Keynote Speaker:
Darren Calhoun
Darren Calhoun (He/Him) is a justice advocate, worship leader, and photographer based out of Chicago. He works to bridge connections between people of differing perspectives through story and relationship. Intersectionality is his primary lens when facilitating dialogue and education about justice and inclusion for people marginalized based on race, gender, and/or sexuality.
Darren Calhoun is currently the Worship Leader at Urban Village Church – South Loop and previously served as a volunteer worship leader at Willow Chicago for close to a decade. Darren is an Associate Fellow with Evangelicals for Social Action and sings with a band called The Many. He co-lead the #ImSorry and #MakeLoveLouder campaigns at Chicago’s LGBTQ Pride parades. He’s been a speaker and performer at notable events like the Gay Christian Network conference, The Wild Goose Festival, and Sojourner’s Summit for Change. He serves on the board of directors for the Center for Inclusivity, The Reformation Project, and Q Christian Fellowship.
He brings with him an intentional focus on the church being inclusive of a diversity of people and expressions as an authentic reflection of the Love of God. Lastly, Darren is an extrovert who loves hugs. Follow him on social media at @heyDarren or through his blog, DarrenCalhoun.com.
Keynote Speaker:
Rev. Jonah P. Overton
Rev. Jonah P. Overton (they/them) is a queer and trans communuity organizer, and the lead pastor and planter of Zao MKE Church. Zao started in their living room before it grew into a local theater -- and now resides in a historic church building on the East Side of Milwaukee. Jonah loves being part of a church that is being recreated and reimagined by people who were historically denied access to traditional Christian leadership. Their favorite thing about Zao MKE Church is experiencing what church looks like when those of us who were left out get to be in charge. Jonah is extremely passionate about the Bible and reclaiming Christian scriptures for liberation and for the Kingdom. They are so passionate that they started two podcasts: Jonah & the Peacock and Christian Queeries. In Jonah & the Peacock, Jonah interviews others about their relationship to faith and scripture, retelling the texts through a more inclusive and trauma-informed lens. Christian Queeries is a podcast that Jonah and Cameron have together where they answer listener questions about Christianity. Jonah has been married to Cameron since 2018 and recently became Baba to their 1-year-old daughter Micah. Jonah’s free time is currently filled with fantasizing about paddle boarding and reading, instead of actually having the time and energy to do it.
Presenters
Katie Simbala (She/her)
Katie Simbala (she/her) is a film maker, photographer, and worship leader with over 20 years in ministry. After coming out as a queer individual, Katie was fired from her leadership role but has persevered to become an entrepreneur with two production studios in Baltimore City. As a Latina of Honduran descent, Katie is passionate about creating spaces for queer individuals that are not only safe and accepting but provide a place to worship and connect with the divine through the WE. [Worship Experience] pop-ups. Katie was raised as a charismatic Pentecostal and continues to believe in the move of the Holy Spirit.
Luther Young, Jr. (He/Him)
Rev. Luther Young, Jr. (he/him) is an artist, public theologian, and social justice advocate. He is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and currently serves as Council Moderator of the Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance (AllianceQ) and a member of the board of directors of Q Christian Fellowship. Luther holds degrees in audio engineering technology, theology, and sociology. He is a current Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at The Ohio State University with an interest in the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and religion. For over 15 years, Luther has ministered in music and creative arts at churches, organizations, and events across the country.
Jess Grace Garcia (They/Them)
Jess Grace Garcia (they/them) is a cofounder of Q Worship Collective, Co-Host of Lavender Mafia Podcast, the Music Director at Community Congegational UCC in Los Angeles and the Worship and Outreach Pastor at Haven Fellowship in San Gabriel Valley where they live with their wife and girlfriend. They spent a number of years leading worship in non affirming spaces until they took a break to rediscover what it looks like to be a queer person of faith. After spending 20 years in Baltimore Jess and their beautiful wife Erica moved to Los Angeles in hopes of finding better care and weather for Erica’s health. After moving, they quickly got connected to an affirming church community and with their love and support got super engaged in ways to give back to the LGBTQ+ Progressive Christian Community. In Jan 2021 they met their gorgeous fiancé Janna at a QCF (Virtual) Conference.
Jess is passionate about writing and producing songs that provide healing and reflection on the beauty, holiness and God's image within us. They love to create safe spaces for healing from religious trauma/spiritual abuse and to deconstruct/ reconstruct at their own pace. They also own and operates a video production company & studio called Springwood Productions that they started over 10 years ago. They love to help artists tell their stories in unique and compassionate ways of connecting with their audience.
