her 2024 release, Love Always. A highly anticipated collaborative project with Nnenna Freelon, Lenora Zenzalai Helm, and Kate McGarry – The Sistering – is scheduled for release early 2026. Deloatch has performed internationally and has shared the stage with music luminaries such as Ellis Marsalis and Dr. Billy Taylor. She writes and lectures on music, arts and culture, and produced/co-hosted a jazz radio show. The Independent Weekly said that “Lois Deloatch is more than a jazz singer…She often becomes a caretaker of the music’s history, an advocate of its redemptive power.” Deloatch also has held distinguished careers in higher education and nonprofit management. She serves on boards and advisory committees for numerous organizations, working to strengthen communities and advance peace. Deloatch earned a Bachelor of Arts from UNC–Chapel Hill and the Master of Arts from Duke University. More info at linktr.ee/loisdeloatch.
Workshop Title: Loving Our Enemies In Hateful Times
Angie Wright has always liked starting trouble—good trouble, as John Lewis called it. She was the founding pastor of Beloved Community UCC in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, where she served for sixteen years. She was a founder of Alabama Arise, Good Work Employment Project in Durham, and the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice. She served on the staff and Boards of numerous local, regional and national justice organizations, including the Resource Center. She has written a memoir called Loving My Enemies And Other Outlandish Pursuits.
Angie takes immeasurable joy in her splendid sons: Luke, a musician in Durham, and Frank, who raises cows and lives in Costa Rica with his six-year-old son, Kai. Now retired, Angie spends her time gardening, hanging out with her identical twin sister, playing pickleball and doing her part to stop the downfall of democracy.
Workshop Title: Color, Light & Form: Impressionism and Scripture (Limit 15 participants)
Christine Parton Burkett has worked with preachers at Duke Divinity School since 1991. She holds degrees in theater and speech-language pathology and describes herself as a “professional pew-sitter”. An experienced preaching coach, she is skilled at assessing the sermon and the preacher to encourage strengths and identify potential growth. She lectures and facilitates retreats, workshops and conferences for clergy across denominations. She is particularly interested in the preacher’s voice and public proclamation of scripture as the seminal act of preaching. She arranges scripture as reader’s theater, choric readings, and biblical story-telling. Areas of particular study include the embodied sermon, cutting the “chaff” that clouds the message, and using fresh language that connects with our common experience.
Musical Guests
Dr. Candace M. Laughinghouse is a distinguished musician, worship leader, educator, and scholar with over 40 years of experience as a musician and 36 years dedicated to church music ministry. Her leadership and musical expertise span ecumenical and interfaith contexts, including service as a musician and/or director of worship for the Church of God in Christ, the United Methodist Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Baptist Church, the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and numerous interfaith programs.
Dr. Laughinghouse is recognized for her ability to foster meaningful collaboration between pastors and musicians and for her commitment to inclusive, justice-centered worship. She is a sought-after collaborator for worship praxis, planning, and education across faith traditions. In addition to her work in church and academic settings, Dr. Laughinghouse is the founder and owner of Laughinghouse Music Academy, which she has operated for the past five years. As a dedicated music teacher, she enhances her consulting work through her other profession as a professor of theology, holding a Ph.D. in Theological Ethics from Chicago Theological Seminary.
Shana Tucker is a cellist, singer-songwriter, and composer whose double-decade career is defined by her genre-defying artistry and commitment to fostering connection through music. Known as the creator of “ChamberSoul,” a unique blend of jazz, classical, folk, acoustic pop, and soul, Shana has captivated audiences worldwide with her heartfelt performances and storytelling. Touted by JazzTimes as “a jazz talent…whose imprint and vitality has already been quite visible in North Carolina,” Shana has graced stages across the U.S. and internationally, including The Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), REDCAT (Los Angeles) and Wits Theatre (Johannesburg). Her debut album, SHiNE, received critical acclaim for its intimate and evocative original compositions. Her most recent album release, Hiding in the Light, further solidifies her reputation as an artist who masterfully blends musical genres to reimagine deeply resonant works.
In addition to her recording and performing career, Shana is a passionate teaching artist and arts educator, with a focus on serving underserved communities and Title I schools. She has over 20 years’ experience with community engagement, workshops, lesson planning and artist residency facilitation for students of all ages and creative abilities. Shana designs and facilitates workshops for students of all ages, empowering them to discover their creativity and express themselves through music and storytelling. — shanatucker.com
Homegrown 