The national weekly ecumenical radio program produced by the Alliance for Christian

Media
Contact: Peter Wallace, 404-815-9110, pwallace@day1.org
or Rebecca Kurziak, 404-815-9110, rebecca@day1.org

For immediate release – August 7, 2009

Photo available on request

Fund for Theological Education leaders to preach on ‘Day 1’

Leaders of the Fund for Theological Education (FTE) are scheduled to preach next
month on “Day 1,” the nationally broadcast radio program also accessible by podcast
at HYPERLINK "http://www.Day1.org" Day1.org. The Rev. Dr. Trace Haythorn,
president, will preach Sept. 6, and the Rev. Stephen Lewis, national director of the
Calling Congregations initiative, preaches Sept. 20. Each program includes a sermon
along with interviews conducted by the program’s host and executive producer,
Peter Wallace.

Haythorn was appointed president of the Atlanta-based organization in January

2008. He was formerly director of the Vocation and Values program and founder of
the Center for Servant Leadership at Hastings College, a Presbyterian liberal arts
school in Nebraska. He was also assistant professor in religion. Haythorn is an
ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

In his sermon, “Standing in the Tragic Gap,” Haythorn examines James 2, which
encourages churches not to show partiality. “This is James’ call to us—not to simply
critique the rich. Not to simply empathize with the poor. We are called to stand in
what Parker Palmer calls ‘the tragic gap,’ the space between what is and what should
be, the place between rich and poor, the place between the privileged few and the
alien masses,” he says. “It is the place where we are called to stand, for it is the place
of the cross.”

Lewis is an ordained Baptist minister who directs the Calling Congregations and
Project Rising Sun initiatives for FTE. A former banking executive, he was a
teaching assistant at Candler School of Theology while he served as assistant pastor
of Trinity Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Entitled “Insignificant Greatness,” Lewis’ sermon explores a teachable moment

Jesus had with his disciples regarding humility (Mark 9:30-37). “Jesus welcomes
the child to the center of the community and wraps his arm around her—the
voiceless one—and suggests that if we want to be great, then we must practice
welcoming the voiceless to the very center of the community,” he says. “Expand the
community’s center to include those people at the margins, make the margins the
new center of the community because this is where the welcoming presence of God
dwells.”

Joining in the conversation during Haythorn’s interview segments will be the Rev.
Tiffany Knowlin, pastor of College Place United Methodist Church, Columbia,
S.C., who describes how her experiences with FTE helped prepare her for parish
ministry. Knowlin was an FTE Undergraduate Fellow and Ministry Fellow, and
now participates in FTE’s Project Rising Sun initiative for rising young pastors of
color. Knowlin is a graduate of Columbia College and Candler School of Theology
at Emory University.

FTE is a nonprofit, ecumenical advocate for excellence and diversity in pastoral

ministry and theological scholarship. Its work supports the next generation of
leaders among pastors and scholars, providing more than $1.5 million annually in
fellowships and other support to gifted young people from all denominations and
racial/ethnic backgrounds.

Since 1954, FTE has awarded nearly 6,000 fellowships in partnership with others
committed to the future of quality leadership for the church. FTE also invites
congregations and church-related organizations to join its Calling Congregations
network, which identifies gifted young people and encourages them to consider
ministry as a vocation. For information about FTE programs, visit HYPERLINK
"http://www.thefund.org" www.thefund.org.

Formerly known as “The Protestant Hour,” “Day 1” has been broadcast every week
for 64 years, winning numerous awards in the process, including the George Foster
Peabody Award and the Communicators’ Award for Excellence in inspirational
radio. Distributed to 200 radio stations across America and overseas, it is produced
by the Alliance for Christian Media in association with the Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United Church of Christ and the United
Methodist Church.

For more information, call toll free 888-411-Day-1 or check the program’s Web site,
http://day1.org.