Ben Iten 

President, The Humanist Society 

Webinar Description: 

Research tends to describe the “religious nones” as comprising three distinct groups: atheists, agnostics, and the religiously unaffiliated. However, these groups differ significantly in how they understand meaning, identity, and the world, and therefore require different approaches from spiritual care providers. 

In this webinar, Ben Iten will explore these differences, with particular attention to spiritual care practices that support existential reflection and life transitions across these diverse populations.

View the whole series

Register for Free Below! 

Ben Iten

Ben Iten is an endorsed Humanist Chaplain and Certified Educator in Clinical Pastoral Education. He was raised in the evangelical church, but over time his academic study of Judaism at The Ohio State University and Bible Interpretation at the University of Oxford led him to re-examine his understanding of religion and spirituality. This intellectual and personal journey eventually brought him to humanism and its emphasis on dignity, meaning, and ethical living. 

Today, Ben serves as a professional chaplain and Clinical Pastoral Educator within a major hospital system, where he supports patients and families in finding meaning and affirming their inherent worth and dignity. He also trains new chaplains and volunteers with the Humanist Community of Central Ohio. He is the first Humanist Chaplain certified by the Humanist Society to become a Certified Educator with the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. 

Join us for Testify! Live on Friday, October 2, 2026 at Eastern Star Church in Indianapolis, IN. 

Testify! Live is the project’s flagship public gathering that includes a series of five citywide events held over the grant period in Indianapolis (2026), Atlanta (2027), Houston (2028), Los Angeles (2029), and Chicago (2030), reaching more than 12,000 attendees nationwide. Each event brings testimony out of the margins of worship and into a full-scale artistic experience: curated testimonies are paired with live music, visual art, spoken word, and dance, all woven around a seven-fold theological framework: God creates, comforts, heals, transforms, gives rest, belonging and commissions.

Every event is preceded by an artist-lay collaboration retreat, where professional artists are paired with everyday believers from partner congregations to co-create original pieces rooted in real, lived testimony. Those pieces premiere on stage at the Testify! Live event and are then archived for use in the toolkit and digital campaigns, turning one person’s story into art that can travel far beyond the room it was created in.

The model isn’t theoretical. It was piloted on July 9, 2025, at Bethel AME Cathedral in Indianapolis, where 140 attendees and 19 professional and lay artists from their 20s to their 80s gathered for an evening blending gospel and jazz, quilting and spoken word. Every survey respondent rated the experience of 4 or 5 stars, and nearly three-quarters said they intended to start practicing testimony within three months, strong early evidence that this format moves people to action.

Registration coming soon!

Sister Norma Pimentel 

Executive Director, Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley 

Webinar Description: 

Sister Norma Pimentel will share reflections on the spiritual and human dimensions of ministry at the U.S.–Mexico border, drawing from her years of service accompanying immigrant families in moments of profound vulnerability. 

Grounded in her leadership at Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, this webinar will explore how compassion, faith, and dignity shape frontline spiritual care responses to migration and humanitarian crisis. Participants will gain insight into the pastoral, ethical, and spiritual challenges of caring for those seeking refuge and hope.

View the whole series

Register for Free Below! 

Sister Norma Pimentel

Sister Norma Pimentel is Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, the charitable arm of the Diocese of Brownsville – the second largest Catholic diocese in the United States. She is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading humanitarian voices. For more than 20 years, she has led ministries serving individuals and families through homeless prevention, disaster relief, counseling, pregnancy care, food assistance, and humanitarian support for immigrants. 

In 2014, Sister Pimentel founded the Humanitarian Respite Center in response to a surge of immigrants arriving at the U.S.–Mexico border. With the support of the local community, the center has grown into the largest respite center of its kind in the United States, serving more than 500,000 people with compassionate care and hospitality. 

A respected advocate for the dignity of immigrants, Sister Pimentel also brings a creative perspective as a visual artist. She holds degrees from Pan American University, St. Mary’s University, and Loyola University Chicago and has received numerous honorary doctorates for her humanitarian leadership. 

October 13, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
Shelton Auditorium | Christian Theological Seminary 

What can history teach us about faith, moral courage, and leadership—and about finding a way forward in moments of division and uncertainty? 

Christian Theological Seminary welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and #1 New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham for Who Will Lead Us Forward?, a timely public conversation exploring the intersections of faith, history, democracy, moral courage, and leadership. 

Moderated by the Honorable Myra C. Selby, the evening will draw on themes Meacham has explored throughout his acclaimed work: the complicated role of faith in American public life, the moral choices that shape history, and the capacity of individuals and communities to meet difficult moments with courage and hope. 

This special evening marks the public introduction of RISE UP: A Campaign for Human Flourishing.  

 

Faith, History, and the American Story 

In His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, Meacham examines the faith that shaped civil rights leader John Lewis—a moral courage rooted in the Black church tradition, nonviolent witness, and a steadfast belief in the possibility of the Beloved Community. 

