Wes Granberg-Michaelson
Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson is an author, global ecumenical leader, and widely respected voice relating faith to pressing issues of public life. His extensive international travels have helped him interpret how the changing face of Christianity is reshaping the future, and his pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain enriched his commitment to the inward spiritual journey and contemplative practices.
As the Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield, early in his career, Wes received first-hand experience of the realities of political life. His 17 years as General Secretary of the Reformed Church in America, years as Director of Church and Society for the World Council of Churches, and current work with the Global Christian Forum have enhanced his lifetime calling to ecumenical witness.
In addition to his very public career, Wes has authored ten books and countless articles. Without Oars: Casting Off into a Life of Pilgrimage, his most recent work, received the Bronze Medal from Illumination Awards for the best book on spirituality in 2021. Here Wes’ interview with Lisa Sharon Harper on Without Oars HERE.
In 2018, Future Faith: Ten Challenges Reshaping Christianity in the 21st Century was named Best Book of the Year by Ecumenical News and cited as one of the "Must-Read Books" in Greg Smith's So What Faith. It was also named one of the top ten books of the year by the Academy for Parish Clergy in 2019. While serving as a Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress, Wes wrote From Times Square to Timbuktu: The Post Christian West Meets the Non-Western Church, which Brian McLaren says: "...is the best tour guide I can imagine to give us all a tour of Christianity—not as a Western religion exported globally, but as a religion with many vibrant centers and a circumference as big as the planet."
Granberg-Michaelson regularly speaks to university, conference, church, and denominational audiences worldwide, sharing his years of experience as he helps his audiences discover the depths of Christian spirituality as the foundation for one's outward work, witness, and advocacy for justice.
Wes is a graduate of Hope College, Western Theological Seminary, awarded two honorary doctorate degrees, and presently serves on the Boards of Sojourners, Church Innovations, and the Global Christian Forum. He and his wife Kaarin make their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he enjoys fly-fishing.
Topics:
Wes Granberg-Michaelson’s breadth of experience allows him to share wisdom on a diversity of issues ranging from climate change to the future of the ecumenical movement. These topics can be formatted to meet your event’s specific schedule and goals. His recent books, consulting, and speaking has focused on issues like these which he can share with a variety of audiences.
“The Refiner’s Fire” Movements in spirituality that reveal our true essence
Pathways of spirituality get caught between images of fire which consume, judge, and destroy, and pictures of belonging which unite, invite and embrace. How do we chart a path that connects our innermost self to the outpouring power of God’s love? Can we move from self-sufficiency to emptiness, and from emptiness to belonging? From grandiosity to humility, and humility to authenticity?
“Beyond Belief” How embodied spiritual practices like pilgrimage instill a deeply rooted faith
Many of us are accustomed to thinking our way into faith. But we must learn to walk our way into faith through embodied practices. We can embark on journeys where we relinquish normal control and embrace what unfolds before us. These themes are explored in Without Oars: Casting Off into a Life of Pilgrimage, which was informed by Wes’ experience on the Camino de Santiago in Spain and pilgrimages to other holy places.
“De-Americanizing the Gospel” The trends in global Christianity that will shape the future of faith
As world Christianity has accelerated in the global South, while receding in the secularized North, Christianity is emerging as a non-Western religion. New relationships are being formed between the individual and community, the material and spiritual worlds, and connections with God’s creation. These can transform how faith is understood and practiced in America. Wes explored such trends in Future Faith: Ten Trends Reshaping Christianity in the 21st Century.
“Changing Congregational Culture” The Pathways for missional transformation in congregations anxious about their future
It’s said that “culture eats strategy for lunch.” That’s particularly true for congregations. A majority of congregations in the U.S. confront numerical and demographic decline. But pathways for renewal can be opened if we learn how missional imagination and sustained spiritual practices can transform congregational culture. Wes has dealt with these issues for decades and shared wisdom in How Churches Change: A Hanbook for Church Innovation.
“Journey Inward, Journey Outward” Grounding our work for God’s justice in the journey of our souls.
Wes speaks out of his own deep experience. For decades he’s devoted himself to crusades for God’s justice, peace, and integrity of creation. But he has discovered that the inward journey is indispensable to make any of those efforts sustainable. If we’re not attentive to our whole selves, we’ll project our burdens and illusions onto others, undermining what God might do through us. We can discover the practices which integrate together our search for wholeness with our deep engagement in God’s desires for this world.
VIDEOS OF WES GRANBERG-MICHAELSON