Gabriel Mudd (He/Him)
Singer/Songwriter/Actor Gabriel Mudd, based out of Chicago, IL, Is so glad to worship with you. Gabriel co-founded Q Worship after leading the worship department of Q Christian Fellowship for a few years. After being asked to step down and shut out of numerous churches and organizations because of his sexuality, Gabriel strives to create a safe place people in the LGBTQ+ to have a place to worship in spirit and in truth and to connect with their creator. Gabriel works with Affirming Worship and co-leads at MCC, A Church for Me in Chicago.
A performer and recording artist in his own right, Gabriel has been seen around the world in numerous theatrical performances and found on Apple Music and Spotify (stream "Starting to Get to Me").
Gaines Taylor (He/Him)
Gaines is the founder and co-host of Refuge Radio. Gaines believes strongly in the power of story and its ability to bring people together. Having experienced hurt within faith spaces, Gaines strives to make Refuge a place of safety and community that elevates the voices of those who feel like they’ve never been able to express themselves as they are: loved children of the Divine, complete in all their queerness. Gaines can be found in Philadelphia, PA with an iced coffee in hand and will be happy to talk to you about the newest X-Men comics.
Mariah Keener (She/Her)
Mariah Keener (she/her) is the Director of Art and Worship at South Bend City Church as well as a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, podcast producer, and audio engineer. Her debut EP, "Light", released in March 2016 and her second EP, "Learn to Love (Live)", released in the middle of the COVID pandemic; serving as a journey of vulnerability and self discovery. In the fall of 2017, Mariah + Mecario released the single, "Frontlines", as a response to the Charlottesville attack in an effort to bring awareness to division, to unite people of all backgrounds, and to encourage reconciliation. 100% of the proceeds from "Frontlines" has been (and will continue to be) donated to Equal Justice Initiative. Then in June 2023, she released her most disruptive song yet, "Jesus-Loving Queer Kid", in which she explores and explains how her sexuality can coexist with her faith. Holding two Bachelor’s degrees in Biblical Studies and Voice, she strives to create songs, content, and experiences that not only share her experience, but speak to the experiences of those her music reaches. Above all, she hopes to use her education and her creativity to bridge the gap between the two groups to which she belongs: the LGBTQ+ community and the Church. For more information on her music or her production services, head to mariahkeenermusic.com or mariahkeenerproduction.com.
Erin Mieskowski (She/They)
Erin (she/they) loves Jesus and justice and cussing too much, and lives to create authentic spaces. She works as a consultant, strategist, and educator in the DEI space and loves to support businesses, non-profits, and churches in creating space for authenticity within their organizations. Erin serves as the Worship Coordinator at En Vivo Church, in Grand Rapids, MI, and holds over 20 years of worship leading in spaces spanning cultures and denominations. Erin’s style of worship and worship leading invites worshipers to experience the Divine with all of their senses, and enjoys bucking tradition to get there. One of Erin’s favorite worship toys is a giant wand of bubbles… Erin holds a Bachelor’s in Voice and a Master’s in Adult Education and Leadership, and has used her passions and purpose to explore worship and ministry as a Black, queer, neurodivergent femme. Erin spends her self-care time in float tanks, laying in grass, watching YouTube, and/or curled up between her dog (Lola) and her spouse (Rae).
Heatherlyn (She/They)
Inspired by the irresistible way music can connect and carry us, Heatherlyn has built an international community around songs, poetry, and gatherings designed to pull listeners deeper into their own stories and the stories of others. Her passion for philosophy, spirituality, and the beautiful complexity of the human spirit is present in everything she creates, resonant in the echoes of the soul, rock, and roots influences that weave through her eclectic sound. Whether she is curating sacred space through music at HeatherlynMusic.com; on the road in partnership with patrons; yoga, spiritual, and faith communities; or social justice organizations around the world, her motivation rests in the firmly held belief that love is a powerful force of hope and healing, and that music is a uniquely powerful expression of love.
Cameron Overton (He/Him)
Cameron Overton (he/him) is a social worker, professor, and the executive pastor of Zao MKE Church. Cameron has a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and is currently pursuing his Doctorate at the University of St. Thomas. As a young, black, queer and trans person, Cameron's ministry calling is to build the church into intersectional and queer liberated space.
