Community leaders, pastors, and neighbors across Middle Tennessee are invited to A Way Forward: Hope in Uncertain Times, a three-day conference August 28–30, 2026 exploring how the church can embody the true message of Jesus through love, justice, and community while standing against oppression in its many forms. The conference will be held at Woodmont Hills Church (3710 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN) and conclude with a worship service at the historic Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church. The event is free and open to the public, though seats are limited. Registration is available via Eventbrite with full event and single-day options.
The gathering is for people who long to build communities rooted in hope, compassion, and justice. A Way Forward: Hope in Uncertain Times will feature inspiring keynote presentations, meaningful conversations, and engaging breakout sessions to help participants rediscover what it means to follow Jesus with wisdom, courage and hope. Participants are invited to hear visionary speakers, forge and deepen relationships and leave equipped to make a meaningful difference where they live and serve.
"In a moment that can feel heavy and uncertain, it's time to pause and envision the beloved community Jesus called us to — where justice and love walk together, and everyone has a place at the table. Now more than ever, we need each other for the work ahead. This conference is about coming together to build the relationships and dream up the actions that will carry this work forward," shares David Young, chair of Brentwood United Methodist Church's Race and Faith Team – the ministry from which the conference was birthed.
The weekend's lineup of nationally recognized voices alongside Nashville-based faith and community leaders includes:
An overview of the full schedule is available on the Eventbrite registration page.
"After an overwhelming response to Brentwood UMC's earlier events, we received interest from numerous churches of differing denominations asking how they might start a race and faith team at their church. This led to the formation of a coalition called the Congregations United for Racial Equity and Justice (CUREJ) who are joining together on The A Way Forward Conference to engage in conversations and planning around the important work of helping to speak out against oppression and prevent it from taking root in our community," notes Young.
The A Way Forward event is sponsored by Congregations United for Racial Equity & Justice (CUREJ), the Brentwood United Methodist Church Race & Faith Team, Belmont University, and the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church's Anti-Racism Coalition.
"Our hope is that A Way Forward will inspire us to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously as we reflect love to a hurting world, adds Young. "And as we note in our guiding statement, it is our hope that all who attend will join us in declaring that: every human being is made in the image of God — Imago Dei — without exception, without qualification, without hierarchy. Not despite our differences but including them. This truth is the foundation on which we stand and the vision toward which we move."
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About Congregations United for Racial, Equity and Justice (CUREJ)
CUREJ is a growing coalition of lay and clergy leaders who connect people of faith across congregations to challenge injustice and strengthen community. We bring people together through education, relationship-building, advocacy, and action—because we believe working against oppression and toward reconciliation is central to living out our faith. Since 2024, people from more than 25 churches and organizations have joined in the work.
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