In And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle, Meacham explores Lincoln’s evolving moral convictions as the nation confronted slavery, division, and the responsibilities of leadership. 

Across these works and others, including The Soul of America, Meacham returns to questions that resonate deeply with the mission and work of CTS: 

How does faith shape public life? Where does moral courage come from? What can history teach us about hope? And who will lead us forward? 

For more than a century, CTS has brought scholarship and faith together in the formation of leaders committed to justice, healing, and human dignity. Who Will Lead Us Forward? brings Meacham’s work into conversation with that tradition for an honest, historically grounded, and hope-sustaining conversation about what those who came before us can teach us—and the responsibility each of us carries for what comes next. 

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

About the Conference

The Mixed Methods Preaching Conference gathers preachers, ministry leaders, scholars, and students for 3.5 days of immersive engagement with the craft and calling of preaching. Through preaching labs, plenary lectures, and evening worship, participants will encounter the full range of what it means to stand in the pulpit with faithfulness, creativity, and conviction.

Presented by Christian Theological Seminary, this conference is for those who take preaching seriously — and those who are curious about preaching — and want to grow.

Conference Theme

Just Preachers, Just Preaching explores the life of the preacher which informs the message of the preacher. Not only is the sermon method important for preachers and listeners, but so are the values and theological commitments of the preacher.

This year we explore the person of the preacher, the proclamation, and the promises in the preaching — as we learn from just preachers, just preaching.

Who Should Attend

The Mixed Methods Preaching Conference welcomes all who are connected to the ministry of preaching:

• Clergy and preachers seeking renewal, reflection, and continuing education
• Ministry leaders and theological educators
• Seminary and doctoral students
• Listeners of preaching who want to engage with what makes preaching compelling

We especially invite institutions, congregations, and denominational bodies to sponsor their clergy and ministry staff for an immersive continuing education experience in preaching. Contact MM**@*ts.edu for CEU group rates and institutional sponsorship inquiries.

Preaching Labs

Each participant is placed in one lab for the duration of the conference based on their first and second choice selections at registration. Lab assignments are first-come, first-served. Each lab is capped at 15 participants.

Available Labs:

• Artificial Intelligence and the Anointing: Tools, Theology, and Guardrails for Preachers
• Preaching on the Fly: The Art of Homiletical Improvisation
• Marginalized Bodies: A New Approach to Preaching about Disability
• Womanist Preaching for Desperate Times
• Preaching from an Authentic Center: Leaning into the Prophetic

Lab placement confirmations will be sent by September 1, 2026.

Meals & Amenities

Registration includes:

• Breakfast daily (Tuesday–Thursday)
• Lunch daily (Monday–Wednesday)
• Thursday box lunch — by prior selection only
• Snacks and refreshments throughout each conference day
• Conference swag bag (early and general registration only)

CEU Documentation

Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) issued by Christian Theological Seminary. CEUs may be considered for technical professional development or spiritual formation. Add the CEU option ($50) at registration and select your track:

CEU Documentation

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Institutions sponsoring eight (8) or more participants for CEU documentation are invited to contact the planning team for a discounted group rate. Please reach out at MM**@*ts.edu.

Travel

Nearest Airport: Indianapolis International Airport (IND), approximately 20 miles from the venue. Rental cars, rideshare services (Uber, Lyft), and taxi services are available at IND.

Hotel block information coming soon.

Listener Research Initiative

As part of the LEI Compelling Preaching Initiative, the Mixed Methods Preaching Conference is committed to hearing from those who listen to preaching. We believe the listening experience is central to understanding what makes preaching compelling — or what keeps it from being so.

Throughout the conference, listeners of preaching will have several opportunities to share their experience and perspective:

• Data collection conversations with conference team members (3 short questions)
• QR code access to a brief digital survey available throughout the conference
• A dedicated data collection booth on-site

Your voice as a listener matters. We look forward to learning from you.

Key Dates

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• Full refunds will be issued for cancellations submitted on or before September 19, 2026. Requests must be submitted in writing to MM**@*ts.edu.
• After September 19, 2026, registration fees are non-refundable. Registrations may be transferred to another participant by submitting a written request to MM**@*ts.edu prior to the start of the conference, including the name and contact information of the replacement participant.
• In the event the conference is cancelled by Christian Theological Seminary, registrants will receive a full refund of all registration fees paid.
• The $50 CEU documentation add-on fee is non-refundable once the conference has begun.

Photo & Video Policy

Photography and video recording will occur during conference sessions for institutional and promotional purposes. By registering, participants consent to the possibility of being photographed or recorded. Participants who wish to limit their appearance in photography or video are responsible for advising on-site photographers and videographers directly. Christian Theological Seminary cannot guarantee that a participant will not appear in conference photos or video footage.

Code of Conduct

The Mixed Methods Preaching Conference is committed to providing a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive environment for all participants. All attendees, speakers, and guests are expected to engage with one another with dignity and respect. Behavior that is disruptive, discriminatory, or harassing in any form will not be tolerated and may result in removal from the conference without refund.