Jacob Tipantasig-Wolverton (He/Him)
Pastor Jacob Tipantasig-Wolverton (he/him/his) was born and raised in Benton County, a rural area of the northwest territory of Indiana. He is the senior pastor at Community United Methodist Church in Naperville, IL (suburb of Chicago). He brings over 25 years of experience in leading both traditional and contemporary worship, children’s and youth ministries, adult discipleship, and pastoral ministry. Jacob’s husband is Luis Tipantasig-Wolverton, and they have two beautiful children, Carter James & Emilia Grace as well as their fur baby Cooper John. Jacob was instrumental in developing and leading the faith formation experience for children through senior adults at Union Chapel Indy, and launched a fresh expressions ministry known as IGNITE! Jacob has his Master of Divinity degree from the Methodist Theological School of Ohio. He holds both his Associate’s Degree in Biblical Studies & Bachelor of Ministries from White Horse School of Ministries in West Lafayette, IN. Jacob also holds his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, IN. His ability to transcend worship styles to meet each group has been a testament to his ministry. His passion to see souls reconciled to the Lord has been seen both nationally and internationally as he has preached and led worship for conferences throughout his ministry. His approach to worship draws from his experiences in creative arts, choral music, tradition, contemporary Christian music, and his love for the Word of God. Jacob’s desire and passion are to see the next generation embrace their gifts and talents and to find a love for worship and God that will impact their lives for the future. Jacob believes in a multi-generational worship experience, and holds true to the teachings of Jesus that taught us “let the little children come unto me…” Jacob encourages everyone, no matter their skill level, to approach worship with a heart to worship our Lord and Savior from a place of gratitude. As a pastor, Jacob’s care for the people has been monumental in navigating the change required during this time in the church. Through faith formation experiences, sermons, and small group experiences, Jacob helps people begin to live out the mission of God which is to love like Jesus. His life motto is to Love God and Love People.
Janna Maxine Ford (they/she)
Janna Maxine Ford (they/she) has spent over 25 years hyper-focused on Fiber and Textile art. For the first 33 years of their life they resided just south of Birmingham, Alabama; First in small Evangelical Homeschool Communities, then in a Megachurch cult and the associated ministry school. She has earned an Advanced Certificate of Ministry in Live Technical Arts, and spent three years serving in a leadership role in her churches production teams prior to stepping down 3 weeks before the 2016 election. Their relationship with church has been a complicated one since then, but they have always enjoyed being a worshipper; singing in church choirs and praise teams from a young age, and now singing in the car or playing ukulele in their free time. Janna came out as queer a few days before their 30th birthday during Pride Week of 2018. In January of 2021 they went to their first QCF Conference (virtually), and there they met their current partners Jess and Erica. Janna “U-Hauled” with her 2 cats to Pasadena, California in April of 2021 to be with her loves. Together, they have 5 cats now. Janna loves doing things with their hands Iike knitting, crocheting, handspinning, band weaving, shuttle tatting, and other things involving fiber, yarn, fabric, and thread while hanging out with friends, watching TV with their partners, or listening to an audiobook. They served as president of the Greater Birmingham Fiber Guild for the 2021-2022 terms, and currently work and teach knitting and crochet at their Local Yarn Shop.
Kimmothy Cole (They/Them)
Kimmothy Cole (They/Them) is a Producing Community Artist working with creative play as a tool for community building and healing. They are based in so-called Richmond, VA where they work a community group called General Hospitality to create events that encourage joy and experimentation in intergenerational spaces. As a performer, educator, producer and presenter, their work has been featured at festivals, conferences and venues across the US. Their first book, A Liturgy for All Bodies is out now from Cyclical Publishing.
Kelly Ravenscraft (She/They)
Kelly Ravenscraft is a San Diego-based hospital chaplain and also works as the worship arts director at Mission Hills Christian Church. She is involved in several justice initiatives and is passionate about creating places for worship, reclamation, and connection in unconventional spaces. She graduated with her Master’s in Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary, is under the care of the Pacific Southwest Region of the Disciples of Christ for their ordination process, and is currently pursuing board certification. Kel is beginning a new endeavor to be able to provide somatic therapy and is certified in traumatic bereavement care. Kel is working on creating worship space that affirm the LGBTQ+ Christian experience, finding trauma-informed ways to communicate a continual discovery of ourselves and of our relationship with God, in all of its nuances and beauty.