Sunday Keynote Speaker

Richard Rohr is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and the Founding Director of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. An internationally recognized author and spiritual leader, Fr. Richard teaches primarily on incarnational mysticism, non-dual consciousness, and contemplation, with a particular emphasis on how these affect the social justice issues of our time. Along with many recorded conferences, he is the author of numerous books, including The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation (with Mike Morrell) and Just This. To learn more about Fr. Richard Rohr and the CAC, visit https://cac.org/richard-rohr/richard-rohr-ofm/.

Monday Morning Keynote 

We are excited to announce that Valarie Kaur will be joining us for a live virtual keynote presentation and Q&A during our joint conference! Valarie Kaur is a seasoned civil rights activist, award-winning filmmaker, lawyer, faith leader, and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project. She is the founder of Groundswell Movement, considered “America’s largest multifaith online organizing network,” recognized for “dynamically strengthening faith-based organizing in the 21st century.” Today she leads the  Revolutionary Love Project to champion love as a public ethic and wellspring for social action. To learn more about Valarie please explore her website: http://valariekaur.com

Photo credit: Mitchell Haddad

Tuesday Morning Keynote 

We are excited to announce that Elizabeth Drescher will be joining us as our Tuesday morning keynote presenter. Her work focuses on the prayer practices of religious “nones” (people who answer “none” when asked which religion they follow). It contributed to her book project, Choosing Our Religion: The Spiritual Lives of American Nones (Oxford, 2016) on the spiritual lives of people who are not affiliated with any religion. 

Elizabeth Drescher, PhD is an educator, scholar, writer and public speaker on the topic of spirituality in everyday life today and in the past. She holds a Ph.D. in Christian Spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union and an MA in Systematic Theology from Duquesne University. Dr. Drescher teaches in the undergraduate program in religious studies and the graduate program in pastoral ministry at Santa Clara University, where she directs the Living Religion Collaborative. She is also a consulting scholar at The BTS Center, a think-tank for 21^st century ministries in Portland, Maine, where edits the award-winning online magazine, Bearings, which explores challenges and opportunities in ministry on a changing religious landscape.

Excursion Options

Sunday, February 24 – Train trip to Santa Fe with guided tour of the historic plaza area

Cost $35 - Covers the costs of shuttles, train, and tour.  Lunch is on your own.

All aboard!  Hop on the famous Rail Runner Express which will give you a view of New Mexico you simply can't see from the road, featuring rugged, desert vistas, and historic pueblos.

You'll arrive in the heart of Santa Fé which boasts unique historical, cultural, and spiritual features accessible on foot.  In this 90 minute guided tour you will visit the Cathedral Basilica, the Santa Fe Plaza, the oldest church in North America, and Santa Fé’s famous art district, Canyon Road. The tour will end at the Palace of the Governors where participants can purchase direct from Native American artists. Having built up an appetite, participants can choose to eat lunch from a wide variety of restaurants featuring traditional and contemporary Santa Fé cuisine or classic American options.

Meet at 8:00a.m. in the hotel lobby to board the shuttle for the quick ride to the train station.  The train departs at 8:30 a.m. and arrives in Santa Fe at 10:05 a.m.  There, you will take the free shuttle from the station to the Santa Fe Plaza where you will meet your tour guide. The return trip departs Santa Fe at 3:15 p.m. and will have you back in Albuquerque at 4:45 p.m.  

Monday, February 25 – Guided walking tour of Old Town Albuquerque

Cost:  $15 

Your tour guide will dispel rumors and myths with authentic information about the “Duke City” as they escort you on an exciting adventure through time.  Embark on a 60 minute leisurely walking tour which takes you through the streets and alleys of one of the oldest towns in North America.

Meet in the hotel lobby, we depart at 5:00 p.m. 

Tuesday, February 26 – Tour of Petroglyph National Monument

Cost: $20 

Petroglyph National Monument protects one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, featuring designs and symbols carved onto volcanic rocks by Native Americans and Spanish settlers 400-700 years ago.  These images are a valuable record of cultural expression and hold profound spiritual significance for contemporary Native Americans and for the descendants of the early Spanish settlers.

Meet in hotel lobby at 3:00 p.m. Bus departs at 3:15 p.m. and returns at 4:45 p.m. (Departing the monument at 4:30 p.m.)